Personal information

Name changes

All documentation, including your passport, should be issued under the same name. If you have changed your name on other identification documents, your passport must be in this same name.

For any name change, you must apply for a new passport:

• Submit a complete adult general passport application (you cannot use the passport renewal process for a name change), that includes:
  • the application form completed in full;
  • proof of Canadian citizenship;
  • supporting identification in your new name;
  • two photos, one of which is signed by the guarantor;
  • the required fees; and
  • any valid Canadian travel document, if applicable.

Plus

• For a married surname change, you may be asked to provide your marriage certificate (original or copy).
• For a common-law name change, include a signed letter stating that you are in a common-law relationship and that the co-habitation has been ongoing for more than one year.
• For any other legal name change, include one of the following:
  • a legal change of name document;
  • an adoption order; or
  • a birth certificate or citizenship certificate issued in the new name.

Place of birth

Your place of birth must be provided on the application form.

You may request that your place of birth does not appear in the passport. However, if you chose to do so, note that:

• Place of birth is mandatory for entry to some countries. You should contact the consulate or embassy of every country you plan to visit to ensure that you will be allowed entry if your passport does not indicate your place of birth.
• You may have difficulty obtaining a visa.
• You may experience delays at border crossings.

It is your responsibility to verify requirements before travelling.

If you do not want your place of birth to appear in the passport, you must complete and submit with your application a "Request for a Canadian passport without place of birth" (PPTC 077, PDF, 350 KB).

Signature

Your signature must not exceed the inner limits of the signature box on page 1 (Declaration of Applicant) and must appear on all three pages.