29/03/2019
I Lost My (Canadian) Passport! How a Notary Can Help
Whether you are travelling for pleasure, business, or visiting relatives, getting organized can be stressful. If you are travelling due to a family emergency, the process can be nerve wracking. Unfortunately, it may be when you have travel plans already that you become aware that you have misplaced or lost your passport.
First Steps If Your Passport is Missing
To report your passport as lost or stolen, you are required to notify Service Canada. Within Canada, call 1-800-567-6868 at any time, including weekends and statutory holidays. When you call this number at Service Canada, be prepared to:
- confirm your identity;
- give details about the circumstances of the loss or theft;
- report a possible theft to the local authorities or airport security; and
- cancel your passport.
Keep in mind that losing your passport is not the same as a passport suspension, which is when your passport must be turned into the passport office and a new passport will not be issued while certain debts are due. The Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP) in Alberta uses a federal licence denial as one of the collection tools to encourage maintenance payments when debtors are in arrears.
Obtaining a new passport is your next step if your passport is lost or stolen. Depending on the urgency and where you are when your passport is missing, you may wish to apply for a regular (blue) passport, temporary passport or an emergency travel document.
If you apply for a regular or temporary passport in Canada, a guarantor in Canada will need to sign your passport application to confirm your identity. A guarantor has to have known the applicant for two years and be accessible to the passport program to answer verification questions. However, what if no one can be your guarantor? Family members are not permitted as references for proving your identity.
Fort McMurray Notary Public
Depending on your circumstances, you may find it difficult to find a person who meets the guarantor requirements. For example, you may have just have moved to a new city in the province or travelling on business between appointments that require you to travel out of Canada. In these cases, it is still possible to get a passport.
In seeking a new passport, you may need to complete a form PPTC 132 "Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor". The form is not available online but can be picked up from any passport office in Alberta. The "Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor" form must be sworn to or declared before, and can be signed by a notary public.
Urgent and Express Service in Canada
If you are requesting urgent service for a new passport, you must show proof of travel in the form of a travel itinerary that has been paid in full. Alternatively, if you’re travelling due to a medical emergency, you should bring some kind of note showing the illness or death of the family member.
Proof of travel can be:
- an airline, bus or train ticket
- a written declaration, if travelling by car
- a travel itinerary showing travel proof of payment
- proof of illness or death in the family requiring immediate travel
What If I’m Outside of Canada When My Passport is Missing?
If you are outside of Canada when your passport has been lost or stolen, it is best to immediately call the nearest Canadian Embassy or Consulate to report your passport as lost or stolen and obtain further instructions. There are toll-free numbers in some countries and you may try +1 613 996 8885 (call collect where available). If the embassy is closed, calls are forwarded to Ottawa to be answered, even on weekends and statutory holidays. Another way to contact Service Canada is to email sos@international.gc.ca or use the emergency contact form found at travel.gc.ca.
If your passport is lost or stolen while you are outside of Canada, there is urgency to report this situation. Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada in Ottawa advises that, “A Canadian passport is worth a lot on the black market,” and the Embassy or Consultant will want a detailed account of the circumstances. Access to supporting documents will help speed up the application, so as a precaution, consider keeping a photocopy of personal documents (in addition to the originals), including your passport, with you when travelling.
Notary Public Offer Other Services
When you need the services of a notary public, Flett Manning Moore can assist you. Our responsibilities as a notary public include staying current with the latest changes involving legislation and regulatory bodies in order to advise on legal processes and procedures to be followed, depending on the circumstances. In addition to dealing with documents that will be used in Alberta (e.g., an affidavit for court), we may be able to deal with documents that will be used outside of Alberta (e.g., an affidavit for a lawsuit conducted in the United States).
A notary public can administer oaths, affirmations, affidavits, statutory declarations, witness declarations, Wills, powers of attorney, and prepare travel consents for children. A notary public can also witness and certify or authenticate the validity of signatures on documents as an impartial observer in order to prevent fraud and theft within public or private matters. The authority of a notary public is derived from the Notaries and Commissioners Act and the applicable regulations, to which the notary is bound to.
Contact Flett Manning Moore for a Notary Public in Fort McMurray
When you need a notary in Fort McMurray, contact our law firm. Call today at 780-799-9290.
