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Your baby needs their own Canadian passport to travel outside Canada, even as a newborn. You can't apply until you have the right birth certificate, and the passport itself takes 10 to 20 business days plus mail in standard service. If you're travelling over the holidays, start now. Here's the order to do things in, the photo rules for babies, who can be your guarantor and what it costs.
The short version
- Register the birth and order a birth certificate that shows the parents' names.
- Get two passport photos taken by a commercial photographer.
- Find a guarantor who has a Canadian passport and has known you for at least two years.
- Fill in the child passport form, PPTC 155, on a computer.
- Apply in person or by mail, and pay $58.50.
Step 1: The birth certificate
A child passport application needs two things that a birth certificate can cover: proof of Canadian citizenship, and proof of parentage. IRCC says proof of parentage is required with every child passport application, and the form accepts a detailed birth certificate showing the parents' names. So order that version, not the short one.
- In BC, register the birth within 30 days (online registration is the simplest way), then order the Birth Certificate with Parental Information (long form). The BC government says you often need this one for a child's passport. By regular mail, certificates print in 2 to 5 business days, plus mail time. Courier service prints the next business day.
- In Ontario, register within 30 days. The online newborn bundle combines birth registration, the birth certificate, a SIN and child benefits in one application. Order the birth certificate with parental information. Ontario says birth certificates take 6 to 8 weeks, plus delivery, so this is the slow step.
If your baby was born outside Canada to a Canadian parent, the proof of citizenship is a Canadian citizenship certificate instead. You'll still need to show parentage, and IRCC says more than one document may be needed.
Step 2: Passport photos of a baby
Babies get the same photo rules as everyone else, with a little give on expression.
- Two identical photos, taken in person by a commercial photographer or studio, within the last six months. No home prints, and no edits, filters or background changes.
- Size 50 × 70 mm, with the head 31 to 36 mm from chin to crown, on a plain white or light background.
- Eyes open and looking at the camera. IRCC allows some range of expression for newborns.
- Head and shoulders only, with no hands in the photo, yours or your baby's.
- A newborn can be photographed in their car seat if a white blanket is placed over the seat behind their head, with no shadows on the face or background.
On the back of one photo, the photographer writes or stamps the studio name, address and the date. Stick-on labels aren't accepted. Your guarantor signs the back of the same photo. Call the studio ahead to ask whether they photograph babies, and go when your baby is fed and awake.
Step 3: A guarantor
A child passport application needs a guarantor who confirms who you are. For a child's application, your guarantor must:
- Be a Canadian citizen aged 18 or older
- Have known you personally for at least two years, and know your child
- Hold a five- or ten-year Canadian passport that's valid or expired less than a year, applied for when they were 16 or older
The parent applying can't be the guarantor, but the other parent can, if they qualify. So can a relative or someone who lives at your address. The guarantor completes their section of the form and writes "I certify this to be a true likeness of" your child's name on the back of one photo, then signs it. If you don't know anyone who qualifies, ask a passport office or IRCC for the statutory declaration in lieu of guarantor. It isn't available online, and it's signed in front of someone who can administer an oath.
Step 4: The form
Use form PPTC 155, the child general passport application. Fill it in on a computer, not a phone or tablet, and sign each page. All parents or legal guardians should sign. The emergency contact section is mandatory. If you're separated or divorced, include any documents with custody, decision-making, parenting time or mobility clauses, especially anything about the child's passport.
Step 5: Apply, and how long it takes
| How you apply | Processing time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| By mail | 20 business days, plus mail time | Use a courier or traceable mail |
| In person at a Service Canada Centre | 20 business days, plus mail time | Appointment or walk-in |
| In person at a passport office | 10 business days, plus mail time | Appointment or walk-in |
| Express pickup | 2 to 9 business days | Passport offices with express pickup. Extra fee, and you may need proof of need, such as your tickets |
| Urgent pickup | By the end of the next business day | Walk-in at a passport office with urgent pickup. Extra fee, and proof of need is required |
Mailed passports usually arrive in about 5 business days after processing. IRCC recommends not finalizing travel plans until you have the passport. If you've already booked, your tickets or itinerary with proof of payment count as proof of need for express or urgent service.
The fee for a five-year child passport applied for in Canada is $58.50 for applications received on or after March 31, 2026, plus extra for express or urgent pickup. Passport offices don't take cash or personal cheques. Pay by card, certified cheque or money order.
When it arrives
- A child passport is valid for up to five years and can't be renewed. You'll apply for a new one when it expires.
- Don't sign it for your baby. A parent's signature makes the passport invalid. Children don't need to sign until they turn 16.
- Your original documents come back, sometimes in a separate envelope.
Driving to the US, or flying?
Travel.gc.ca says children 15 and under can enter the US by land or water with a passport, an original or copy of their birth certificate, or an original citizenship certificate. Flying is different: every Canadian, including a baby, needs a passport (or a NEXUS card) to fly to or even connect through the US.
Travelling with one parent or with grandparents
If your baby is travelling with only one parent, or with grandparents or friends, carry a consent letter signed by each parent who isn't travelling. It isn't legally required in Canada, but border officials and airlines can ask for it, and travel.gc.ca strongly recommends having it witnessed by a notary. Carry the signed original, because a photocopy or digital version may not be accepted. Include the trip dates, the destination and the contact details of both parents and the adult travelling with your child.
Next: the gear for the trip
Once the passport is sorted, plan how your baby will fly and sleep. Our guide to flying with a car seat on Air Canada and WestJet covers the labels to check and when to bring the seat on board. If you're checking it, see our car seat travel bag guide. For sleep, compare the best travel cribs and playards, and read where your baby can sleep over the holidays.
Shopping for the trip? Browse lightweight and travel strollers and baby carriers online, or call our Richmond, Burnaby or Ottawa store ahead of your visit to ask which models are on the floor.
