First Canadian Passport After Citizenship: How to Apply in 2026

First Canadian Passport After Citizenship: How to Apply in 2026

As of September 14, 2026.

A Canadian passport is a travel document for Canadian citizens. It is not the citizenship certificate. If you just became a citizen, or you hold citizenship by descent and you have never had an adult passport, you apply as a new adult applicant, not as a renewal. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) splits those paths on Apply for a new adult passport in Canada.

TL;DR

New adult applications use form PPTC 153, not the online renewal flow | You need proof of citizenship, identity, 2 photos, a guarantor, and 2 references | Service standard in Canada is 10 business days at a passport office that offers 10-day processing, or 20 business days by mail, regular Service Canada, or online | That clock excludes mailing time | Only online renewals can be paid online right now | The certificate is not a travel document; children 15 and under have a narrow US land/sea exception

What are the documents required for a Canadian passport?

Short answer: For a new adult passport in Canada, IRCC's required documents page says you need all of the following: proof of Canadian citizenship, a document to support your identity, 2 identical passport photos, a guarantor, and 2 references. If you still have a valid Canadian passport or other travel document, you must send it too. Proof of citizenship can be a birth certificate or a citizenship certificate. A paper citizenship certificate must be the original, not a photocopy. An e-certificate needs a printed copy. Identity can be a photocopy or the original; a photocopy must show both sides and be signed and dated by your guarantor or signing official.

How you prove citizenship depends on where you were born. IRCC's proof of citizenship for adult passports page splits it:

IRCC returns original citizenship proof after it verifies it. If you apply by mail, that document can come back in a separate envelope from the passport, and IRCC says that can take up to 6 weeks after you get the new passport. You do not need to provide proof of citizenship if you are renewing. If you already have an adult passport that qualifies for renewal, use that path instead. Our online renewal guide covers the renewal side.

How long does it take to get a Canadian passport right now?

Short answer: IRCC publishes service standards, not a personal countdown. For regular service in Canada, the passport processing times page (page details 2026-03-30) says 10 business days if you apply in person at a passport office (Service Canada Centre - Passport Services) or a Service Canada Centre that offers 10-day processing, and 20 business days if you apply in person at a regular Service Canada Centre, a scheduled outreach site, by mail, or online. Those clocks start when IRCC has the form, all supporting documents, and payment. They do not include mailing time. IRCC says not to finalize travel plans until you have the passport.

Urgent pick-up is by the end of the next business day. Express pick-up is 2 to 9 business days. Both are in-person at a passport office. A passport officer tells you the pick-up date when you apply. From the US, or from outside Canada and the US, the regular mailed standard is 20 business days plus mailing time, and passports are printed in Canada.

Can I walk in to Service Canada for passport renewal?

Short answer: Renewal and a first adult passport are different products. IRCC's new-adult page tells you to check whether you should renew if you already have an adult passport. Walk-in capacity depends on the office. Find locations on Passport and biometrics service locations. IRCC notes that you can submit most passport applications at a Service Canada Centre, but some application types must go to a passport office. Urgent and express fees are only available if you apply in person at a passport office. If this is your first adult passport after a citizenship ceremony, you are on the new-adult path (PPTC 153), not the online renewal path.

A citizenship certificate is not a passport. IRCC's proof of citizenship page says the certificate is not a travel document and that if you are travelling abroad you must have a valid passport or travel document. The one listed exception is children 15 and under entering the United States or returning to Canada by land or sea.