Canadian Passport Renewal: 5 Important Things To Know

Made travel plans but, has your passport expired? Worried about how to renew your passport? It won’t take long if you follow the right ‘Canadian passport renewal’ approach. Find here all the details you need to know about passport application and renewing your Canadian passport.

Who are eligible for Canadian Passport Renewal?

To renew your passport, you must fall under the criteria laid by the Government of Canada. If you do not represent the criteria mentioned below, you need to apply for a fresh/new passport.

• Your age must be at least 16 years at the time of issuing your current passport
• The existing passport should not be damaged
• Make sure your passport is not reported as lost or stolen
• Your current passport should be issued with a 5-year or 10-year validity
• The name, date of birth, and place of birth in your current passport should be similar to what you want on the new passport
• Your passport should have the same gender identity you want on your new passport
• The present passport should expire on or after February 1, 2019

Only if you meet these requirements, you would be qualified to put forward your passport application. Be sure your valid passport meets all these requirements made for a Canadian citizen.

What is the process for Canadian Passport Renewal?

You may face some troubles while applying for your new passport, but the process to renew your passport is flexible. It is an easy job. You need to fill out an application form, get all your supporting documents and recent passport photo, find two references, submit your application and pay the respective fee amount.

While doing so, you need to submit your existing passport with the application. You won’t use your adult passport as it’ll be canceled once you apply for the renewal.

Let’s dig more into it,

Filling up Your Application

To start with, you need to fill up the Adult Simplified Renewal Abroad Passport Application Form, which can be downloaded by visiting the Official website of the Government of Canada. In the application, you will be asked to fill out the following questions,

1. Your Personal Information
2. Your Previous Canadian Passport Details
3. Canadian Citizenship Details
4. Validity Details
5. Two References
6. Emergency Contact Information.

Other than filling up the application form, you need to submit two more documents.

1. Your valid passport (you need to submit your original passport, not a photocopy)
2. Two recent identical passport photos (a commercial photographer must take your photos)

You must provide all the details above and the necessary documents to complete the first stage of the application process. Please note that application forms for eligible Canadians applying from Canada or the USA and outside Canada or the USA are different.

You can download all renewal application forms for citizens applying in Canada, the USA, or Abroad here.

Where to apply for a Canadian Passport Renewal?

Wonder where and how to submit your passport renewal application? It is easier than you think. The passport office and authorized receiving agents in Canada offer walk-in services for submitting your Canadian passport renewal applications.

If you find trouble with submitting it in person, you can opt for mailing too. But, depending upon where you are applying from, recipient addresses will be different.

Let’s discuss more on where to renew Canadian passports at the respective sites.

If you apply from Canada

• Applying in person:

If you are applying from Canada, you can approach Passport Offices or Participating Service Canada Centres to submit your passport application. But, there is a twist. Service Canada Centres or Passport Receiving Agents in Canada do not always provide similar services as the passport offices. Make sure you get all the knowledge needed beforehand.

Take an in-person appointment before reaching out to a passport office or respective Service Canada Centres with the application. Walk-in services for renewing your valid passport are available in these places.

Find the days when Service Canada Centres and Passport Offices will be closed.

• Applying via mail:

By mail from British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut:

Mail address: Passport Program, PO Box 4000 STN LCD 3, Mississauga ON L5K 0A9, Canada

By mail from New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island:

Mail address: Passport Program, PO Box 9325 RPO CSC, Halifax NS B3K 0J1, Canada

By mail from all other provinces:

Mail address: Passport Program, Gatineau QC K1A 0G3, Canada

• Applying via courier:

Courier address: Passport Program, 22 de Varennes Street, Gatineau QC J8T 8R1, Canada

If you apply from the United States

• Applying in person:

Suppose you are applying from the United States. In that case, you must submit your application via mail or in-person visiting a passport office in Canada because the Government of Canada consular offices in the USA do not provide passport services to the citizens. But, if you need your passport urgently or in exceptional circumstances, you can approach to nearest Government of Canada Passport issuing Offices at the expense of an additional charge.

You can get the list of all available Government of Canada Offices in the USA here.

• Applying via mail:

Mail address: Passport Program, Gatineau QC K1A 0G3, Canada

If you apply from Abroad (outside Canada and the United States)

Only the Offices of Canadian Embassies, Canadian High Commissions, and Consular Offices accept passport applications for the citizens outside Canada and the United States. Make sure you contact the respective offices by telephone or email before applying.

You need to download the adult application, fill it, print it, and submit it at the respective offices enclosing all necessary documents. No mailing service is available to you if you are applying from abroad.

You can search for all the Government of Canada Offices abroad here.

How long does it take to get your Canadian Passport?

Typically, the processing time for Canadian passport renewals depends on how and from where you are applying for your new passport. When applications are submitted at Passport Service Centres in Canada in person, it takes around 10 business days. Submitting passport applications via mail or in-person at Service Canada Centre takes about 20 business days.

In an emergency, you can expedite your delivery by paying additional charges. In this case, your urgent pick-up service will be by the end of the next business day, and express pick-up service will be within 2 to 9 business days.

Applying from the United States via mail takes around 20 business days (excluding the mailing time) to process your standard adult application. Otherwise, you can obtain the emergency services designed for special reasons like illness or death.

Once the adult applications are submitted outside Canada and the United States of America, at least 20 business days (excluding the mailing time) are required to process them. When the centers get crowded with lots of applications, it is going to take longer than usual. In this case, have your patience. Please note, in-person appointments are not available in this very mode.

How much would your Canadian Passport Renewal cost?

The processing fee for your Canadian Passport Renewal is the same as applying for fresh passport services. Applying from Canada would take $120 for a standard 5-year passport validity and $160 for a 10-year passport validity.

You can find the charges for expedited delivery by clicking here.

Payments for the renewal of passports or fresh passports are accepted in all kinds. Debit cards, credit cards, money orders, and certified cheques are available for the citizens of the Government of Canada. But, they charge a higher amount from the citizens applying from abroad. Before submitting your application, make sure you have prior knowledge about the fee structure of Canadian passport-related services.

Last but not least…

While you get ready to renew your Canadian Passport in the passport office or through any other mode, let’s ponder over some essential points,

1. It is always advisable to renew your passport 6 months before it expires. If your passport expires on and after 1st February, you can apply for its renewal at least two years of its expiration.
2. If your submitted passport has a valid visa in it, make sure you mention that you want the original passport returned to you. Only then, your deposited passport will be sent back to you. Otherwise, it’ll be destroyed with the visa in it.
3. If it has been more than 20 days since you applied for your passport renewal, you can check its progress by visiting here.
4. It is advisable to use a courier or mail service that allows you to track your package.
5. Due to the prevailing pandemic, walk-in services at Service Canada Centres and passport offices are unavailable. You will have to submit your passport application by mail or can request an appointment.

With traveling comes a heavy responsibility to comply with the government’s rules and regulations. Don’t forget to tick off the things on your bucket list once everything gets back to safe.

I hope this article proves to be a great help in your Canadian passport renewal process. You are now good to decide your travel arrangements. Keep yourself updated with every news since passport-related queries can be tricky sometimes. Do visit the Official website of the Government of Canada regularly to make yourself updated with their recent announcements.

Planning is the First Step of Travelling. Do Plan Cautiously.

Canadian Passport ranks among the best globally, but some countries still require visas as entry requirements. But, you know what? Every wait has its worth! You should double-check your passport validity and prior requisites before booking your long-awaited flight.

But, if you are a reader from another country and want to be a citizen of this beautiful nation, read “Canadian Citizenship Test: 10 Most Commonly Asked Questions” for more information.