--- title: "Canadian Passport Applications for Separated Quebec Parents: Guide ✦ Goldwater Droit" meta: "og:description": "Child passport applications require all parents to sign — and a court order doesn't change that automatically. Here's what Quebec parents need to know before they apply." "og:title": "Separated in Quebec? Here's How Passport Applications Intersect With Custody Orders" description: "How passport applications work in Quebec custody disputes — who must sign, what court orders do, the lookout list, Hague Convention risks, and urgent court remedies." --- # Canadian Passport Applications for Families: Child and Adult Forms ## Overview For families in Montreal navigating separation, divorce, or custody disputes, a Canadian passport application is rarely a routine matter. The [**Child General Passport Application (PPTC 155)**](https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/passport/forms/pdf/pptc155.pdf) requires signatures from all parents and legal guardians, mandates submission of all custody and parenting documents, and operates under the [_Canadian Passport Order (SI/81-86)_](https://canlii.ca/t/7x21) alongside the [_Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction_](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/full-text/?cid=24). Courts and lawyers in Quebec routinely address passports in separation agreements: which parent holds the document, how travel is authorized, and what protections apply when one parent fears removal of the child from Canada without consent. This page also covers the [Adult Simplified Renewal Passport Application (PPTC 054)](https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/passport/forms/pdf/pptc054.pdf), and two supplementary forms for [Additional Information: Address and Occupation (PPTC 056)](https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/passport/forms/pdf/pptc056-eng.pdf) and [Additional Information: Documents to Support Identity and References (PPTC 057)](https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/passport/forms/pdf/pptc057-eng.pdf), all administered by **Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)**. --- ## What Do the Canadian Passport Application Forms Do? The Child General Passport Application initiates issuance of a five-year Canadian passport for a child under 16. The **Passport Program** must confirm the application does not contradict any existing custody order or court restriction. Under the _Canadian Passport Order_, no passport may be issued to a child under 16 where a court order restricts the child's movement to a specified judicial district, unless that order is revoked or varied. The Adult Simplified Renewal allows eligible adults — those whose most recent passport was issued within the last 15 years in the same name, with the same date and place of birth and gender identifier — to renew without completing a full general application. Adults whose legal name has changed following a divorce must use the full adult general application. > ⚠️ First-time adult applicants — including those who have never held a Canadian passport — cannot use the simplified renewal and must complete the full adult general application. --- ## When Do You Need a Canadian Passport Application? A child requires a passport for all international air travel. Children 15 and under travelling to or from the United States by land or sea do not need a passport but must carry acceptable proof of citizenship. Air travel — including pre-cleared departures from Montreal-Trudeau International Airport — always requires a valid Canadian passport. New child passport applications are needed when the child has no prior passport, when the existing one has expired, or when the child's legal name has changed. In Quebec family law, these applications most commonly arise when parents first organize vacation travel after a separation or when one parent proposes an international trip the other contests. > ⚠️ Do not finalize travel plans until the passport is in hand. The Passport Program is not responsible for losses arising from missed travel due to processing delays. --- ## Who Must File the Canadian Passport Application? For the child passport application, the eligible applicant is: - **Together parents**: either parent - **Separated or divorced parents**: only the parent with custody or decision-making responsibility; where parents have joint custody or joint decision-making, either may apply, but both must sign - **Legal guardians**: a person with court-recognized guardianship, with proof of that guardianship submitted with the application All parents and legal guardians — including non-applicants — should sign section 2. The Passport Program may contact non-applicant parents to verify consent. Since November 5, 2024, proof of parentage is required with every child application, including for children who have previously held a passport. For the Adult Simplified Renewal, only the applicant signs. Adults whose name has changed since their last passport due to divorce must use the full adult general application. > ⚠️ Quebec family law uses "parental authority" rather than "custody" or "decision-making responsibility." Review your Quebec parenting order against the [Passport Program's specific requirements](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/child-passport/documents-submit.html) before filing. --- ## How Do You Use the Canadian Passport Application? Download the [Child General Passport Application (PPTC 