Renewing Your Canadian Passport Outside of Canada

If you’re a fellow Canadian expat living abroad, especially for the long term, knowing how to renew your passport outside of Canada can be very helpful. A relatively straightforward process, this is also helpful for travellers who have lost or had their passport stolen and are still abroad.

The process has moved largely online, with all of the documents available from Gov Canada, avoiding any trips and long wait times in your nearest embassy. This being said, you won’t be able to submit your final application online, the process still requires you to print these documents out and mail in your final renewal application along with your receipt of payment, updated passport photos and current passport (if it’s still in your possession).

Before you start, here are a few things to consider:

• This post is dedicated to renewing your passport, meaning that you’ll have to have applied for a passport before. If you’re looking to apply for a passport for the first time, you’ll need to go through the PPTC 040 Adult Abroad General Passport Application.

• If your passport has expired for over one year, you’ll need to go through a different process than the one described in this post.
  

• If you’re applying earlier than one year before the expiry, you’ll need to provide a written description within your application as to “why you’re applying at this time”.
  
  

• Your old passport will also need to be sent in with your completed application and will be invalidated after your new one is issued. If the passport has been lost or stolen, you’ll need to submit another form (link below) to explain why it’s not in your possession.
  
  

• If you want to change your name or gender identity, you’ll need to go through the PPTC 040 Adult Abroad General Passport Application (link above) and apply for a new passport altogether. See more info here.
  
  

• We recommend not booking any travel plans until you have received the passport back. The length of processing time varies greatly depending on your personal situation, where you’re applying from, and the demand of Gov Canada’s services at the time of applying

If you’re unsure about whether or not you’re eligible to renew your passport, check on Gov Canada here.

Step 1: Download Application

The application you’ll be using is the PPTC 482 E, Adult Abroad Simplified Renewal Passport Application.

Download the application package from Gov Canada here and familiarise yourself with what documents you’ll need. You’ll need your current passport and two recent passport photos. To avoid any mishaps with your application, submit professional passport photos taken through your nearest postal service or dedicated passport photo booth.

Lost your passport or had it stolen?

You can still go through this process, but you’ll have to enclose a separate document within your application explaining why you haven’t enclosed your passport and declaring that your passport is no longer in your possession. See the form here.

Step 2: Personal Information & References

Fill out the personal information sections of the application and choose two references to cite. They need to be two people who have known you for at least two years and who aren’t related to you. For more info on who can be a reference and who can’t be, read more here.

Make sure you touch base with your references to provide updated contact information on your application. In the case your identity needs to be confirmed, these will be the people they’ll reach out to, so definitely choose someone you trust that will be able to vouch for you.

Step 3: Pay Online

Payment is accepted online, but you will need to print off and enclose a copy of your receipt to send in with your application.

At the time of writing, the 5 year validity is CAD $190 and the 10 year validity is $260. Without payment, the application won’t be successfully processed, so ensure you’ve paid the full fee before you send it through.

Step 4: Mail Off the Application

Mail your application to “the nearest Government of Canada office that provides passport services in the country where you reside or are visiting”- this includes embassies, commissions and consulates and you can find a list here. Make sure you purchase tracking to keep a record of when you sent your application and when it arrived at the embassy for reference.

If you’re the type of traveller who is moving around, cite a reliable address on your application that you know you’ll have access to once the application is mailed back. Although they give approximate processing times, it can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to over a month. Have a place where you can easily come back to retrieve your passport once it’s sent back.

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Whether you’re looking to save an admin trip back home or replacing a lost passport on the move, knowing that you can renew your passport abroad in a relatively straightforward way is priceless!

Happy Travels,
Sam

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