PPTC 153 — Adult General Passport Application (16 years of age or over)

What is PPTC 153?

PPTC 153 is the Adult General Passport Application published by the Passport Program of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). It is the form for Canadians aged 16 or over applying from Canada or the United States who need a first adult passport, or who are not eligible to renew with the shorter PPTC 054. The current edition is PPTC 153 (02-2026); the French version is PPTC 154.

It is the most demanding of the Canadian passport forms: besides your own details, it needs a guarantor who confirms your identity, two references, two years of address and occupation history, an emergency contact, proof of Canadian citizenship and at least one identity document. Every one of the three form pages must be signed by you, and the application is refused or delayed when pieces are missing, so it pays to fill it in carefully.

FileIt walks you through PPTC 153 one section at a time in plain language and prints your answers, in capital letters as the form asks, onto IRCC's own official PDF. Names, dates of birth and addresses can be pre-filled from the People records already in your FileIt vault, and the finished PDF is saved in your vault folder. FileIt never submits anything to the Passport Program: you print the form, sign it in ink, have your guarantor complete their part, and deliver it yourself in person or by mail.

Who needs to fill out PPTC 153?

• Canadian citizens aged 16 or over applying for their first adult Canadian passport.
• Adults whose last passport was issued when they were under 16, which rules out the simplified renewal.
• Adults whose previous passport is too old, was valid for less than five years, or was reported lost, stolen or damaged, and so do not meet the renewal conditions.
• Canadians living in the United States applying by mail or in person in Canada under the same rules.
• Anyone who needs a new passport in a changed name and has the supporting name-change documents (marriage certificate, legal name change certificate, court or adoption order).
• Children under 16 need PPTC 155 instead, and adults who qualify to renew can use the shorter PPTC 054.

When to use PPTC 153

• Apply well before you travel: the form itself recommends that you do not finalize travel plans until the passport arrives.
• Use it when your passport has expired beyond the renewal window or when the Passport Program's renewal eligibility checklist does not fit your situation.
• If your current passport is still valid for more than 12 months, you must include a written explanation of why you are applying now.
• All three pages must be signed within the 12 months before you submit, so do not fill it in too far ahead.
• If your home or mailing address changes within 30 days of submitting, the instructions say you must tell the Passport Program.

What you need before you start

• Proof of Canadian citizenship: an original provincial or territorial birth certificate, or a certificate of Canadian citizenship (original, or a copy if issued on or after 1 February 2012 with a number starting K or X).
• At least one valid government-issued ID showing your name, date of birth, photo and signature, such as a driver's licence — different from your proof of citizenship.
• Two identical, unaltered passport photos taken by a commercial photographer within the last six months.
• Any Canadian travel document issued to you that has not expired, plus its number and date of issue.
• Your guarantor's details from their own 5- or 10-year Canadian passport: number, date of issue and expiry, date of birth and address.
• Names, addresses, phone numbers and emails of two references who are not relatives and have known you for at least two years.
• Your addresses and your jobs or schooling for the last two years, with month and year for each.
• An emergency contact's name, relationship, phone and address.
• Your eye colour and height, and the fee (the Passport Program publishes the current amount on its fees page).

What’s on PPTC 153

The 2026 edition has 8 pages. FileIt asks for it in 10 parts:

1. Section 1: Personal informationApplicant
2. Section 2: Declaration of guarantorGuarantor
3. Section 3: Previous Canadian travel documentApplicant
4. Section 4: Proof of Canadian citizenshipApplicant
5. Section 5: Documents to support identityApplicant
6. Section 6: Period of validityApplicant
7. Section 7: Additional personal informationApplicant
8. Section 8: ReferencesReferences
9. Section 9: Emergency contact informationApplicant
10. Credit card information (mail-in applications only)Applicant

How to fill out PPTC 153, step by step

1 Section 1: Personal information

Enter your surname and given names exactly as you want them to appear in the passport, then every former surname (including your surname at birth if different) separated by commas; former surnames are not printed in the passport. You also give the surname of one or both parents at their birth (or UNKNOWN), your place and date of birth, sex (F, M or X), natural eye colour, height with its unit, and current home address.

If the passport should go somewhere else, give a separate mailing address — the passport is delivered there. Add an email so the Passport Program can reach you and you can check your status online, and an anticipated travel date if you have one (the date does not change processing times). The declaration box on page 1 is where you sign, with the date and the place you sign.

2 Section 2: Declaration of guarantor

Your guarantor must be a Canadian citizen aged 18 or over who can communicate in English or French, holds a 5- or 10-year Canadian passport that is valid or expired for no more than one year when your application is received, was 16 or over when they applied for that passport, and has known you personally for at least two years. A relative or someone living at your address can act as guarantor.

You or the guarantor can fill in their name, passport details, relationship to you, phone numbers and address. The four fields printed in bold — how many years they have known you, their signature, the date and where they signed — must be completed by the guarantor themselves. Sign all three pages yourself before handing the form over. If you have not known an eligible guarantor for two years, use PPTC 132 (Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor) instead.