155)](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/child-passport.html) and the [Adult Simplified Renewal (PPTC 054)](https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/passport/forms/pdf/pptc054.pdf) from the Government of Canada's passport page. Errors or omissions in the personal information section can delay, require correction, or lead to the application being returned. Applications may be submitted: - **In person**: at a Passport Program regional office or participating Service Canada Centre in the Montreal area - **By mail from Quebec**: 📍Passport Program, Gatineau QC K1A 0G3 - **By courier**: 📍Passport Program, 22 de Varennes Street, Gatineau QC J8T 8R1 Urgent applications require the applicant in person. A third party may submit a non-urgent application on the applicant's behalf. For in‑person non‑urgent child applications at Montreal‑area offices, the child must be present at the time of submission. > ⚠️ If your address changes within 30 days of submitting your application, notify the Passport Program immediately. Your passport will be delivered to the mailing address on file. --- ## What Documents and Information Are Required? For the child passport application: - **Proof of citizenship**: original provincial or territorial birth certificate, or citizenship certificate - **Proof of parentage**: detailed birth certificate showing both parents' names, adoption order, or proof of guardianship (required on every application as of November 2024) - **Parenting documents**: all valid separation agreements, court orders, divorce judgments, and parenting orders relating to custody, decision-making responsibility, access, parenting time, mobility, or passport control - **Two passport photos**: taken within the last six months, one signed and certified by the guarantor - **Prior unexpired passport**: must be enclosed - **Applicable fee** For the Adult Simplified Renewal: prior passport details, two photos, and the fee. Attach the supplementary address and occupation form or identity documents form when the Passport Program requires additional information or verification. > ⚠️ Documents not in English or French require a certified translation and a signed declaration from the translator. The Passport Program does not accept translations completed by the applicant or a relative. --- ## Family Law and Passport Control Under [ss. 7(2) and 7(3) of the _Canadian Passport Order (SI/81-86)_](https://canlii.ca/t/7x21), the federal government will not issue a passport for a child under 16 if the parents are separated or divorced and a court order or separation agreement gives the other parent specific access rights — unless the application includes proof that issuing the passport does not violate those terms. Similarly, if a court has ordered that a child must stay within a specific region, no passport can be issued until that order is lifted or changed. ### Provisional Measures & Passport Control Where there is a credible risk that one parent may take a child abroad without authorization, a court may impose urgent protective measures via safeguard order under [articles 49, 158 par 8, and 511–513 of the _Code of Civil Procedure_](https://canlii.ca/t/8smj#se:49), prohibiting the child from leaving Quebec or Canada or requiring the passport to be deposited with counsel or the court. The substantive authority for these measures flows from the court's broad discretion over parental authority and custody conditions under [articles 599–606 of the _Civil Code of Québec_](https://canlii.ca/t/z35#se:599). ### Passport Lookout List A parent who fears an unauthorized application may [request the child's name be added to the Passport Program's lookout list](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/child-passport/child-safety-list.html) using form PPTC 489. The Passport Program will then contact the requesting parent before processing any new application for that child. The lookout list does not cancel an already-issued valid passport; if one is in the other parent's possession, additional legal steps are needed. ### The Hague Convention Canada is a signatory to the [_Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction_](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/full-text/?cid=24), which provides mechanisms for returning children wrongfully removed or retained abroad. Protection depends on whether the destination country is also a signatory — critical when one parent has family in a non-signatory state. A custody or parenting arrangement recognized in Canada may not be recognized abroad. Verify entry requirements and custody documentation with the embassy or consulate of each country the child will visit before any trip is finalized. **Consent letters**: When a child travels internationally with only one parent or a non-parent adult, a [consent letter](https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/children/consent-letter) is strongly recommended and may be required at border crossings. In Quebec, it must be signed by every person with parental authority and, ideally, certified by a notary or attorney, and include the trip duration, destination, and contact details for the absent parent. --- ## What Are the Processing Times and Fees? Passport fees increased on March 31, 2026 under the _Service Fees Act_ and will adjust annually. Confirm current amounts on the [Government of Canada fee changes page](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/fees/fee-changes-passport.html) before submitting: - **Child