Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) — Passport Program Edition PPTC 042 (08-2026) 8 pages

PPTC 042 — Child Abroad General Passport Application (under 16)

The form a parent or legal guardian uses to apply for a Canadian passport for a child under 16 while outside Canada and the USA.

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PPTC 042 · Child Abroad General Passport Application (outside Canada and the USA, under 16)
The official Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) — Passport Program form, edition PPTC 042 (08-2026) — blank
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PPTC 042 (2026) Child Abroad General Passport Application (outside Canada and the USA, under 16) — page 1 of 8
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Fill this form online Blank PDF from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) — Passport Program

What is PPTC 042?

PPTC 042 is the Child Abroad General Passport Application from the Passport Program of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). It is for Canadian children under 16 who are living or staying outside Canada and the United States, and it is submitted at a Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate. The current edition is PPTC 042 (08-2026); the French version is PPTC 043. The adult counterpart is PPTC 040.

The form asks about the child, every parent or legal guardian, custody or parenting-time documents, the child's previous travel documents and proof of citizenship, and a guarantor who knows you. Addresses carry a country rather than a province, and the guarantor can be either a Canadian passport holder or a local professional from an eligible occupation.

FileIt guides you through PPTC 042 section by section and prints your answers in capital letters onto IRCC's official PDF. The names repeated in the declaration and guarantor sections are filled in from your earlier answers, and the finished PDF is filed in the child's vault folder. FileIt does not submit anything: you print the form, the parents and the guarantor sign in ink, and you take it to the office.

Who fills it
A parent, custodial parent or legal guardian of a Canadian child under 16 who is outside Canada and the USA
Given to
The nearest Government of Canada office abroad that provides passport services (embassy, high commission or consulate)
When
For a child's first passport or a replacement while abroad
Signatures
Applicant parent (sections 2 and 5), the other parent in section 2 where possible, and the guarantor (section 6)
Edition
PPTC 042 (08-2026)

Who needs to fill out PPTC 042?

  • Canadian families living abroad (outside Canada and the USA) who need a passport for a child under 16.
  • Parents travelling or temporarily staying abroad whose child needs a new or replacement passport.
  • A custodial parent or legal guardian abroad applying on the child's behalf.
  • Families replacing a child's passport that was lost or stolen abroad (with PPTC 203).
  • In Canada use PPTC 155, in the USA PPTC 142, and for applicants 16 or over abroad PPTC 040.

When to use PPTC 042

  • Apply well ahead of travel; the form recommends not finalizing travel plans until you have the passport.
  • Every child needs their own application, photos and documents.
  • Both pages must be completed and signed within the 12 months before you apply.
  • If the child's current passport is valid for more than another 12 months, include a written explanation of why you are applying now.
  • If you need extra services or need to travel in less than 20 business days, contact the office abroad before paying.

What you need before you start

  • The child's proof of Canadian citizenship: an original provincial or territorial birth certificate or a certificate of Canadian citizenship.
  • Proof of parentage: a detailed birth certificate naming the parents, an adoption order or proof of guardianship.
  • Translations with form PPTC 659 for documents not in English or French.
  • All legal documents about custody, decision-making, access, parenting time or mobility, or with a passport clause.
  • Two identical, unaltered photos of the child taken by a commercial photographer within the last six months.
  • Any valid Canadian travel document issued to the child.
  • A guarantor who has known you for at least two years: a Canadian passport holder or a locally licensed professional.
  • An emergency contact and the fee (online payment is available; current fees are at Canada.ca/passport-fees).

What’s on PPTC 042

The 2026 edition has 8 pages. FileIt asks for it in 8 parts:

  1. Section 1: Child's personal informationChild
  2. Section 2: Applicant parent and other parent(s)Parent / legal guardian
  3. Section 2: Other parent or legal guardianParent / legal guardian
  4. Section 3: Previous Canadian travel documentChild
  5. Section 4: Proof of Canadian citizenshipChild
  6. Section 5: Declaration of applicantParent / legal guardian
  7. Section 6: Declaration of guarantorGuarantor
  8. Section 7: Emergency contact informationChild

How to fill out PPTC 042, step by step

1 Section 1: Child's personal information

Enter the child's name exactly as on their proof of citizenship or most recent Canadian passport, former surnames, place and date of birth, sex, eye colour and height, and the home and mailing addresses with their country. Children aged 11 to 15 are encouraged to sign section 1; only the child may sign that box.

