If you’ve always wondered if your child can have a Canadian passport, the answer is yes. Your child can have a Canadian passport and there are procedures to this.
This can be handy for various reasons including being able to travel in and out of Canada with ease.
However, by regular procedure, A Canadian passport holder is a citizen who is at least 16 years old. But I understand your child could be less than 16 years old and yes, he/she can still get one.
A child below the age of 16 also requires a Canadian passport to travel in and out of Canada.
These passports are issued for children and they come with a duration of 5 years. After the 5 years elapses, you are to apply for another one as the passport isn’t renewable.
There are documents required to apply for a Canadian passport for your child. Same documents will be required if you want to apply for another passport for same child. After the old one expires of course.
In this post, we will be talking on these documents and other handy information that will aid you with getting a passport for your child.
Documents and Requirements To Get Canadian Passport For Your Child
To be able to apply for this, you will need the following documents or/and requirements:
- Proof of Canadian citizenship
- A valid identical passport photographs. Two will be needed in this case.
- A valid document that properly verifies your identity
- Proof of parental or legal guardian
- Additional documents may be required. This can include language test score amongst others. This must be available in original copies. And considering english and French are the major languages in Canada, the document should be in any of these languages.
- A valid and recent Canadian travel documents issued to you and should carry your name.
- Your application to be submitted should be signed within the past 12 months and duly certified by a guarantor.
This bring us to the next question.
Who Is A Guarantor?
Have you ever filled a form in the bank that requires referrers? The intent behind referrers to is to have people stand in for you. Think of it as these people trusting you.
A guarantor for a child in this case, must be over 18 years of age. He or she must be aware of you having a child for at least 2 years.
The guarantor is to sign a section of the application form. This is to have them stand in for you. He/she is to sign the section “I certify this to be a true likeness of (applicant’s name)” on the back of one of the passports. He/she is to also sign there. Lastly, the guarantor needs to sign all the photocopies of any identify documents when presented.
How To Submit The Documents?
As earlier mentioned, you need the original copies of the required documents. You should only submit the documents if they are originals. Not to worry, you should be getting them back. This is usually after the documents have been reviewed.
You can submit all the documents alongside your application either in person or by mail. These document should be sent or submitted to the the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate near you. Please visit this page for more information on that. You will be required to pay the fee for a Canadian passport
Basic Fee For Passports?
Yes, getting a Canadian passport isn’t free. This comes at a fee.
- 5 Year adult passport costs $120
- 10 year adult passport cost $160
- Child passport (0-15 years old) costs $57
Please note: To be able to apply for a Canadian passport for your child, you need to be one of the child’s parent, be in custody of the child if you are separated or divorced. In the case of being divorced, legal documents like any divorce judgement that refer to the custody of or access to the child will be required.
If you are not a parent but a guardian to the child, the correct legal documentation proving the applicant’s legal guardianship of the child must be submitted.
That’s pretty much all you need to know regarding how to apply for a canadian passport for your child. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to ask using the comment session.
