It took me three visits to Service Canada over two days to gather everything I needed to apply for a passport for myself and our kids. But I did it! This is something I’d been putting off since moving to Saskatoon, even though my mother-in-law had suggested I get on it for the past year or more.
What it really comes down to is that I don’t love traveling. And since I hadn’t flown anywhere outside of Canada since having kids I was not in a huge hurry to renew my passport which had just expired, or our girls’. Brighton had never gotten one and Matt had to renew his for work, so his is good for another four years.
So why did it take me so many tries?
We had gotten our (horribly unflattering) passport photos done a few weeks’ prior, so that wasn’t the issue.
On the first visit I had forgotten the kids’ birth certificates. The lineup was fairly long though, and I wasn’t sure where they were at home, so I decided to go back the next day.
The second time I had remembered the birth certificates but was told that I had forgotten to get Matt to sign one part of the kids’ applications. I could have tried to fake his signature but I think the woman at the counter would have suspected something if I came back too soon. She had asked if he was with me and I had told her no, plus I honestly did not even think of that. When I texted Matt though, he told me to try.
Thankfully, Saskatoon is not a huge city and it was only about a ten minute drive from our house to Service Canada. So after I got my passport application handed in, I drove home and got Matt to sign where he needed, then drove back for the third time and got the kids’ applications processed. Right before the woman was done entering in all their information, someone pulled the fire alarm. Everyone was told to exit the office.
It was an accidental pull apparently despite the big “Do not pull” sign on it. There was no fire. And fortunately, that meant I could complete their passport application. No having to go back a fourth time!
Because it took me that many tries, though, I decided to illustrate what it is you need to bring with you. I’ve learned that I am a visual person but I can also be overwhelmed by too much text. Every time I look at application pages, everything sort of blurs into one big blob and I miss things. That’s how I missed the place that Matt needed to sign.
The list below and the illustration above applies more to a child passport. For an adult passport, you require less, especially if you are simply renewing it.
Six Things To Bring With You When You Apply For A Passport
1. Both pages of the application completely filled out! Signed and dated within the last twelve months by you and the guarantor (for a child passport).
2. Two identical and unaltered passport photos taken within the last six months, with one signed by the guarantor (for a child passport). No signature needed for adult photo.
3. Proof of Canadian citizenship (original only). I brought my birth certificate but I think a drivers licence also works.
4. Any valid Canadian travel document (passport, certificate or identity or refugee travel document).
5. Acceptable proof of parentage (like a birth certificate). If parents are divorced or separated, all documents pertaining to the child that refer to custody, etc. need to be provided.
6. The fee (either paid by credit card or cash). $160 for a 10-year adult passport, $120 for a 5-year adult passport and $57 for a 5-year child passport.
One final thing you need to apply for a passport that is not included on their requirements checklist, is PATIENCE! You also discover how many friends you have or don’t have with the need to get references and not being able to ask family members. Thanks to the few lovely women who vouched for me!
Needless to say, we are (mostly) looking forward to our first family trip outside of Canada this Fall! Now we just need to find a cat sitter for our newly adopted kitties.
