Canadian children under the age of 16 may be issued their own Canadian passport. A parent or legal guardian applies on behalf of the child.
A Canadian passport is the internationally recognized travel document for Canadian citizens and provides identification for your child when travelling internationally.
Canada Passport Help provides professional assistance with preparing and reviewing your child’s Canadian passport application, including proof of citizenship, parent or legal guardian information, supporting custody or parentage documents when applicable, guarantor information, and passport photos, to help identify potential issues before submission.
Does a Canadian Child Need a Passport?
For air travel between Canada and the United States, children should travel with a valid passport.
Children aged 15 and under may, in certain circumstances, use an eligible Canadian birth certificate or citizenship document when travelling between Canada and the United States by land or sea.
However, travelling with a valid Canadian passport provides a widely recognized travel and identification document for your child and can make international travel and border processing more straightforward.
How Long Is a Canadian Child Passport Valid?
A Canadian child passport is valid for a maximum of 5 years.
A child passport remains valid until its expiry date, even if the child turns 16 before the passport expires.
Child passports cannot be renewed. When a child passport expires, a new child passport application must be submitted. Once the child is 16 or older, they can apply for a new adult Canadian passport.
What Do You Need for a Canadian Child Passport?
A Canadian child passport application generally requires:
- Proof of the child’s Canadian citizenship, such as a Canadian birth certificate or citizenship certificate (opens in a new tab);
- Proof of parentage or legal guardianship;
- Two passport photos meeting Canadian passport specifications;
- An eligible guarantor;
- Any valid Canadian passport or other travel document previously issued in the child’s name; and
- Where applicable, documents relating to custody, decision-making responsibilities, access, parenting time, mobility, separation, divorce, or guardianship.
For families applying from the United States, it is particularly important to ensure that passport photos meet Canadian passport photo specifications (opens in a new tab), which differ from U.S. passport photo requirements.
Who Can Apply for a Canadian Child Passport?
A parent or legal guardian applies for the passport on behalf of the child.
Depending on the family circumstances, the applicant may be:
- One of the child’s parents;
- A parent who has custody or decision-making responsibility for the child; or
- The child’s legal guardian.
All parents or legal guardians should generally participate in the application and sign the application form. The Government of Canada may contact the other parent or legal guardian.
If there are court orders, separation agreements, divorce orders, or other legal documents concerning the child, additional documentation may need to be submitted with the passport application.
Does a Child Passport Application Need a Guarantor?
Yes. A guarantor is required for a new Canadian child passport application.
The guarantor must meet the applicable Canadian Passport Program requirements, have known the parent or legal guardian applying for at least 2 years, and know of the child.
The guarantor must also sign the child’s passport application and the back of one of the two passport photos.
The parent or legal guardian submitting the application cannot act as the child’s guarantor. However, another parent or legal guardian may act as guarantor if they are not the applicant and meet the applicable requirements.
How Canada Passport Help Can Assist
Applying for a child’s Canadian passport requires careful attention to proof of citizenship, proof of parentage, guarantor requirements, signatures, supporting documents, and Canadian passport photo specifications.
Our professional review is designed to help identify potential issues before you submit your application, including:
- Missing or incomplete information;
- Application errors or inconsistencies;
- Proof of Canadian citizenship issues;
- Proof of parentage or guardianship issues;
- Guarantor problems;
- Incorrect passport photos; and
- Missing supporting or family-law documentation.
Our objective is to help you prepare a complete, properly documented, and carefully reviewed Canadian child passport application and reduce the risk of avoidable corrections or delays.
Frequently Asked Questions About Canadian Child Passports
Can a Canadian child passport be renewed?
No. Canadian child passports cannot be renewed. When a child passport expires, you must submit a new child passport application. Once the child is 16 or older, they can apply for a new adult Canadian passport.
Does my child need a guarantor for a Canadian passport?
Yes. A child passport application requires an eligible guarantor. The guarantor must meet the Government of Canada requirements, have known the parent or legal guardian applying for at least two years, and know of the child.
Do both parents need to sign a Canadian child passport application?
All parents or legal guardians should generally participate in the application and sign the application form. Different requirements may apply depending on custody, decision-making responsibility, guardianship, or applicable court orders or agreements.
Does my child need a Canadian passport to travel to the United States?
For air travel, a valid passport is the appropriate travel document.
Canadian children aged 15 and under may travel between Canada and the United States by land or sea using certain other accepted citizenship documents, such as an eligible Canadian birth certificate or citizenship certificate.
More Questions?
For detailed information about Canadian child passport applications, guarantors, passport photos, supporting documents, and other passport-related questions, visit Canada Passport Help FAQs
Questions About Applying for a Canadian Child Passport?
Have a question about applying for a Canadian child passport from the United States or about our service? Our team is available to help.
- Call: +1 (888) 808-0455
- Email: info@canadapassporthelp.ca
- Online: Contact Us