Getting a United States passport for a minor child in Canada

Applying for your Child’s US Passport?

If you are the parent of a child under age 16 who is an American citizen and is living in Canada, you might need to obtain a United States passport for your child. You can apply for a US passport in person at a United States Embassy or Consulate in Canada. Passport services for United States citizens are available at the American Embassy in Ottawa, and at U.S. consular offices in Toronto, Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, and Vancouver. For passport appointments for children, the child and both parents are required to attend in person. This is a requirement to help to prevent international child abduction and trafficking.

What do I do if only one parent can attend in person to apply for my child’s United States Passport?

If you are a sole custodial parent:
When you have sole custody of your child or the child’s other parent cannot be located, you will be required to provide proof of custody, such as a court order, and you will also be required to fill out a form called “Statement of exigent/special family circumstances” (see below for a link to the form)

If the second parent is not able to attend the appointment:
If one parent is unable to attend the appointment, it is possible for that parent to provide permission to the other parent to attend the passport application appointment without them. The non-attending parent must provide a form called “Statement of consent: Issuance of US passport to a child”. This form needs to be signed in front of a notary public. The non-attending parent also needs to provide a certified (notarized) copy of a piece of identification such as their passport.

If neither parent is able to attend the appointment:
It is possible for a third party to take the minor child to the passport application appointment. In this situation, both parents must fill out the “Statement of consent: Issuance of US passport to a child” and sign the form in front of a notary public. Both parents must also obtain certified (notarized) copies of their identification.

How can Red Seal Notary help?

We have helpful Notaries who can notarize the “Statement of Consent: Issuance of US passport to a child”. The Notary Public can also provide you with a certified true (notarized) copy of your identification. Remember to bring your original valid government-issued photo identification with you, as the notary will need to see this in order to verify your identity and make the certified true copy.

Red Seal Notary has convenient walk-in offices in Toronto, Ottawa, and Mississauga where you can have the documents notarized in person when you apply for a child passport. You can also contact our helpful call center to make appointments to notarize documents at locations across the country.

Helpful Links

Statement of exigent/special family circumstances

Statement of consent: issuance of US passport to a child

US Embassies and Consulates in Canada with information on how to apply for passports and make appointments to obtain passports