NationStates Jolt Archive

So the thing is, you can't renew a Canadian passport. What you actually have to do is reapply for a passport every five years (well, if you want to constantly be able to travel outside the country). This reapplication is the same as the initial one, which involves hunting down a guarantor, getting some official pictures taken, providing refrences (in addition to the guarantor), work history in the past two years et c., then gathering all that up along with two forms of identification and a birth certificate and heading down to the passport office which keeps nice short government office hours (i.e. closing well before any other business) or mailing your important and hard to replace documents in hopes that the passport office people will return them in a timely manner and the canada post people will not lose them.

Compare this to renewing an american passport (my parents are american and they have US passports, this is the process of renewing them outside the US). You take your old passport, you get new pictures, you take these to the US consulate, you tell them that you want to renew your passport. You pay a fee, you go home, they send you your new passport. This new passport is also good for 10 years instead of 5.

And yes, this is totally the only reason I would ever assert my US citizenship (which I have, in theory).

Do other countries make it such a royal pain in the ass to renew a passport or is it just Canada that does?

that's what i have to do too, it's very silly.

But they will starting this summer relax the rules.

Clicky (http://www.thestar.com/News/article/223270)

But they will starting this summer relax the rules.

Clicky (http://www.thestar.com/News/article/223270)
Goddamnit, I already ran around and got the guarantor part.

The only thing is that when I went to the passport office to submit the damn thing the clerk pointed out that I'd forgotten to fill in the last page which included two refrences (not a guarantor, just two people I know).

I still think that the renewal process should be just like for american passports though... I mean, if you got it once then you should be qualified to get another one so bringing the old one in along with a new picture and a small fee should result in a new passport.

All I recall about renewing my passport is that it cost ninety fecking quid.

All I recall about renewing my passport is that it cost ninety fecking quid.
Here it's $85. Although I think it's somewhat expensive, it's not terrible and I'd be willing to pay that for a much simpler application/renewal process as well. (then I wouldn't have any reason to complain about it... well, except that it would have to be done every 5 years)

So the thing is, you can't renew a Canadian passport. What you actually have to do is reapply for a passport every five years (well, if you want to constantly be able to travel outside the country). This reapplication is the same as the initial one, which involves hunting down a guarantor, getting some official pictures taken, providing refrences (in addition to the guarantor), work history in the past two years et c., then gathering all that up along with two forms of identification and a birth certificate and heading down to the passport office which keeps nice short government office hours (i.e. closing well before any other business) or mailing your important and hard to replace documents in hopes that the passport office people will return them in a timely manner and the canada post people will not lose them.

Compare this to renewing an american passport (my parents are american and they have US passports, this is the process of renewing them outside the US). You take your old passport, you get new pictures, you take these to the US consulate, you tell them that you want to renew your passport. You pay a fee, you go home, they send you your new passport. This new passport is also good for 10 years instead of 5.

And yes, this is totally the only reason I would ever assert my US citizenship (which I have, in theory).

Do other countries make it such a royal pain in the ass to renew a passport or is it just Canada that does?
o_O

Hell no.

Here it works like in the US, apparently.

My passport expires in 10 years...

o_O

Hell no.

Here it works like in the US, apparently.
Where is "here"?

All I recall about renewing my passport is that it cost ninety fecking quid.

it was £40 for me the last time i think. might be different for british islands passports though.

When I got my passport, I had to make pictures and had to pay around 40 euros . One week later I could get it.

And monday I have to renew my ID :( Unless I want to keep my passport(which is way too big for my pockets) with me at all times when I go outside the door... :(

Dakini, please submit your passport photos to me for approval. Thank you for your cooperation.

It's pretty easy in Germany. You get two new pictures, you get to the Einwohnermeldeamt (wich has almost non-existent opening hours, but then again you only need it every 10 years), fill in a form and then go back to collect the passport 6 weeks after that. Last time I needed a new passport it cost me 10 Euros.
If you no longer live in Germany, the consulate or embassy will provide the same service.

Applying for the first passport, you only need the pics and your birth certificate, that's all.

it was £40 for me the last time i think. might be different for british islands passports though.

I think it's about £40-50 normally. I had to do the 'premium' fast track service though, as I needed the passport quickly.

