- Requirements for a regular (blue) passport in Canada
- Requirements for a regular (blue) passport outside Canada
- Occupation-based guarantors
- If your occupation-based guarantor is retired
- Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor form
References
You need 2 references for a passport or other travel document application.
Your references must
- be 18 years of age or older
- have known you for at least
- 2 years for passport applications
- 6 months for certificate of identity and refugee travel document applications
To avoid delays, make sure your references are available if or when we need to contact them.
- For example, they’re not travelling outside the country.
- If they’re in a different time zone, it may take longer to contact them, which could delay your application.
We may ask for additional references at any time.
People who can’t be a reference for you
Your references cannot be
- your guarantor
- a family member, such as a
- spouse or common-law partner
- Whether you’re the opposite or same sex, you’re considered common-law partners if you’ve lived together in a marriage-like relationship for at least 1 year, but you aren’t legally married.
- A boyfriend or girlfriend can be a reference if you’re not in a common-law relationship.
- If your marriage or common-law relationship has ended, your former spouse or partner can serve as a reference.
- For example, if your aunt, uncle or cousin lives with you, they cannot be a reference.
Guarantors
You may need a guarantor for your passport or other travel document application. Read the requirements below to check what you need for your type of application.
You don’t need a guarantor if you’re renewing a passport.
You only need a guarantor if you’re applying for a passport for the first time or you aren’t eligible to renew your passport.
As long as they meet these requirements, your guarantor can be anyone, including a family member or member of your household.
- Requirements for a regular (blue) passport submitted in Canada
- Requirements for a regular (blue) passport submitted outside Canada
- Requirements for military personnel applying for a regular (blue) passport
- Requirements for a certificate of identity or a refugee travel document
Although most of the guarantor section on the form can be completed by you or your guarantor, the following 4 fields must be completed by your guarantor:
- Signature of guarantor
- Signed at
- Date
- I have known the applicant for (number of years)
In addition, your guarantor must
- write on the back of 1 of the passport photos “I certify this to be a true likeness of (your name or your child’s name)”
- They must also sign the back of the same photo.
- This only applies to photocopies of ID and is not needed if you submit original documents.
Your guarantor can’t charge you money for this. You also can’t help the guarantor do any of the tasks listed above. Contact us if your guarantor needs help.
Guarantor requirements for a regular (blue) passport submitted in Canada
Your guarantor must
- have known you for at least 2 years
- If the guarantor is for your child’s passport, they must have known you for at least 2 years and must know of your child.
- expired for no more than 1 year, or
- valid, meaning it isn’t or wasn’t
- expired
- damaged
- inaccessible
- suspended or revoked
- reported lost or stolen
- found and returned
- destroyed by us
- requested to be returned
If you’re the parent or legal guardian who is applying on behalf of a child, you cannot sign as guarantor on the child’s application. However, the other parent or legal guardian (not submitting the application) can sign as long as they meet the requirements.
If the child is adopted and needs a guarantor
If the child was placed by provincial family services for adoption, until the adoption is final (probationary adoption), the child’s guarantor can be the
- provincial director of family services
- director of the family services agency
- director of the incorporated institution (in Quebec)
Guarantor requirements for a regular (blue) passport submitted outside Canada
Your guarantor can be anyone who meets the basic guarantor requirements for a regular (blue) passport in Canada, including a family member or member of your household.
Occupation-based guarantors
You may also use an occupation-based guarantor for an application submitted outside Canada, as long as that person is
- registered/licensed with the appropriate local authority to practice their profession
- currently working in that field
- practicing one of these professions:
- judge
- dentist
- pharmacist
- veterinarian
- police officer
- notary public
- lawyer/notary
- medical doctor
- dean/head of university or college
- signing officer of a
- bank or trust company
- financial institution that offer a full range of banking services (cash withdrawals, deposits and savings)
If your occupation-based guarantor is retired
You can use them if their professional association still has your guarantor’s name on their list.
Guarantor requirements for military personnel applying for a regular (blue) passport
If you’re Regular Force personnel, Regular Military Force officers may act as a guarantor for you and your dependants if they have known you personally for 2 years or more. These officers include
- NDHQ directors
- base commanders
- commanding officers
- NDHQ career managers
- NDHQ directors general
- personnel administrative officers
- any other commissioned officer (captain and above) with access to service records
- Instead of indicating the number of years they have known you, they must write, “through service records which I have verified.”
Military police can only act as guarantors if you’re military personnel. They must have personally known you for at least 2 years.
Guarantor requirements if you’re applying for a certificate of identity or a refugee travel document
Your guarantor must
- live in Canada
- be a permanent resident of Canada or a Canadian citizen
- be available to verify your application
- have personally known you for at least 6 months
- If the guarantor is for your child’s documents, they must have known you for at least 6 months and must know of your child.
- be registered/licensed with the appropriate local authority to practise their profession
- currently work in that field
Your guarantor must be a member of one of these groups:
- mayor
- pharmacist
- postmaster
- optometrist
- veterinarian
- notary public
- nurse practitioner
- dentist, medical doctor or chiropractor
- principal of a primary or secondary school
- senior administrator or teacher in a university
- professional engineer (P. Eng. or Ing. in Quebec)
- senior administrator in a community college (in Quebec, a CEGEP)
- judge, magistrate or police officer (municipal, provincial or RCMP)
- professional accountant (member of APA, CA, CGA, CMA, PA or RPA)
- lawyer (member of a provincial bar association), or notary in Quebec
- minister of religion
You can only use retired occupation-based guarantors if their name still appears on the listing provided to us by the relevant association.
If you can’t find a guarantor
- complete the Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor form
- find someone who can administer an oath to swear to and sign the form
- This person doesn’t need to know you personally.
- If you’re in Canada, this can be a
- notary public
- justice of the peace
- commissioner for oaths
- Canadian or British diplomatic or consular representative
- Qualified local official, such as a civil servant or member of Parliament
Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor form
The Statutory Declaration in Lieu of a Guarantor form is not available online. To get the form
- in Canada
- go to the nearest passport service location or
- contact us to get a copy
- go to the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate or
- contact us to get a copy
- contact the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate
You can’t use the same references on the Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor form that you included on your passport or other travel document application.
- Whether you’re the opposite or same sex, you’re considered common-law partners if you’ve lived together in a marriage-like relationship for at least 1 year, but you aren’t legally married.
- spouse or common-law partner
- Occupation-based guarantors