Adult applicants use Form PPTC 153 to apply for a new Canadian passport application form, whether it’s your first passport or a replacement you can’t renew. The form is available as a fillable PDF from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada or in print at any Service Canada Centre, and it covers both the five-year and ten-year adult passport.1Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Apply for a New Adult Passport in Canada You’ll need proof of citizenship, government-issued ID, two passport photos, a guarantor, two references, and the applicable fee before you submit.
Where to Get the Form
Download PPTC 153 from the IRCC website and complete it on screen, then print it for signing. If you’d rather work from paper, pick up a copy at any Service Canada Centre or passport office. Most applicants only need the main form. A name change, a request for the X gender identifier, or a lost or stolen passport each requires an additional form, covered further down.
Documents You Need Before You Start
Gathering everything before you open the form saves a second trip and prevents mismatches between what you write and what your documents say.
Proof of Canadian Citizenship
You need one original proof of Canadian citizenship: either a birth certificate issued by a Canadian provincial or territorial vital statistics office, or a certificate of Canadian citizenship. A citizenship certificate issued before February 1, 2012 must be submitted as the original. Certificates issued on or after that date can be submitted as either the original or a copy.2Government of Canada. Canadian Adult General Passport Application Form Originals are returned once the Passport Program finishes verifying them.
Government-Issued Identification
You also need at least one valid piece of government-issued ID showing your name, date of birth, photo, and signature, from a federal, provincial, or territorial authority.2Government of Canada. Canadian Adult General Passport Application Form A driver’s licence is the most common choice. A health card or other government card that lacks a photo or signature won’t qualify. Check the expiry date before you submit.
Passport Photos
You need two identical photos taken by a commercial photographer within the past six months.3Government of Canada. Passport Photo Requirements Each must measure 50 mm wide by 70 mm high, with a neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed, looking straight at the camera.4Government of Canada. Passport Photo Specifications Head coverings are allowed only for religious or medical reasons, and your full face must remain visible from chin to forehead.
On the back of one photo, the photographer must write or stamp their name, the studio’s complete street address, and the date the photo was taken. Stick-on labels are not accepted. Any retouching or digital alteration will get the photos rejected, because the image feeds into biometric security systems.
Filling Out the Form
Enter your full legal name exactly as it appears on your citizenship document, your date of birth, and your city and country of birth. Small mismatches with federal records slow processing. Use the name on your proof of citizenship, not a nickname or an unregistered married name.
Provide a continuous record of every address where you’ve lived over the past two years, with full street address and postal code for each.2Government of Canada. Canadian Adult General Passport Application Form Don’t leave gaps: if you moved mid-month, the end date at one address and the start date at the next should connect. Employment details go on a separate supplementary form (PPTC 056) only if the Passport Program requests it.5Government of Canada. Find a Passport or Travel Document Form
Choosing a Gender Identifier
Canadian passports offer three gender identifiers: F, M, and X. If you want an X on your passport and your supporting documents don’t already show that identifier, you need to complete Form PPTC 643 and include it with your application.6Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Choose or Update the Gender Identifier on Your Passport or Travel Document Some countries and airlines don’t yet recognize the X marker, so check with a Canadian embassy or consulate for any destination where entry requirements specify male or female only.
Finding a Guarantor
Your guarantor vouches for your identity. They sign the application form, sign the back of one photo, and write “I certify this to be a true likeness of [your name]” on that same photo.7Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. References and Guarantors for Canadian Passport and Other Travel Document Applications They also sign and date photocopies of any supporting ID you submit; this step isn’t needed for originals.
To qualify, a guarantor must be a Canadian citizen aged 18 or older, hold a five-year or ten-year Canadian passport that is either currently valid or expired for no more than one year on the day you submit your application, have known you personally for at least two years, and be willing to answer questions from the Passport Program if contacted.7Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. References and Guarantors for Canadian Passport and Other Travel Document Applications A guarantor can be a family member or someone in your household, and cannot charge you for the service. You can’t help your guarantor fill out their section of the form; they complete it independently.
If You Cannot Find a Guarantor
If nobody in your life meets all the requirements, contact the Passport Program to obtain Form PPTC 132, the Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor. You complete and sign it before someone legally authorized to administer an oath, such as a notary public or commissioner of oaths. Expect the application to take longer, since the Passport Program has to verify your identity without a guarantor’s vouching.
Providing Two References
You also need two references, separate from your guarantor, who have each known you for at least two years and are at least 18 years old.8Government of Canada. What You Need to Apply for a New Adult Passport in Canada Provide each reference’s full name, address, and daytime phone number.
References cannot be family members. The restriction is broad: your spouse or common-law partner, parents and step-parents, children and stepchildren, siblings, in-laws, grandparents, grandchildren, and anyone related to you or your partner by blood, marriage, adoption, or guardianship who lives at your address. A former spouse or partner can serve as a reference if the relationship has ended. A boyfriend or girlfriend can serve as a reference as long as you aren’t in a common-law relationship. Friends, coworkers, and neighbours are the typical choices.
