Passports

Your passport is your most important document. If you lose your passport or it expires while you’re in Canada, there are important steps you must take.

About your passport

A passport is an official document issued by the government of your country of citizenship, certifying your identity and citizenship, to be used when traveling to and from foreign countries. Passports normally have an expiration date, after which they cannot be used for identification or travel purposes.

It’s a good idea to keep photocopies of all your important documents (including your credit cards, passport, immigration documents, bank information, and health insurance cards) in a safe place in case the originals are lost or stolen.

You are responsible for keeping track of the expiry date of your passport, as well as contacting your country’s consulate or embassy in Canada for instructions on how to extend or get a new passport. Processing times differ by country. In general, you should plan to apply for a new passport at least 6 months before it expires.

Your study permit, temporary resident visa (TRV), and any other document from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will not be issued past the expiry date of your passport. You must extend your passport before it expires, then extend your study permit and any other applicable Canadian permits (e.g., a work permit) or visas.

After you receive your new passport

  1. Extend your study permit*
  2. Apply for a new Temporary Resident Visa (if you are from a visa-required country)
  3. Extend your co-op work permit (if you have one)
  4. Extend your spouse or partner’s work permit or visitor record (if they have one)
  5. Extend your dependent children’s visitor record or study permit (if they have one)
  6. Extend your Medical Services Plan (MSP)
  7. Extend your Social Insurance Number (SIN) card (if you have one)

*You can apply for items 3, 4, and 5 at the same time as when you extend your study permit. Although you can apply for all of these documents at once using a paper application, the online system allows only one type of work permit application for yourself at a time.

If your passport has been lost or stolen

If your passport has been lost or stolen, contact an International Student Advisor and follow these steps:

Step one

Contact the nearest police department or RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) to report that your passport has been lost or stolen, such as the Kelowna RCMP Detachment. Keep any file numbers or documents they provide so you can prove you contacted them.

Step two

Contact your country’s consulate or embassy in Canada for instructions on how to get a new passport.

If your study permit was also stolen, apply to replace your study permit for a fee or extend your study permit if it expires soon. The processing times vary, but it can take several weeks. If you need a study permit urgently, you can include “proof of urgency” with your application.

If your passport containing a Temporary Resident Visa is lost or stolen

If your passport with a valid TRV is lost or stolen, you must first replace your passport. Once you have a new passport, you can apply for a new TRV. Include a letter of explanation that contains the police report number and a brief explanation of why you are applying.

International student resources

Find everything you need to know about life as an international student at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

 View resources

If you have questions

You can connect with International Student Advising for questions related to immigration, health insurance, and life as an international student in Canada.

International Student Advising

The information on this page may change

The immigration information on this page has been reviewed and endorsed by Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) or Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) in compliance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations. However, this is not a legal document and information may change without notice. Always refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the most up-to-date information.