Getting a Canadian passport for your baby

The short version

A Canadian baby needs their own passport to fly abroad. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which runs the passport program, issues child passports that are valid for a maximum of 5 years and cannot be renewed. The federal fee for a child under 16 who applies in Canada and has the passport delivered in Canada is $57. IRCC gives standard processing as 10 to 20 business days, plus mail time.

You apply on form PPTC 155, in person or by mail, with your baby's provincial birth certificate, proof of parentage, two photos taken by a commercial photographer and a guarantor's signature.

Before you apply: the provincial birth certificate

Register the birth with your province or territory first; our guide to registering a birth in Canada covers each province. For a baby born in Canada, IRCC accepts a birth certificate from the province or territory of birth, or a Canadian citizenship certificate, as proof of citizenship. Two provinces have their own wording: in Ontario, a certified copy of birth registration; in Quebec, a birth certificate or copy of an act of birth issued after 1 January 1994 by the Directeur de l'état civil.

IRCC also states that proof of parentage is now required with every child passport application, even if you have applied for the child before. A detailed (long-form) birth certificate from a provincial or territorial vital statistics office that includes the parents' names does both jobs at once.

The Canadian Passport Order is explicit that no passport is issued to a person who is not a Canadian citizen. For a baby born outside Canada, IRCC asks for the child's Canadian citizenship certificate.

Who applies, and the other parent

IRCC lists who can apply for a child's passport:

• one of the child's parents, if you are not separated or divorced
• the parent who has custody of or decision-making responsibilities over the child, if you are
• the child's legal guardian

IRCC says all parents or legal guardians should sign the application and that it may contact the other parent or guardian. Under the Canadian Passport Order, if separated or divorced parents have a court order or separation agreement giving the other parent specific access rights, the application must show that a passport is not contrary to its terms. A court order restricting the child's movement to a judicial district blocks a passport until it is revoked or varied. IRCC asks for any legal documents with custody, decision-making, access, parenting time or mobility clauses.

The guarantor

For a child's passport applied for in Canada, IRCC says the guarantor must:

• be a Canadian citizen aged 18 or older
• hold a 5-year or 10-year Canadian passport that is valid, or expired for no more than 1 year, and have been 16 or older when they applied for it
• have known you for at least 2 years and know of your child

The guarantor can be a family member or someone in your household, and the other parent can act as guarantor if they meet the requirements. The parent applying cannot. The guarantor signs the application and writes "I certify this to be a true likeness of" followed by your child's name on the back of one photo, then signs it.

Photo rules for newborns

IRCC requires 2 identical photos taken in person by a commercial photographer or photo studio. They must be 50 mm wide by 70 mm high, with the face measuring 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown, and taken no more than 6 months before you apply. The background must be plain white or light-coloured, and the photo must not show your hands or your child's hands.

Two allowances help with a newborn. IRCC says you may photograph a newborn sitting in a car seat, with a white blanket placed over the seat behind the head, and that it allows some range of facial expression for infants.

On the back of one photo, the photographer must write or stamp the date it was taken and the studio's name and complete address; IRCC does not accept stick-on labels.

How much does a baby passport cost in Canada?

Canadian passport fees are fixed in the Passport and Other Travel Document Services Fees Regulations. The figures below are taken from the regulation itself, as current to 21 September 2026 and checked on 10 October 2026; IRCC's fee pages list the same charges by name:

Pick-up fees are charged on top of the passport fee when you collect the passport from a passport office.

How long does it take?

IRCC gives these times:

• Standard: 10 to 20 business days plus mail time. That is 10 business days at a passport office, and 20 business days at a Service Canada Centre or by mail.
• Express: 2 to 9 business days, at a passport office with express pick-up. You may need to show proof that you need the passport.
• Urgent: by the end of the next business day, at a passport office with urgent pick-up. You must show proof of need, such as a written statement explaining why you need the passport.

Your original documents are returned to you, and after a mail application they may arrive separately from the passport.

Travelling before the passport arrives

IRCC states that children 15 and under do not need a passport to enter the United States or return to Canada by land or sea. Instead they can carry an original or copy of their birth certificate issued by the provincial or territorial vital statistics department, an original citizenship certificate or a citizenship card. Flying abroad still needs the passport, and our guide to a US passport for your baby covers the American side for dual-citizen families.

For flying itself, see when babies can fly, can babies travel without a passport? and the travel with a baby checklist.

When the passport arrives, IRCC says never to sign it for your child; it needs no signature until 16.

Where to get help

IRCC's passport pages are the official source for forms, current fees, office locations and application status. For the rest of a new baby's paperwork, use our new baby paperwork deadlines calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a baby passport in Canada?

Under the federal fee regulations, a child passport for a child under 16 costs $57 when you apply in Canada and it is delivered in Canada, or $100 if you apply or have it delivered outside Canada. Urgent pick-up the next working day adds $110 and express pick-up within 2 to 9 working days adds $50.

Can a family member be a guarantor for a baby passport in Canada?

Yes. IRCC says a guarantor can be anyone who meets the requirements, including a family member or someone in your household, and the other parent can sign if eligible. They must be a Canadian citizen aged 18 or over with a qualifying Canadian passport who has known you for 2 years and knows of your child.

What are the photo requirements for a baby passport in Canada?

Two identical photos taken by a commercial photographer, 50 mm by 70 mm, with the face 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown, on a plain white or light background, with no hands visible. A newborn can sit in a car seat with a white blanket behind the head, and IRCC allows some range of infant expression.

How long does a baby passport take in Canada?

IRCC gives 10 business days at a passport office and 20 business days at a Service Canada Centre or by mail, plus mail time. Express service takes 2 to 9 business days and urgent service is ready by the end of the next business day; both carry pick-up fees, and urgent service needs proof of need.