Who Can Be a Guarantor for a Canadian Passport?

Key Takeaways

• • You need a guarantor for a first Canadian passport, or if you can’t renew. Eligible adults renewing don’t need one.
  • A passport guarantor must be a Canadian citizen, 18 or older, who has known you for 2 years and holds an eligible Canadian passport.
  • A family member can be your guarantor, but your guarantor can’t also be one of your references.
  • Different rules apply if you’re applying from outside Canada, in the military, or for a refugee travel document or certificate of identity.
  • If you can’t find a guarantor, use a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor (PPTC 132 or PPTC 326) and swear it in person in front of a notary public.

A passport guarantor must be a Canadian citizen aged 18 or older who has known you for at least two years and holds a 5- or 10-year Canadian passport that is valid or expired no more than one year. Renewals don’t need a guarantor. Can’t find one? Swear a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor in front of a notary public instead.

Quick checklist: your guarantor must

• have known you for at least 2 years and be reachable if IRCC calls
• be a Canadian citizen aged 18 or older
• have been 16 or older when they got their own passport
• hold a 5- or 10-year Canadian passport that’s valid, or expired no more than 1 year ago
• not be the parent or guardian applying for the child (for a child’s passport)

Which Guarantor Rules Apply to You?

The rules depend on the document you’re applying for and where you apply. Find your situation below, then jump to that section.

• Canadian passport, applying in Canada: a guarantor who meets the standard rules (next section).
• Child’s passport: the standard rules, plus the guarantor must know the parent applying and know of the child.
• Canadian passport, applying from outside Canada: the standard rules, or a licensed professional such as a doctor, lawyer or police officer.
• Canadian Armed Forces members and their dependants: the standard rules, or a Regular Force officer who can confirm your identity through service records.
• Refugee travel document or certificate of identity: a licensed professional living in Canada who has known you for at least 6 months.
• Renewing an adult passport: usually no guarantor needed.
• No eligible guarantor: a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor (PPTC 132 or PPTC 326), sworn in person in front of a notary.

Who Can Be a Guarantor for a Canadian Passport?

A guarantor confirms your identity on your passport application. IRCC may contact them to check that what you’ve submitted is true. New to guarantors? Our guide What is a guarantor? A guide for Canadians covers the basics, including guarantors for Ontario birth certificates.

For a regular (blue) passport applied for in Canada, your guarantor must (canada.ca):

• be a Canadian citizen aged 18 or older
• have known you for at least 2 years
• be reachable if IRCC needs to contact them
• have been 16 or older when they applied for their own passport
• hold a 5- or 10-year Canadian passport that’s valid, or expired no more than 1 year ago, on the day you apply
• give you the details from their passport that your form asks for

Your guarantor can be a friend, neighbour, co-worker, or a family member or someone you live with, as long as they meet the rules.

For a child’s passport: the guarantor must have known the parent or guardian applying for at least 2 years, and must also know of the child. The parent or guardian applying can’t be the guarantor, but the other parent or guardian can if they qualify.

Do You Even Need a Guarantor? Renewals and Fees

You need a guarantor for a first passport, or if you can’t renew. You don’t need one to renew an adult passport if all of these are true (canada.ca):

• your last passport was an adult passport issued when you were 16 or older
• it was issued within the last 15 years
• it was valid for 5 or 10 years
• your name, date of birth, place of birth and gender identifier are staying the same

Since July 2026, all eligible adults can renew their passport online.

Government passport fees since March 31, 2026, applying in Canada:

• 10-year adult passport: $163.50
• 5-year adult passport: $122.50
• 5-year child passport: $58.50

Fees are higher if you apply from outside Canada. Check Canada.ca’s passport fee page before you apply.

Can’t Find a Guarantor? Use a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor

If no one you know meets the rules, you can still apply. Instead of a guarantor, you complete a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor and swear it in front of a notary public or other authorized official.

There are two versions:

• PPTC 132: for Canadians applying for a passport, in Canada or abroad
• PPTC 326: for non-Canadians applying for a certificate of identity or refugee travel document

NotaryPro has free PDF copies of both forms: the form for Canadian passport applicants and the form for non-Canadians. The Government of Canada doesn’t post them on its website, so you can also get them from a passport service location or by contacting IRCC. Outside Canada, ask the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate. Forms are updated from time to time, so check you have the latest version before you fill it in.

For a closer look at both forms, and the Secure Certificate of Indian Status version, see our guide to Canadian Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor forms.

