New passport renewal rules

As of Wednesday, Canadian travellers waiting to get their passports renewed can expect simpler, speedier service, Ottawa says.

The federal government has scaled back the passport renewal procedure, in hopes of trimming wait times and alleviating Passport Canada's processing backlog, which accumulated last year after due to new U.S. government restrictions requiring Canadians to possess passports before flying into the U.S.

Under the new relaxed rules, which come into effect Wednesday, there is "no need for a guarantor, no need to resubmit your birth certificate or citizenship card, and no need for supplementary ID anymore," Passport Canada spokesman Francine Charbonneau said.

Reapplicants now only need to fill out a shorter form, include two updated photographs with their most recent passport, and pay an application fee.

The new rules affect only Canadian citizens who:
- Currently possess a passport that was issued after Jan. 31, 2002.
- Are at least 16 years old.
- Have never reported a passport lost, stolen or damaged.
- Lived in Canada when their last passport was issued.
- Apply using the same name that appears on the previous passport.

Security is still stringent, the agency said, but with 14,000 people making passport applications every day, the time it takes to deliver the document to Canadians should now be shorter.