3 Section 3: Previous Canadian travel document

Say whether a Canadian passport, certificate of identity or refugee travel document has ever been issued to you in any name, and if so give the most recent number and date of issue. A document that has not expired must be sent in with the application.

Tick whether you want your previous passport returned or securely destroyed; if you tick neither, it will be destroyed. If a document was lost, stolen, damaged or is inaccessible and has not yet expired, you also need form PPTC 203, and the form notes an administrative fee applies to replacing a lost or stolen document.

4 Section 4: Proof of Canadian citizenship

Part A is for people born in Canada: give the registration number and date of issue of your provincial or territorial birth certificate, or the number and date of your citizenship certificate. For Quebec, only birth certificates issued after 1 January 1994 by the Directeur de l'état civil are accepted.

Part B is for people born outside Canada: a certificate of Canadian citizenship, certificate of naturalization, certificate of registration of birth abroad, or certificate of retention of citizenship issued before 15 February 1977. Commemorative citizenship certificates are not accepted, and the document you send is returned to you.

5 Section 5: Documents to support identity

List at least one valid ID issued by a federal, provincial or territorial government (or the local equivalent abroad) that shows your name, date of birth, photo and signature, with its number, expiry date and your name as printed on it. It has to be a different document from the one in section 4.

If you apply in person, the originals are checked and handed back. If you apply by mail, send photocopies of both sides, signed and dated by your guarantor. A Canadian passport expired for one year or less can support your identity, but you need a second ID with it if it was issued before you turned 16 or was valid for less than five years.

6 Section 6: Period of validity

Choose a 5-year or a 10-year passport. The fees differ, and the form points you to the Passport Program's fees page for the current amounts rather than printing them, because fees are adjusted every year.

7 Section 7: Additional personal information

Part A covers where you have lived for the last two years. If it is all the same as your current home address, tick that box; otherwise list each address with its country and the months you lived there (YYYY-MM).

Part B asks what you did over the same two years — employed, in school, or other (for example homemaker, unemployed or retired) — with the employer or school name, address, phone, field and dates. If you run out of room, add form PPTC 056 (Additional Information – Address and Occupation).

8 Section 8: References

Give two references who are not relatives, are not your guarantor, are 18 or over and have known you for at least two years. For each, include their address, phone numbers, email and how many years they have known you.

Ask them first: they must agree to have their details provided, and the Passport Program may contact them to confirm your identity.

9 Section 9: Emergency contact information

This section is mandatory. Enter someone who can be reached if you need help while outside Canada — their name, relationship to you, phone numbers, email and home address. Then sign and date page 3.

10 Credit card information (section D, mail-in only)

Complete this only if you mail the application and pay by Visa, MasterCard or American Express. Enter the card type, the name on the card, the applicant's name and the exact amount to charge in Canadian dollars. FileIt does not store card numbers, so you write the card number and expiry by hand and sign as cardholder. Leave this part out if you apply in person.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using PPTC 153 for a child under 16 — children need PPTC 155.
• Forgetting to sign all three pages, or signing more than 12 months before the application is received.
• Filling in the guarantor's bold fields for them. The years known, signature, date and place signed must be completed by the guarantor.
• Choosing a guarantor whose own passport expired more than a year ago, or a reference who is a relative or is also your guarantor.
• Sending unsigned photocopies of ID by mail; each side must be signed and dated by the guarantor.
• Using the same document as proof of citizenship and as identity — section 5 must be a different document from section 4.
• Photos that are home-printed, edited or older than six months, or without the studio name, address and date on the back.
• Leaving the previous-passport return choice blank when the old passport holds visas you still need.

After you fill it out

Print the completed PDF, sign all three pages in black or dark blue ink, then give it to your guarantor to complete the bold fields in section 2, certify one photo on the back ("I certify this to be a true likeness of" your name, and their signature) and sign and date any ID copies.

You submit it yourself. In Canada, take it to a Passport Program office or a participating Service Canada Centre, or mail it using the Passport Program address printed in section F of the instructions (there are separate addresses for British Columbia and the territories, for other provinces and the USA, and for couriers). Include the photos, proof of citizenship, ID, any unexpired Canadian travel document and the fee. The form suggests using a trackable mail service because original documents are enclosed.

Keep the filled PDF in your FileIt vault alongside the person's other identity documents so you have a record of what was sent. When the new passport arrives, add it to the vault with its expiry date so FileIt can remind you well before it runs out — next time you may be able to use the simplified renewal instead.

PPTC 153: frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Blank form (PDF), published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) — Passport Program: https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/passport/forms/pdf/pptc153.pdf
• Official instructions and guidance: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/new-adult-passport.html
• Edition shown on this page: PPTC 153 (02-2026) (checked 2026-09-25).

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 2026-09-25.

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