passport (5-year, in Canada)**: $58.50 - **Adult passport (5-year, in Canada)**: $122.50 - **Adult passport (10-year, in Canada)**: $163.50 Beginning April 1, 2026, the Government of Canada guarantees processing within 30 business days, with automatic full refunds for applications that exceed that standard. > ⚠️ Passport fees are non-refundable if an application is cancelled or refused. Only the $25 consular services fee included in adult applications is refundable. --- ## Illustrative Scenario > 📌 **Parent A** and **Parent B** separate after several years of marriage in Montreal's Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood. Their consent order establishes joint decision-making responsibility over their nine-year-old child. **Parent A** proposes taking the child to visit family in Europe and submits a first child passport application. The Passport Program will not process the application without **Parent B**'s signature, since the order does not assign sole authority to either parent. **Parent B** refuses to sign, concerned the trip will extend beyond the agreed vacation period.**Parent A** brings an urgent application before the Superior Court of Quebec. The court authorizes the specific trip and orders the child's passport held in trust by **Parent A**'s lawyer between authorized travel periods. Both parents are required to give advance notice before any international travel. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Can I prevent the other parent from getting a passport for my child without my consent? Request that your child's name be added to the [Passport Program's lookout system](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/child-passport/child-safety-list.html) using form [PPTC 489](https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/documents/pdf/english/kits/forms/pptc489-eng.pdf). Once listed, the Passport Program contacts you before processing any new application for the child. This does not cancel an already-issued valid passport; additional legal steps are needed to recover one in the other parent's possession. ### Does my child need a passport to cross into the United States by car? Children 15 and under do not need a passport for US entry by land or sea — an original birth certificate is sufficient proof of citizenship. Any air travel, including on pre-cleared departures from Montreal, requires a valid Canadian passport. ### What happens when parents in Quebec cannot agree on a child's passport application? Either parent may bring a motion before the Superior Court of Quebec, which can order the passport issued and impose conditions on its possession and use. The court applies the child's best interests as the governing standard under [article 33 of the _Civil Code of Québec_](https://canlii.ca/t/z35#se:33), and draws on its broad discretion over custody conditions under [articles 599–606 of the _Civil Code of Québec_](https://canlii.ca/t/z35#se:599) to restrict travel, require advance notice, or order the passport held by a third party. When travel is time-sensitive, these applications can be heard on an urgent basis. --- ## Common Mistakes to Avoid - **Incomplete parenting documents**: all valid legal documents relating to custody, decision-making, parenting time, mobility, or passport control must be included — not just the most recent order - **Missing the non-applicant parent's signature**: all parents and legal guardians must sign section 2 of the child passport application - **Using the simplified renewal after a name change**: adults who have legally changed their name following a divorce must use the full adult general application - **Incorrectly certified photos**: the guarantor must sign one photo and write the required certification; a parent's or guardian's signature on the child's issued passport invalidates it - **Personal information mismatches**: details in section 1 of the adult simplified renewal must match the prior passport exactly --- ## When to Get Legal Help Passport applications become legally complex whenever a custody order, parenting agreement, or court restriction is in place. If the other parent refuses to sign a child application, if you believe a passport was obtained without your consent, or if travel is proposed to a country that is not a signatory to the _Hague Convention_, obtain legal advice before filing or responding. Adults managing a name change or an address change during active family law proceedings should confirm how a passport application may interact with outstanding court orders. ## Speak with a Family Lawyer Passport applications intersect with custody orders, travel restrictions, and international law in ways that make them far more complex than routine federal paperwork. If you are facing a custody dispute over travel, if the other parent is refusing to sign, or if you fear unauthorized international travel, legal advice is essential. Goldwater Droit advises Montreal-area families on the intersection of travel documentation and family law, including urgent court applications to restrict, authorize, or recover a child's passport. [Contact Goldwater Droit](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/contact) Written and reviewed by [**Émylia Morin**](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/emylia-morin) Published on **April 1, 2026** Last reviewed **April 1, 2026** #### *Need help with this process?* ### Goldwater Droit can help. [**Contact**](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/contact)