How to Renew German Passport in Canada?

If you are a German passport holder currently in Canada with a passport nearing expiration, note that every applicant is required to appear in person at the German Foreign Mission to renew your passport. Each German passport comes with a chip containing the owner’s fingerprints. These prints are taken electronically during your application renewal process.

You can renew even your expired German passport if it is not older than 15 years ago. Otherwise, apply for a new German passport.

This article outlines the steps you will take to renew your German passport in Canada. These tips and advice are based on the German Missions in Canada website guidelines.

The Process of and Requirements for Renewing German Passport in Canada

1. Download the application form for passport renewal and sign them.

2. Provide one biometric passport picture. There's no need to cut your passport pictures.

Requirements for passport picture:

• It should be high-quality with a print resolution of at least 600 dpi.

• Dimensions: 35 mm width and 45 mm height

• Must clearly show your facial features from your bottom chin to your crown and the left and right sides of your face.

• Your entire head, including your head, must be visible.

• Photos must have no shadows, reflections, or red eyes.

• Your background should be one color and bright; it must also contrast to the color of your face and hair. The neutral grey color is recommended.

• Your head should neither be tilted nor turned. Your facial expression should be neutral. Your eyes should direcly look in the camera and your mouth should be closed. Make sure your hair or eyeglass frame does not cover your eyes.

• If you wear glasses, make sure that your eyes are visible, with no flash reflection. Don’t wear tinted lenses or sunglasses.

• Only head coverings that are used for mainly religious reasons are allowed. If your situation allows you to wear a head covering, make sure that your face is visible from the bottom of your chin up to your forehead.

• Last German passport. If your passport was lost or stolen, provide a police report documenting the loss.

• Birth certificate. The Canadian birth certificate of an applicant should be the birth certificate with parental information or the parents' full name. “Short form” birth certificate is insufficient.

  If you were naturalized in Canada, you would need to submit: Canadian certificate of citizenship + “Beibehaltungsgenehmigung,” the permit to retain German citizenship when adopting another.

• Valid Canadian Permanent Resident Card or Valid visa OR Search of Citizenship Records issued within the last three months. Either of these documents is required if the applicant lives in Canada as a foreigner.

• Marriage certificate (if applicable). If you got married in Canada, you should submit the official certificate from the registrar’s office / Directeur de l’état civil. Any documents issued by a religious institution are not sufficient.

• Certificate of name issued by a German civil registry or “Angleichungserklärung” or “Registrierschein” showing the name change. This applies to applicants whose names have been changed since their births.

• Proof of deregistration (“Abmeldebescheinigung”). This is for applicants whose address in their last passport is still a German residence.

• Once you have completed all these documents, make sure to photocopy all of them, too, as all documents you should turn over should be original + one copy.

Note: Certified copies of a notary public or a German public authority can substitute for original copies of other documents. However, you should submit the original copies of your last German passport, ID Cards, Canadian PR Cards, visas, and all citizenship documents.

Any document not issued in German, English, or French should be translated into German or English.

Prepare the fees. For applicants over 24 years old: approximately $130 (depending on the exchange rate). For applicants under 24 years old, approximately $95 (depending on the exchange rate)

An additional fee of around $100 applies for applications submitted with an Honorary Consul. The same additional fee is imposed for applicants who still have registered residency in Germany.

XPresspost prepaid envelope “standard size.” The option to personally pick up your passport is only available in Vancouver.

Note: Shipments within one province, Ontario and Quebec, or British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, can be XPresspost prepaid envelope regional. However, others require Xpresspost envelope national.

It is recommended that you buy and affix the extra sticker for delivery against signature only.

10. Sign a notice on the use of mail services

11. Book an appointment. Toronto | Vancouver You may apply at the German Foreign Mission that serves your area if you are not registered in Germany. You can also apply with one of their Honorary Consuls Offices, though this option may incur additional fees.

You may use their free online appointment system. Make sure to book one appointment per individual who will apply for a passport renewal. Once you have booked your appointment and indicated your email address, you will receive an automated email confirming your appointment details. If you didn’t receive any, assume that your appointment has not been successfully booked. Make sure to check our email’s SPAM folder for any messages from [email protected].

Make sure that during your appointment day, arrive no earlier than 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment. The applicants will be the only ones to be admitted to the appointment. If the applicant is a minor, holders of parental custody will be allowed to accompany them.

The process of your passport renewal will take 8 to 10 weeks since it is printed in Berlin by the Bundesdruckerei. However, you can also consider applying for an express passport for an additional fee of around $ 50. This option shortens your renewal process to up to 4 weeks only.

The processing times for all applications handed into an Honorary Consul’s office are around two weeks longer.

If you are at least 24 years old, your passport will be valid for up to 10 years. If you are younger than 24, your passport will be valid for 6 years.

We hope this information helps you with your German passport renewal in Canada. If you need any assistance in exchanging currencies or sending money from Canada to Germany and other parts of the world, let RemitBee be of service to you.

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