Get Your Child’s Passport Ready!
With travel slowly opening up, NOW is the time to get your children’s passport renewed or set up for the first time before it really starts to get busy.
We recently got our girls ready to go and thought I would share some helpful tips with you that made the process smooth and easy. The paperwork and entire process can be overwhelming (you’re not alone in thinking this!) but here is what helped us:
** I SHOULD NOTE - I am NOT representing the government or have any affiliation with The Government of Canada, Service Canada or Passport Canada. This is just a personal account and opinion of what worked for us**
Print out the forms. The child passport form can be found HERE. Print them off and use dark blue or black ink. Print in capital letters. You can also fill them out online and print them off but I just found it easier to do it old school and write in the information myself.
If it is a renewal there is a box you can check on Page 2 of the form. But there is not a simple renewal form. The new passport and renewal for a child is the exact same. If you want their old passport returned to you ( you have to submit it when you send your paperwork) there is a box you can check on Page 2 as well.
Yes, you MUST send the ORIGINAL copy of your child’s birth certificate but it WILL be returned intact.
To send it away - we used Xpresspost. It cost us $20, it arrived within 2 days AND we were able to track it. Since you are sending precious cargo this is the simplest way I found. To find a Canada Post office near you click HERE.
Don’t forget to SIGN the back of the new passport photos.
Speaking of those passport photos; we got ours taken at AMA. If you are a “Plus” or “Premier” member your photos are FREE (you know I love that!). To find an AMA location near you click HERE.
Total time from mailing the paperwork out in June to receiving the passports in July was about 5 weeks. Could be a touch longer now.
Happy ( and Safe!) Travels! Hope this helps. xoxo Jacks
