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Getting a baby passport in Canada is the first step before any trip abroad with your little one, and it is the one step that can stop a trip if it is late. Here is how the child passport application in Canada works, step by step: the form, the baby photo, the guarantor, the documents, the fees and how long it takes. At the end, I also cover the consent letter for travelling with children from Canada when one parent stays home. Everything here comes from the Government of Canada pages as of October 2026, so check canada.ca before you apply, because fees and rules change.
One of my worst nightmares is an expired passport, so I check the passport expiry dates as soon as I book a trip. If you have older kids too, here is my post on checking your passport expiry date.
Who can apply for a child passport in Canada?
A child passport is for any Canadian citizen under 16, from a newborn up to 15 years old. The application is made by a parent, and the rules depend on your family situation:
- If the parents are not separated or divorced, 1 parent can apply.
- If the parents are separated or divorced, the parent who has custody or decision-making responsibilities applies.
- A legal guardian can apply with the legal documents that show the guardianship.
All parents or legal guardians should sign the application, and the passport program may contact the other parent. If a parent has passed away, you add the original death certificate or an official copy.
Which form do you need for a child passport application in Canada?
The form is the PPTC 155, the child passport application, and you can download it from canada.ca. Each page of the form has to be signed, and the parent who applies signs sections 2 and 5. When the passport arrives, do not sign it for your child. A parent signature makes the passport invalid. Your child signs it themselves from age 16, and they can choose to sign it from age 11.
What documents do you need for a baby passport in Canada?
This is the list from the child passport page on canada.ca, and it is the part to prepare first:
- Proof of Canadian citizenship: the long-form birth certificate from the province or territory where your child was born, or a citizenship certificate. The name on this document is the name that goes on the passport.
- Proof of parentage, or proof of legal guardianship. This is needed with every application.
- Every legal document with a clause about custody, decision-making, parenting time or mobility, including any clause about the child’s passport.
- Any valid Canadian passport or travel document already issued in your child’s name.
- 2 identical passport photos of your child.
Paper citizenship certificates issued on or before 31 January 2012 must be originals, and an e-certificate must be printed. If a document is not in English or French, you need an official translation.
How to take a passport photo of a baby in Canada
A baby does not sit still and look at the camera, so the photo can take a few tries, and the rules give some room for babies. Here is what canada.ca asks for:
- 2 identical photos taken by a commercial photographer, no more than 6 months before you apply.
- The size is 50 mm by 70 mm, with the face measuring 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown.
- A plain white or light background, even lighting and no shadows.
- Eyes open and mouth closed is the goal, and the program says it allows some range for infant facial expressions.
- Your hands, and your child’s hands, cannot show in the photo.
- No filters, no editing and no AI tools.
For a newborn, you can take the photo with your baby sitting in a car seat, as long as a white blanket covers the seat behind their head and there are no shadows on the face, ears, shoulders or background. Book the photo when your baby is fed and rested, and ask the studio if they are used to photographing babies.
On the back of 1 photo, the photographer writes or stamps the studio name, its full address and the date the photo was taken. Stick-on labels are not accepted. Your guarantor also writes “I certify this to be a true likeness of” followed by your child’s name, and signs that same photo.
Who can be a guarantor for a child passport in Canada?
A first child passport needs a guarantor. On canada.ca, the guarantor must:
- be 18 or older and a Canadian citizen,
- have known you personally for at least 2 years, and know of your child,
- hold a Canadian passport issued for 5 or 10 years that is valid or expired for less than 1 year, which they applied for when they were 16 or older,
- be available if the passport program contacts them, in English or French.
The parent who is applying cannot also sign as guarantor. The other parent can, if they meet all the requirements. The guarantor signs the form, signs the back of 1 photo, and you write the date they signed in section 6 of the form.
The references page on canada.ca also says a passport application needs 2 references who are at least 18, have known you for at least 2 years, and are not family. Read the references section of the PPTC 155 before you fill it in, and ask your guarantor and references early so their signatures are ready when your photos are.
How much does a child passport cost in Canada?
Fees went up on 31 March 2026 and they now adjust every year. As of October 2026, canada.ca lists:
- Child passport (5 years) applied for in Canada: $58.50.
- Child passport (5 years) applied for outside Canada: $102.50.
- Urgent pickup, by the end of the next business day: $125.75 on top of the passport fee.
