Australian High Commission
Canada
Responsibility for Bermuda

Passports

Australian Passport Services

 

How to obtain a passport in Canada

 

Passport applications can be generated online and printed from the Australian Passport Office (APO) website  (applications can be printed in black and white on either Australian A4 paper or correctly sized and printed on North American letter (8.5” x 11”) paper.

The Australian Passport Office (APO) advises that if you’re overseas you must allow at least 6 weeks standard processing time to receive your passport. Please allow additional time for postage delivery.

Do not make travel plans that cannot be changed until you have received your new passport. Faster processing is not available overseas. If you have urgent travel, please contact your nearest Australian mission or consulate in Canada .

Payment for passport and travel document fees must be made in Canadian dollars

 

Applying for an ADULT passport

 

To renew your adult passport, using the Adult Passport Renewal Application (Form PC7), your passport must:

  • have been issued when you were aged 16 or older,

  • have been issued on or after 1 January 2006,

  • have been issued with at least 2 years’ validity,

  • have your current name, date of birth, place of birth and gender,

  • not be reported as lost, stolen, or cancelled, and

  • be presented when you lodge your application.

If you meet the above requirements, you can renew your passport using Form PC7.


All other ADULT passport applications must be submitted using the Overseas Australian Passport Application (Form PC8).

Adults using Form PC8 need to:

 

Applying for a CHILD passport

 

All CHILD passport applications must be submitted using the Overseas Australian Passport Application (Form PC8).

Child renewal applications for children aged 15 years or younger can be submitted by mail.


All other child passport applications, including the following, must be submitted in person:

  • you are applying for your child’s first Australian passport

  • you are replacing a temporary or emergency passport

  • the child passport has been reported as lost or stolen

  • your child is aged 16 or 17 years old

    • children aged 16 or 17 years old must attend the appointment with at least one parent

    • children aged 15 years or younger are not required to attend the appointment.

  • the application is being lodged under special circumstances accompanied by declarations on B4, B5, B7 or B9 forms (e.g. applications involving surrogacy, Australian court orders or without full parental consent.

For child passport applications submitted in person, please:


 

Shortcuts to Passport Application Checklists, Forms and Other Information

 

Australian Passport Office (APO)

Current Passport and Travel Document Fees

Form PC7 – Adult – Application Checklist

Form PC7 – Adult - Mail Instructions

Form PC8 – Adult – Application Checklist

Form PC8 – Child – Application Checklist

Form PC8 – Child – Mail instructions

APO Passport Photo Guidelines

List of Approved Overseas Referees / Guarantors

Translation of Foreign Documents

Travelling as a Dual Citizen

Credit card authorization form (.pdf) or Credit card authorization form (.html)

 

Additional Important Passport Application Information
 

Urgent Travel – Emergency Passport

 

If you need to travel within the next three weeks, please contact a passport officer where you are lodging your application. You may be eligible for an emergency passport. Please note that not everyone is eligible for an emergency passport and you should discuss this with the passport officer before making any travel plans. Please bring proof of your need to travel to your appointment, such as your original travel itinerary, letter from employer, etc.

Emergency Passport – an application for an emergency passport is normally processed within two (2) business days. The document has four visa pages, does not have an electronic chip and the validity will be limited. If you are planning to travel from Canada to Australia via the United States, an emergency passport may not be eligible for entry under the United States Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) . Applicants will need to contact their nearest United States visa office, prior to arranging travel, to enquire about entry to the United States with an emergency passport and to arrange an urgent visa appointment .

It remains your responsibility to ensure your emergency passport is suitable for travel, including transit or stopover, to a particular foreign country.  The Australian High Commission cannot assist travellers to obtain a visa or make visa appointments for any foreign countries.

 

Lost or Stolen Passports

 

To report the loss or theft of your Australian passport, please contact the Australian Passport Information Service (APIS) on 131 232 or if you are overseas, please contact your nearest Australian diplomatic or consular mission.

 

Where to submit your passport application

 

Canada: Applicants must arrange a passport appointment  in advance at the Australian High Commission Ottawa, the Australian Consulate-General in Toronto or the Australian Consulate in Vancouver, unless you are eligible to submit your application by mail.  You are welcome to arrange the appointment at your nearest location. Appointments are available from Monday to Friday during regular business hours only.

Bermuda: While the Australian High Commission Ottawa has consular jurisdiction for Bermuda, passport applicants residing in Bermuda are welcome to also lodge their passport application at your nearest Australian mission, Australian consulate or Australian embassy, including in the United States .

 

What to bring to your passport appointment

 

It is important that you bring the correct documents to your passport interview so your application can proceed. All documents must be original. We do not accept copies of any kind, including copies made by a notary public. Refer to the applications checklist above and/or the APO website for more information.

 

Australian Passport Photos

 

Please provide 2 new passport photos, that are not more than six months old, and that meet the Australian passport photo requirements 

Please check your photos! Australian passport photos are different to Canadian passport photos and sometimes can be difficult to obtain. It remains your responsibility to ensure the photos meet the Australian passport photos requirements. It is our experience that photos from local pharmacies and department stores do not normally have a high enough resolution to meet our requirements.

Your photographer should also be able to produce glossy prints at a high resolution; photos without shadows or flash reflection on your face; photos with no ‘red-eye’; and no ‘background-removal’ or ‘post-capture alteration’. Photos cannot be re-touched or edited with filters, and must have a plain white or light grey background that contrasts with your face.

Enquire with your photographer about a digital version (.jpg) of your passport photo as well, as back up  while this is not an APO requirement, a digital version of your passport photo may be emailed to the passport office, if requested, and may assist with photo rejections. 



Translation of Foreign Documents

Where an original supporting document is in a language other than English, an original English translation is required, by an approved certified translator:

List of approved provincial organizations in Canada (excluding Quebec)
List of approved organizations in Quebec
If you are obtaining the translation in Australia, please contact the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI)

 

Travel Document and Passport Fees

 

Passport fees are set in Canadian dollars and are subject to monthly review in accordance with exchange rate fluctuations.

An additional Overseas Surcharge will be applied to passport applications lodged outside of Australia. This fee will not apply to emergency passports.

Fees for passport applications lodged in Ottawa, Toronto or Vancouver may be paid by credit card (Visa or MasterCard only). The following credit card authorization form can be printed, completed and signed, if another person wishes to pay for your passport application by credit card only.
 

Feedback

If you wish to provide comments on passport services, please complete the online feedback form available on the Australian Passport Office (APO) website .

 

After hours Passport and Consular Assistance

Australian citizens who require urgent consular or passport assistance may contact the Australian High Commission in Ottawa during regular business hours on: +1 613 236 0841. Outside of regular business hours, please contact the 24-Hour Consular Emergency Centre in Australia on: +61 2 6261 3305. Please visit Smartraveller for more information.

 

Disclosure:
Personal information provided to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988. We may collect, use and disclose your personal information, including to overseas recipients where we reasonably believe it is necessary, to provide you with consular assistance. Important information about the privacy of your personal information is contained in our Consular Privacy Collection Statement, which you should read and understand. Copies of the Statement are available at http://www.dfat.gov.au/dept/consular/privacy.html or by requesting a copy from the Department and/or The Australian High Commission, Ottawa.