News Release

August 15, 2007

New Simplified Passport Renewal process now in effect

Gatineau, Québec - As of today, August 15, 2007, it is easier to renew your Canadian passport! Through the Simplified Passport Renewal Process, qualified applicants no longer need to submit documentary evidence of citizenship, supplementary identification or a guarantor declaration.

The Simplified Passport Renewal Process is now open to Canadians who:

• currently hold a Canadian passport issued after January 31, 2002;
• were 16 years of age and over when they applied for their last passport;
• reside in Canada, and,
• were residing in Canada when they applied for their previous passport.

Other conditions apply. Please consult www.passportcanada.gc.ca or call 1-800-567-6868 or 1 800 O-Canada for more information.

Simplified passport renewal applications may be submitted at all Passport Canada offices, participating Service Canada and Canada Post centres, and by mail.

Passport Canada wishes to remind Canadians that they are not required to carry a valid passport to travel to the United States by land or sea until the summer of 2008 at the earliest. Since January 23, 2007, Canadians travelling to the United States by air must carry a valid passport or a NEXUS membership card for use at a NEXUS kiosk.

A complete checklist identifying the steps in the passport application process, as well as the location of Passport Canada offices and Canada Post / Service Canada receiving agents, is available at www.passportcanada.gc.ca.

Passport Canada is a Special Operating Agency of Foreign Affairs Canada. Its mission is to issue secure Canadian travel documents through authentication of identity and entitlement, facilitating travel and contributing to international and domestic security.

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Backgrounder

August 15, 2007

New Simplified Passport Renewal process now in effect

As of today, August 15, 2007, it is easier to renew your Canadian passport! The Simplified Passport Renewal Process is now available and is part of a broader effort to modernize Canadian passport services.

It allows current Canadian passport holders who meet certain eligibility criteria to renew their passport using a shorter form and without submitting documentary evidence of citizenship, supplementary identification or a guarantor declaration.

Under the renewal process, eligible passport applicants are only required to submit the shorter form along with two new photos, the application fee and their last passport.

Canadians who meet the following eligibility criteria are now able to benefit from this program:

• They must be residing in Canada at the time they apply;
• They must have resided in Canada at the time of their previous application;
• They were 16 years old or over at the time of their previous application;
• Their previous passport:
• Must have been valid for five years;
• Must have been issued after January 31, 2002;
• Must still be valid or expired less than 12 months ago;
• Was never damaged or reported as lost or stolen, and
• Must have been issued under their current name.

This new process yields benefits to both passport applicants and Passport Canada. Applicants save time and do not have to surrender important documents such as their birth certificates or citizenship cards for an extended period of time. However, renewal applications are still subject to all current security verifications.

The new Simplified Passport Renewal Process application form is available at all Passport Canada service points and through Passport Canada’s Web site, and is accepted at all Passport Canada offices, through receiving agents and by mail.

Passport Canada wishes to remind Canadians that they are not required to carry a valid passport to travel to the United States by land or sea until the summer of 2008 at the earliest.

Since January 23, 2007, Canadians travelling to the United States by air must carry a valid passport or a NEXUS membership card for use at a NEXUS kiosk.

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