Dakini, please submit your passport photos to me for approval. Thank you for your cooperation.
Oh god no. My passport pictures are atrocious. You're not allowed to smile, but once the guy told me that I couldn't stop giggling so I have this retarded expression on my face. Well, plus the weather made my hair funny and I wasn't planning on getting my picture taken so my clothing choice doesn't look so great. I'll only show this sucker when I'm leaving the country.

Oh god no. My passport pictures are atrocious. You're not allowed to smile, but once the guy told me that I couldn't stop giggling so I have this retarded expression on my face. Well, plus the weather made my hair funny and I wasn't planning on getting my picture taken so my clothing choice doesn't look so great. I'll only show this sucker when I'm leaving the country.

Why wouldn't you be allowed to smile? :confused:

When I got my passport, I had to make pictures and had to pay around 40 euros . One week later I could get it.

And monday I have to renew my ID :( Unless I want to keep my passport(which is way too big for my pockets) with me at all times when I go outside the door... :(
My bf uses his passport as ID since he doesn't have a driver's lisence. It is a pain in the ass. I don't think it helped improve the beat up look it had going for it either.

Sorry. Germany.



O.O Wow, that's incredibly low.

I just checked and in Berlin it costs €59 (or €37.50 if you're under 26 years of age).

Well, I was under 26, and it was in '99. It was actually 20 Mark

Where is "here"?Sorry. Germany.

It's pretty easy in Germany. You get two new pictures, you get to the Einwohnermeldeamt (wich has almost non-existent opening hours, but then again you only need it every 10 years), fill in a form and then go back to collect the passport 6 weeks after that. Last time I needed a new passport it cost me 10 Euros.
If you no longer live in Germany, the consulate or embassy will provide the same service.

Applying for the first passport, you only need the pics and your birth certificate, that's all.

O.O Wow, that's incredibly low.

I just checked and in Berlin it costs €59 (or €37.50 if you're under 26 years of age).

You're not supposed to anymore. They told me the same thing when I had my last passport photos taken a couple years ago or so.

Well, tough. I always smile on photos. They'll just have to live with that.

I think it's about £40-50 normally. I had to do the 'premium' fast track service though, as I needed the passport quickly.

ah yeh, those are a bastard. i went to cyprus a few years ago with a passport that would expire before i left. it never occurred to me to check the expiry date and the only reason i knew about it before i left was cuz it was passed around the group for a giggle at the photo as i was packing and someone noticed the date. luckily none of the cypriot passport people checked it properly cuz i had no money whatsoever and no way to get to the british embassy there. it was only when i got to gatwick that any official noticed, i just got a stern warning in the end.

Why wouldn't you be allowed to smile? :confused:
I dunno, it's some stupid new rule that came into effect after some planes got flown into some buildings. Apparently smiling distorts facial features and showing teeth means that more of your face is covered by your mouth than usual (or some other such bullshit).

The sad thing is that had the guy not told me that I couldn't smile, it's possible that I wouldn't have.

Why wouldn't you be allowed to smile? :confused:
You're not supposed to anymore. They told me the same thing when I had my last passport photos taken a couple years ago or so.

ah yeh, those are a bastard. i went to cyprus a few years ago with a passport that would expire before i left. it never occurred to me to check the expiry date and the only reason i knew about it before i left was cuz it was passed around the group for a giggle at the photo as i was packing and someone noticed the date. luckily none of the cypriot passport people checked it properly cuz i had no money whatsoever and no way to get to the british embassy there. it was only when i got to gatwick that any official noticed, i just got a stern warning in the end.

Happened to me once... I just got a provisional visa for one week in Turkey and a very serious look from some official.

It's pretty easy in Germany. You get two new pictures, you get to the Einwohnermeldeamt (wich has almost non-existent opening hours, but then again you only need it every 10 years), fill in a form and then go back to collect the passport 6 weeks after that. Last time I needed a new passport it cost me 10 Euros.
If you no longer live in Germany, the consulate or embassy will provide the same service.

Applying for the first passport, you only need the pics and your birth certificate, that's all.

10 Euros? Here I paid 70 dollars for mine. :(

Well, I was under 26, and it was in '99. It was actually 20 Mark

Well, then it's really that it's so long ago. I can't exactly recall it always having been two different prices depending on age, I never saw that before today.

Fucking incredible - from €10 to €60 in 8 years!

