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Legal name change on passport

rockwidme

Hero Member
Oct 6, 2016
415
107
Hello everyone,

I have recently done a Legal Name Change. wondering what the steps required to have my corrected on a Canadian Passport. Would I have to have the Citizenship certificate rectified first?
 

wink

Hero Member
May 25, 2021
733
360
Hello everyone,

I have recently done a Legal Name Change. wondering what the steps required to have my corrected on a Canadian Passport. Would I have to have the Citizenship certificate rectified first?
For the purpose of getting passport with your new name, you don't need updated citizenship certificate. You can directly approach passport canada and provide the legal name change certificate, that should be fine... You can still try to get the updated certificate, if you like to have it, but it not required for the purpose of passport.
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
17,140
8,792
For the purpose of getting passport with your new name, you don't need updated citizenship certificate. You can directly approach passport canada and provide the legal name change certificate, that should be fine... You can still try to get the updated certificate, if you like to have it, but it not required for the purpose of passport.
^^ 100% this.

Just to note: once you have the passport, I'd be hard-pressed to think of a single circumstance where anyone would need to see the citizenship certificate and insist it be an updated version with new name. (Honestly apart from passport not many circumstances where cit certificate needed at all).

That said, if you want it updated, no problem, just it'll take a while.
 
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rockwidme

Hero Member
Oct 6, 2016
415
107
For the purpose of getting passport with your new name, you don't need updated citizenship certificate. You can directly approach passport canada and provide the legal name change certificate, that should be fine... You can still try to get the updated certificate, if you like to have it, but it not required for the purpose of passport.
Thank you so much! I don't have any travel plans in the near future, do you recommend applying for new passport online rather than spending hours in line at a Service Canada location?
 

rockwidme

Hero Member
Oct 6, 2016
415
107
^^ 100% this.

Just to note: once you have the passport, I'd be hard-pressed to think of a single circumstance where anyone would need to see the citizenship certificate and insist it be an updated version with new name. (Honestly apart from passport not many circumstances where cit certificate needed at all).

That said, if you want it updated, no problem, just it'll take a while.
Great info, thanks a ton. Like you've mentioned, if it's not a requirement, I'll pass.