Australian Passport Services
How to obtain a passport in Canada
All Australian citizens must lodge an Australian passport application in person. We are not able to accept applications by mail or courier. This helps us to protect you, by protecting the security and integrity of your Australian passport.
For child applications, one parent must lodge the application in person. Children aged 16 and 17 years old must also attend the passport interview with the lodging parent.
Passports are produced in Australia and you should allow three weeks for standard processing of a completed application, not including postage delivery of your new passport. Priority processing is not available and expedited service is only available in London (UK) or in Australia.
Steps to apply:
1. Fill our your passport application form online
2. Sign and date your form using Australian date format (DD/MM/YYYY)
3. Obtain two (2) new passport photos
4. Prepare for your interview - *see ‘What to bring to your appointment’ below.
5. Lodge your application in person
6. Allow approximately three (3) weeks to receive your new passport.
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, the document 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, to a particular 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 lodge your Australian passport application
Canada: Applicants can arrange a passport appointment in advance at the Australian High Commission Ottawa, the Australian Consulate-General in Toronto or the Australian Consulate in Vancouver. You are welcome to arrange an appointment at your nearest location. Appointments are available from Monday to Friday only.
Outreach: The Australian High Commission and Australian Consulates occasionally visit other cities in Canada to conduct passport interviews as part of an outreach program. Please monitor our website for the upcoming outreach schedule or our Facebook and Twitter accounts.
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 .
How to obtain an Australian passport application
Please register online to complete and print your passport application, at the Australian Passport Office global website . You will automatically be directed to the correct form. If you are unable to complete the form online OR if you wish to obtain a printed form to be completed by hand, please contact your nearest Australian diplomatic or consular mission .
The following information below outlines the criteria for each application:
Australian Passport Renewal Application (PC7)
1. you are an adult (18 years or older), AND
2. your most recent passport was issued when you were 16 years old, AND
3. you are not changing your name , AND
4. your most recent passport is/was valid for over two years at the time of issue, AND
5. your most recent passport has not been reported lost/stolen, AND
6. your most recent passport has not been expired for more than three years (or is still current), AND
7. you are successfully able to answer the security questions on the website
Application for an Australian Passport Overseas (PC8 – Adult or Child)
* if you do not qualify for a renewal form, you must use the Application for an Australian Passport Overseas. This includes the following applicants:
1. you are applying for a first Australian passport
2. you are applying for a child passport (under 18 years of age)
3. you are applying for a first adult passport and your child passport was issued to you at 15 years or younger
4. you are replacing a lost or stolen passport
5. you are changing your name or personal details on the passport
6. you are applying for your first passport after resumption of Australian citizenship
7. you are applying to replace a limited validity, emergency passport,
8. you cannot answer the security questions for the renewal form.
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.
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)
Do I need a guarantor?
If you are lodging the Adult Passport Renewal Application (PC7), your application form and photos do not need to be endorsed by a guarantor.
If you are lodging the Overseas Australian Passport Application (PC8), you will require a guarantor to correctly endorse the back of your photos and to complete section 11 of the application form:
List of Approved Guarantors in Canada
The following information outlines the required documentation to lodge a passport application – however, you should always review the requirements for your application from the Australian Passport Office . If you have any questions prior to your appointment, please contact the office where you are lodging your application.
1. Australian Passport Renewal Application (PC7)
2. Overseas Australian Passport Application (PC8 – ADULT – age 18 years or older)
3. Overseas Australian Passport Application (PC8 – CHILD – under age 18 years)
Australian Passport Photos
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.
Please provide 2 new passport photos, that are not more than six months old, and that meet the Australian passport photo requirements and Camera Operator Guidelines .
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.
If you are lodging the Adult Passport Renewal Application (PC7), your photos do not need to be endorsed by a guarantor. Simply print your full name on the back of one of your photos.
If you are lodging the Application for an Australian Passport Overseas (PC8), you will need a guarantor to endorse your photos. Please refer to PC8 applications instructions above.
Travel Document and Passport Fees
Passport fees are set in Canadian dollars and are subject to monthly review in accordance with exchange rate fluctuations.
As of 1 July 2015, 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.
Credit card authorization form (downloadable PDF)
Credit card authorization form (web page form to print)
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.