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Persons adopted abroad

Passports for persons adopted abroad and granted Canadian citizenship

Effective December 23, 2007, persons adopted abroad by Canadian citizens may immediately be granted citizenship provided the adoption meets certain criteria. Individuals adopted abroad and granted Canadian citizenship are entitled to Canadian passport services.

Returning to Canada with an adopted person

If you are travelling overseas and wish to apply for a Canadian passport to return to Canada with your adopted child, a passport application can be submitted at a Canadian government office abroad as soon as the adoptee has been granted Canadian citizenship. Note: The application should be submitted to the Canadian government office which processed the grant of citizenship or the Canadian government office responsible for issuing passports to Canadian residents in the country where the adoptee resides (if different).

Adopted persons under 16 years of age

For children under 16 years of age, adoptive parents should complete:

• Child General Passport Application for Canadians under 16 years of age (PPTC 155) – when applying in the United States.
• Child Passport Application for Canadians under 16 years of age (PPTC 042) – when applying abroad.

Upon submission of the application and verification that all the requirements have been met, a Limited Validity Passport may be issued. Should the applicant require a travel document urgently, a temporary passport may be issued. There is an additional fee associated with this.

Adopted persons 16 years of age or over

Applicants 16 years of age or over should complete:

• Adult General Passport Application for Canadians 16 years of age or over (PPTC 153) – when applying in the United States.
• Adult Passport Application for Canadians 16 years of age or over (PPTC 040) – when applying abroad.

Upon submission of the application and verification that all the requirements have been met, an emergency passport for immediate return to Canada may be issued.

Dual citizenship

In the case of countries where dual citizenship is not permitted, Citizenship and Immigration Canada may issue a facilitation visa in the adoptee's foreign national passport. Where this is the case, and the applicant chooses to apply for a Canadian passport notwithstanding, they will be asked to sign a waiver recognizing the risks of holding two passports.

For more information on this new policy, consult the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.