Express pickup has its own extra fee, so check the fee list on canada.ca for the current amount. In person, you can pay by credit card, debit card, certified cheque or money order. Cash and personal cheques are not accepted. If the application is refused or cancelled, the service fees are not refunded.
How long does a child passport take in Canada?
The processing times on canada.ca are the same for children and adults, and they do not include mail time:
- 10 business days in person at a passport office, or at a Service Canada Centre that offers 10-day processing.
- 20 business days at a regular Service Canada Centre or by mail.
- Express pickup: 2 to 9 business days, at a passport office.
- Urgent pickup: by the end of the next business day, at a passport office, walk-in only and with proof of travel or an emergency.
Mail usually adds about 5 business days. If you are booking Christmas or March break, apply as soon as you have the documents and the photos, so the passport is home well before you book flights.
Where to apply for a child passport
You can apply in person at a passport office or a Service Canada Centre, with an appointment you book online or as a walk-in. Wait times can be long at some passport offices, so an appointment saves time with a baby. You can also mail the application. Mail goes to Gatineau or Mississauga depending on your province, and canada.ca recommends a courier or traceable mail. If you live in the United States or somewhere else outside Canada, there is a separate page on canada.ca for applying from abroad.
Can you renew a child passport in Canada?
No. A child passport is valid for a maximum of 5 years and it cannot be renewed. When it expires, you apply for a new child passport with the full application again, including the photos, the guarantor and the documents. The passport stays valid until its expiry date, even after your child turns 16, and from 16 your child applies for an adult passport.
Checking passport expiry dates is one of the steps in my checklist for before every international trip with kids, so it is a good place to note when each child passport needs a new application.
Common mistakes on a child passport application
- Signing the child’s passport when it arrives, which makes it invalid.
- A photo without the studio name, address and date on the back, or with a stick-on label.
- Only 1 parent signing when all parents or guardians should sign.
- Leaving out the custody or parenting documents when the parents are separated.
- A guarantor whose own passport has been expired for more than 1 year.
- Paying with cash or a personal cheque at the counter.
- Waiting too long, then needing urgent pickup at a higher price.
Do you need a consent letter for travelling with children from Canada?
A consent letter is not a legal requirement in Canada, but the Government of Canada recommends one, and not having it when you are asked can cause delays or a refusal to enter or leave a country. Immigration officers, airline agents and Canadian border officers can all ask for it.
The letter is recommended when a child under 19 travels without both parents: alone, with only 1 parent, with friends or family, or with a school or sports group. It is signed by every parent who is not travelling, and that includes married, common-law, separated and divorced parents.
The Government of Canada has a recommended consent letter on travel.gc.ca that you can fill in on your computer or print and complete by hand. It asks for:
- your child’s name,
- the names and contact details of the parents,
- the full name, address and contact details of the adult travelling with your child, and their relationship to your child,
- the destination and the travel dates.
Any adult can witness the signature, and the government strongly recommends a notary public. Bring the original signed letter, because border officers may not accept a photocopy or a digital version. If there is a court order or parenting arrangement, bring a copy of it too.
What I carry when I travel alone with the kids
I travel alone with the kids, and I have a travel consent letter from my husband ready to go. Here is what I carry every trip:
- my child’s passport,
- the signed travel consent letter from the other parent,
- a copy of my child’s birth certificate,
- a copy of the other parent’s passport or ID.
Have I been asked for all of it? No, most countries do not ask. But I carry everything anyway. Nobody has ever questioned our different last names. What border officers care about is whether you have permission to travel without the other parent. The places where I had more questions were Côte d’Ivoire and the UK. Here is more on how to travel alone with your kids.
The passports and the consent letter stay on me, in my crossbody, and never go in the overhead bin. After the gate agent scans a passport, it goes straight back into my bag, because I once left my passport in the seat pocket on a plane. You can see how I organize everything in what is in our carry-ons for an overnight flight.
Once the passport arrives
Take a photo of the passport page and email it to yourself, so you have a copy if anything gets lost on the trip. Then you can book. You can search family hotels on Booking.com, and before you fly, an Airalo eSIM gives you data when you land, so your maps and messages work from the airport. For the airport itself, here are my airport tips for flying with kids.
What I pack for trips like this
The things I actually use are in my Amazon store: my packing essentials list and my electronic must-haves for travel list.
My pre-travel checklist is the list I run before every trip, and checking passport expiry dates is on it, so you can use it to see when each child passport needs a new application. It is free. You can get it here.
Applying for your baby’s first passport? Send me a message on Instagram and tell me where you are going first.