That's why I don't get a new ID card anymore. It was stolen once and I got a new one and it was fucking expensive. It was stolen again and I didn't even bother. Haven't had a Personalausweis in 8 years or so, I just carry my passport in my purse all the time.

Happened to me once... I just got a provisional visa for one week in Turkey and a very serious look from some official.

i was well scared. i was hungover to fuck and shaking like a leaf. i must have looked like the dodgiest character but they hardly gave me a second glance. i had no idea what would happen but i'd heard stories of people getting stuck in countries without the right documents to leave and no way of getting them.

Oh god no. My passport pictures are atrocious. You're not allowed to smile, but once the guy told me that I couldn't stop giggling so I have this retarded expression on my face. Well, plus the weather made my hair funny and I wasn't planning on getting my picture taken so my clothing choice doesn't look so great. I'll only show this sucker when I'm leaving the country.


So you took the pictures in a bikini?

I dunno, it's some stupid new rule that came into effect after some planes got flown into some buildings. Apparently smiling distorts facial features and showing teeth means that more of your face is covered by your mouth than usual (or some other such bullshit).

The sad thing is that had the guy not told me that I couldn't smile, it's possible that I wouldn't have.

Yup. New rules, pretty much everywhere. The EU, US, Canada, you name it.

So the thing is, you can't renew a Canadian passport. What you actually have to do is reapply for a passport every five years (well, if you want to constantly be able to travel outside the country). This reapplication is the same as the initial one, which involves hunting down a guarantor, getting some official pictures taken, providing refrences (in addition to the guarantor), work history in the past two years et c., then gathering all that up along with two forms of identification and a birth certificate and heading down to the passport office which keeps nice short government office hours (i.e. closing well before any other business) or mailing your important and hard to replace documents in hopes that the passport office people will return them in a timely manner and the canada post people will not lose them.

Compare this to renewing an american passport (my parents are american and they have US passports, this is the process of renewing them outside the US). You take your old passport, you get new pictures, you take these to the US consulate, you tell them that you want to renew your passport. You pay a fee, you go home, they send you your new passport. This new passport is also good for 10 years instead of 5.

And yes, this is totally the only reason I would ever assert my US citizenship (which I have, in theory).

Do other countries make it such a royal pain in the ass to renew a passport or is it just Canada that does?


You forgot about the incredibly insane lines stretching all the way around the block in the freezing (canadian) cold, the delays of up to 3 months in getting your passport returned to you and the extra $10 fee you have to pay if you want to pick it up yourself, rather than saving the passport office the time of mailing it to you on the same day you could have picked it up.

Canadian human resources in general is a huge circus. Only it's only funny to those not trapped in the damn tent.

*checks* ... 2 more years until I have to deal with that bullshit again.

Why wouldn't you be allowed to smile? :confused:

Obviously so that the expression in the picture matches your expression at the airport after going through 3 hours of security checks.

Ha, you're also not allowed to wear your glasses, even if you are someone who would never walk around without said glasses. So, no smiling, and no glasses.

The passport process is horrendous. I absolutely hate it every single time I do it, and it takes me days to calm down after.

You forgot about the incredibly insane lines stretching all the way around the block in the freezing (canadian) cold, the delays of up to 3 months in getting your passport returned to you and the extra $10 fee you have to pay if you want to pick it up yourself, rather than saving the passport office the time of mailing it to you on the same day you could have picked it up.

Canadian human resources in general is a huge circus. Only it's only funny to those not trapped in the damn tent.

*checks* ... 2 more years until I have to deal with that bullshit again.
When I went to submit my application (to find out that I forgot about the last page) I waited maybe 5 mins. I'd brought a book and got onto page 3 before my number was called (granted I didn't so much read constantly as read a couple lines, double check to make sure my number wasn't up, read a couple more lines et c. Also the passport office was on the upper level in a shopping mall so no Canadian cold (well, plus it's been a sweltering ~30C much of this week).

I wasn't aware of this $10 pick up fee though.

Do other countries make it such a royal pain in the ass to renew a passport or is it just Canada that does?

My experience with the process in Morocco (my relatives) sounds the same as Canada. However there you have to go to the capital and stand in line for the whole damn day and maybe you will get everything completed. Then it takes months and months. Another trip is required to the capital to pick it up. You stand in the same damn line as before. So basically it is a nightmare.