2 Section 2: Applicant parent and other parent(s)

Answer the adoption or care question and the custody-documents question, choose your relationship with the other parent, and give each parent's names, date and country of birth, address, phones and email. Each parent's address prints in one box, so keep it short. Each parent signs their part.

3 Section 3: Previous Canadian travel document

Say whether a Canadian travel document was ever issued to the child, with its number and date. Tick the box if you want the previous passport cancelled and returned; otherwise it is securely destroyed.

4 Section 4: Proof of Canadian citizenship

Choose the birth certificate or the citizenship certificate and give its number and date of issue.

5 Section 5: Declaration of applicant

Your names, relationship to the child and the child's names are repeated for your ink signature, with the date and city and country where you sign.

6 Section 6: Declaration of guarantor

A passport-holder guarantor (section M-A) is a Canadian citizen 18 or over with a regular 5- or 10-year passport that is valid or expired for no more than a year, and may live in another country. An occupation guarantor (section M-B) is licensed locally in an eligible profession and works or lives in the area served by the office. Either way they must have known you for two years. They complete the four bold fields themselves and sign the back of one photo.

7 Section 7: Emergency contact information

Mandatory: a person to contact if the child needs emergency help while outside Canada.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Using PPTC 155 or PPTC 142 while living outside Canada and the USA, or PPTC 042 for a child who is 16 or over.
  • Leaving out custody or parenting-time documents, or sending documents in another language without a translation and PPTC 659.
  • Choosing a guarantor who knows the child but has not known you, the applicant, for two years.
  • Signing the child's box on the child's behalf.
  • Not ticking the return box when you want the old passport back; unticked means it is destroyed.

After you fill it out

Print the PDF and sign in black or dark blue ink: the applicant parent signs sections 2 and 5 and the other parent signs their part of section 2 where possible. Then the guarantor completes section 6 and signs the back of one photo.

Take or send it yourself to the nearest Government of Canada office abroad that provides passport services, with the photos, proof of citizenship, proof of parentage, legal documents, any valid travel document and the fee.

Keep a copy in the child's FileIt folder and record the new passport's expiry date there when it arrives so you get reminders.

Fill out PPTC 042 online with FileIt

  1. Pick the person. Choose someone from People and FileIt fills in their name, date of birth, address and other details it already knows.
  2. Answer plain-language questions. One part of the form at a time, with the official help text beside each question — 106 fields in all. Your answers save as you go.
  3. Check the live preview. Watch your answers land on the real Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) — Passport Program form, and let FileIt do any worksheet arithmetic.
  4. Generate the official PDF. FileIt prints your answers into the agency’s own PDF and files it in that person’s folder in your vault.

FileIt fills the form — it never files or submits anything for you. Deliver the finished form to whoever asked for it, the way the form’s instructions say.

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PPTC 042: frequently asked questions

Where do I submit PPTC 042?

At the nearest Government of Canada office that provides passport services in the country where you live or are visiting: a Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate, but not one headed by an honorary consul.

Who can be the guarantor for a child's passport abroad?

Someone who has known you, the applicant parent or guardian, for at least two years and is either a Canadian passport holder meeting the conditions in section M-A or a locally licensed professional from the list in section M-B. The child's other parent, a relative or someone at your address can qualify.

How do I pay for a child's passport abroad?

The instructions say online payment is available for all passport services, and to contact the office abroad first if you need extra services or must travel in less than 20 business days.

Do documents in another language need a translation?

Yes. Documents not in English or French need a translation accompanied by form PPTC 659, the Statutory Declaration for Translators. Translations by the applicant or a relative are not accepted.

Which form does my 16-year-old use abroad?

The adult abroad application, PPTC 040, or the simplified renewal PPTC 482 if they are eligible to renew.

Official sources

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) — Passport Program or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-09-28.

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