How to Get and Complete the Declaration

1. Get the right form. PPTC 132 if you’re a Canadian applying for a passport. PPTC 326 if you’re applying for a certificate of identity or refugee travel document.
2. Fill it in by hand. Print in capital letters using black or dark blue ink.
3. Add your details. Your full legal name, date and place of birth, and address; every address and job from the past 5 years; and two references (see below).
4. Don’t sign it yet. You sign it in front of the notary.
5. Book an in-person appointment. Bring the form, your ID and two identical passport photos.
6. Swear or affirm it. The notary checks your ID, watches you sign, and completes their section. They also sign the back of one photo (marked “Exhibit A”) and sign and date both sides of any ID photocopies.
7. Submit it with your application. Include the declaration with your passport or travel document application and supporting documents.

Because the notary has to sign your photo and ID copies, the declaration must be signed in person, not over video.

Who can witness it: in Canada, a notary public, justice of the peace or commissioner for oaths. Outside Canada, a Canadian or British diplomatic or consular representative, or a qualified local official. They don’t need to know you.

Only use the declaration if you can’t find a guarantor. IRCC may contact your references or ask for more documents.

Guarantor Rules Outside Canada, for Military, and for Travel Documents

Applying from outside Canada

Your guarantor can meet the same rules as above. Or you can use an occupation-based guarantor who is licensed with their local regulator and currently working in their field (canada.ca):

• judge
• police officer
• notary public, or lawyer/notary
• medical doctor or dentist
• pharmacist or veterinarian
• dean or head of a university or college
• signing officer at a bank, trust company or full-service financial institution

Retired professionals qualify only if their professional association still lists them.

Military applicants

Regular Force members and their dependants can use a Regular Force officer who has known them for at least 2 years. Eligible officers include NDHQ directors and directors general, base commanders, commanding officers, NDHQ career managers, personnel administrative officers, and any commissioned officer of captain rank or above with access to service records. Instead of the number of years, they write “through service records which I have verified.”

Military police can be guarantors for military personnel only, if they’ve known the applicant for at least 2 years.

Certificate of identity or refugee travel document

Your guarantor must live in Canada, be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, have known you for at least 6 months, be available to verify your application, and be licensed and working in one of these groups (canada.ca):

• mayor or postmaster
• judge, magistrate, or police officer (municipal, provincial or RCMP)
• lawyer (provincial bar member), notary public, or notary in Quebec
• dentist, medical doctor, chiropractor, or nurse practitioner
• pharmacist, optometrist, or veterinarian
• principal of a primary or secondary school
• senior administrator or teacher at a university, or senior administrator at a community college or CEGEP
• professional engineer (P.Eng., or Ing. in Quebec)
• professional accountant (APA, CPA, PA or RPA)
• minister of religion
• licensed immigration and citizenship consultant (CICC)

If you can’t find one, use PPTC 326. Our guide walks you through the form step by step.

References vs. Guarantors: What’s the Difference?

A guarantor confirms your identity and signs your application, photo and ID copies. References are two people IRCC can contact about you; they don’t sign anything.

Your two references must be 18 or older, agree to be listed, and have known you for at least 2 years (6 months for a certificate of identity or refugee travel document). They can’t be your guarantor, spouse, common-law partner, parent, child or sibling, or a relative who lives with you. A former partner, or a boyfriend or girlfriend you don’t live with as a common-law partner, can be a reference.

If you use a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor, the references on it must be different from those on your passport application.

Responsibilities of a Guarantor

Your guarantor must do these steps themselves. You can’t fill them in for them, and they can’t charge you a fee. Your guarantor must:

• fill in their section of your application, including how long they’ve known you
• sign and date the form
• sign the back of one passport photo and write “I certify this to be a true likeness of” followed by your full name
• sign and date both sides of each ID photocopy (not needed if you send original documents)

If your guarantor has questions, they can contact IRCC. If other documents for your application need a notary, see our guide to Canadian passport notarization.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a family member be a guarantor for a Canadian passport?

Yes. A family member, or someone you live with, can be your guarantor if they meet all the rules. They just can’t also be one of your references.

Do I need a guarantor to renew my passport?

No, not if you’re eligible to renew: your last adult passport was issued in the past 15 years, when you were 16 or older, and was valid for 5 or 10 years.

What if I can’t find a guarantor for my passport?

Complete a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor (PPTC 132) and swear it in person in front of a notary public or other authorized official.

Can my guarantor’s passport be expired?

Yes, but only by up to 1 year on the day you apply. It must be a 5- or 10-year Canadian passport.

Can a guarantor also be one of my references?

No. Your guarantor and your two references must be different people.

Can a guarantor charge a fee?

No. A guarantor can’t charge you for signing your application.

Can I sign a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor online?

No. The notary has to sign one of your photos and your ID copies, so it must be done in person. You can book your appointment online.

Get Your Declaration Sworn With a Notary

No eligible guarantor doesn’t mean no passport. Download PPTC 132 or PPTC 326, fill it in, and swear it in front of a NotaryPro notary public near you.