You must be one of the child's parents, the custodial parent in cases of separation or divorce, or the legal guardian in order to apply for a passport for your child or ward. If you are the custodial parent, you must provide a copy of your divorce decree and a statement from the judge certifying you are the custodial parent. In cases of joint custody, both parents must sign the application for the passport.
All children, including infants, must have a passport to travel outside of Canada. Children under 3 years of age are issued passports valid for three years. Children aged 3 to 15 are issued a standard passport valid for five years.
You will need the passport application form, found at Passport Canada (www.pptc.gc.ca/cdn/16-.aspx), original proof of Canadian citizenship, two photographs of the child's face, and the fee.
Passport Canada states that "Children who have been issued a passport in their first year of life (between birth and 364 days) are entitled to a one-time gratis replacement passport. This is in recognition of the rapid change in the features of children of this age." The requirements for this one-time free replacement are a new application completed in full and signed by an eligible guarantor, new photographs taken within one month of the date the request for the gratis replacement is received, an original proof of Canadian citizenship, custody documents, if applicable, and the original passport.
If your child is living outside of Canada at the time of the application, he or she will need all of the requirements listed above plus a document called a declaration of guarantor. This document is also available from Passport Canada. It requires a professional who is a citizen of the U.S. or Canada and who has known your child for at least two years to certify that your child is who you say he or she is. The guarantor must also sign the back of your child's passport application photos with the sentence: "I certify this to be a true likeness of (child's name)," along with his signature.