Applying with a Name Change
If your legal name differs from what appears on your citizenship document, you need extra paperwork. For a change from marriage, common-law partnership, or divorce, include the original or a copy of your marriage certificate, common-law relationship certificate, or court order.9Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Changing the Name on Your Passport or Other Travel Document For a legal name change through a court or provincial process, include the legal name change document or court order. You also need at least one supporting ID showing your new name. Your proof of citizenship can show either name; you don’t need to get a new birth certificate first.
Replacing a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Passport
Report a lost or stolen passport as soon as possible by calling 1-800-567-6868. Once reported, the passport is cancelled immediately and cannot be used, even if you later find it.10Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Lost, Stolen, Inaccessible, Damaged or Found Passports and Other Travel Documents
If the lost or stolen passport was still valid, submit Form PPTC 203 (Declaration Concerning a Lost, Stolen, Inaccessible, Damaged or Found Canadian Travel Document) alongside a new PPTC 153 application.11Government of Canada. Declaration Concerning a Lost, Stolen, Inaccessible, Damaged or Found Canadian Travel Document You’ll pay the regular passport fee plus an additional CAN $45 surcharge. If you’re not sure whether the passport had expired, include the PPTC 203 form to be safe. On the form, describe in detail how the passport went missing and what you did to recover it; if you filed a police report, include the report number, date, and law enforcement agency. If the lost or stolen passport had already expired, you don’t need the PPTC 203; apply for a new passport normally.
How to Submit Your Application
Online applications are currently available only for passport renewals, not for first-time or new adult passport applications.12Government of Canada. Renew a Passport Online in Canada You have three ways to submit PPTC 153:
- In person at a Service Canada Centre that offers Passport Services (a passport office): 10-business-day processing, and the only locations that offer urgent or express service.13Government of Canada. Passport and Biometrics Service Locations in Canada
- In person at a regular Service Canada Centre: 20-business-day standard processing.14Government of Canada. Canadian Passports and Other Travel Documents – Processing Times
- By mail: 20 business days plus mailing time in each direction. Include payment on the form (credit card details, or a certified cheque or money order).
If you can’t attend in person, someone else can submit the application in person on your behalf.15Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Applying for a Passport
Accepted Payment Methods
In person, you can pay by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or American Express), prepaid card, or debit card. Certified cheques and money orders payable to the Receiver General for Canada are also accepted. Cash and personal cheques are not.16Government of Canada. Pay Your Passport Fee in Canada For mail-in applications, fill in the credit card section on the form or enclose a certified cheque or money order for the exact amount.
Fees
Passport fees changed on March 31, 2026. The fee that applies is determined by when the government receives your application, not when you mail it.17Government of Canada. Passport and Travel Document Fee Changes For applications submitted within Canada on or after that date:
- Ten-year adult passport: CAN $163.50
- Five-year adult passport: CAN $122.50
Canadians applying from the United States pay higher fees to cover consular processing. As of March 31, 2026, a ten-year adult passport costs CAN $266.25 and a five-year passport costs CAN $194.25 when applied for outside Canada.
Processing Times and Urgent Service
Standard processing is 10 business days at a passport office and 20 business days at a regular Service Canada Centre or by mail. Mail applications should add mailing time on top of that.
If you need the passport sooner, two expedited tiers are available at passport offices only, not at regular Service Canada Centres or by mail:
- Express pickup: 2 to 9 business days.
- Urgent pickup: by the end of the next business day, for an additional CAN $125.75 on top of the passport fee.
Both urgent and express services require proof that you need to travel. Acceptable proof includes a plane, bus, or train ticket; a travel itinerary showing payment; proof of a family illness or death requiring travel; or a written statement explaining why you need the passport.18Government of Canada. Get Urgent, Express or Emergency Weekend Passport Services If you’re driving, a written statement explaining the trip is enough. Applications can take longer than the standard window if the Passport Program needs corrected information, replacement photos, or additional verification, and routine security checks can also add time.
Reasons a Passport Can Be Refused
The Passport Program can refuse to issue a passport for reasons ranging from incomplete paperwork to serious criminal concerns. Common grounds include submitting false or misleading information, failing to provide a completed application or requested documents, and being charged with or convicted of certain indictable offences, particularly those involving travel document fraud, child sexual exploitation, terrorism, trafficking, or violent crime.19Government of Canada. Refusal, Revocation, Cancellation and Suspension of Canadian Passports A passport can also be refused if you owe the government money for repatriation or consular financial assistance, or if a court order restricts your ability to leave the country. If the Passport Program investigates, it will send you a summary of the relevant information and give you a chance to respond before making a final written decision.