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Government of Canada services and information in Guangzhou, China

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Services and information provided to Canadians by the Consulate General of Canada to China, in Guangzhou.

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Adoption and surrogacy

Refer to:

Chinese laws state adopted children must leave China with their Chinese passport. The Embassy issues facilitation visas to enable children to travel to Canada on Chinese passports.

The adoptive parent(s) must bring the following documents to the Embassy to process the child’s immigration form:

  • approved sponsorship form
  • application form (IMM 0008) in the name of the child
  • 4 passport-size photos of the child
  • original Chinese passport for the child
  • copy of the child's Chinese passport
  • copy of the child's adoption certificate
  • copy of "Notice of Travelling to China for adoption" issued to the parent(s) by CCCWA
  • notarized birth certificate of the child
  • notarized adoption Certificate of the child
  • completed "Change of Name form" listing the child's birth name and name the child will have in Canada
  • Quebec cases: copies of “Certificat de Sélection", “Demande de Parrainage” and “Formulaire d'Engagement”

Surrogacy is illegal in China.

Birth abroad

Refer to Children born outside of Canada.

If your child is born outside of Canada, you do not need to register the birth in Canada.

Citizenship services

If you are applying for a proof of Citizenship, we encourage you to use this self-assessment tool, in order to determine if you are eligible to apply online.

If you are not eligible to apply online, complete your application and pay your fee online before booking an appointment to present your documents in person. Bring your online payment receipt to your appointment.

As a temporary measure, the Consular Sections of the Canadian missions for mainland China are also currently accepting applications for proof of Canadian Citizenship by mail from Canadian citizens. Please make sure to complete your application and pay your fee online before sending the paper form and proof of payment to the Consular Section of the mission.

To replace a Canadian birth certificate, send requests to the appropriate provincial vital statistics office.

Payment method

Pay your application fees online.

Details Fee (CAD) Fee (CNY)
Application for a Citizenship Certificate for adults and minors (Proof of Citizenship) 75.00 405.00
Application to Renounce Canadian Citizenship 100.00 540.00
Replacement / Update of proof of Canadian citizenship 75.00 405.00
Application for a Search of Citizenship Records 75.00 405.00

Death abroad

Refer to Death abroad.

Marriage abroad

Refer to Marriage outside Canada.

Canadians wanting to marry in China must present a completed statutory declaration. The Canadian consular offices carry blank forms. The form indicates that you are single and eligible to marry. Bring your divorce decree or the death certificate of your former spouse if married before. The consular officer must view your Canadian passport before witnessing your signature.

Contact the Marriage Registration Office in the area where you plan to marry. Procedures and document requirements differ between areas.

Chinese civil authorities cannot marry foreigners unless one person is a Chinese citizen or has Hong Kong, Taiwan or Macau identification.

A Can$50 fee is charged for this service.

Notarial services

Consular officials do not provide any legal advice or represent a person in court. Limited in-person consular and notarial services are available to Canadian citizens by booking an appointment online.

The Consulate General provides the following services:

  • Statutory Declaration of Marriage Eligibility (required: valid Canadian passport. If previously married, original or certified true copy of divorce certificate or final judgment of divorce. If widowed, original or certified true copy of death certificate. English translation of Chinese documents are required.)
  • Facilitation letter to confirm Canadian passport history (required: current Canadian passport and original or copy of previous passport)
  • Affirmations and declarations to submit documents to Chinese local authorities (required: valid Canadian photo identification with signature)
  • Certified true copies of eligible original Canadian documents in English or French for submitting to Chinese local authorities (required: original Canadian document)

Chinese authorities occasionally require authenticated documents. Refer to Authentication of Documents about how to get Canadian documents authenticated in China. If possible, have your documents authenticated in Canada before your departure. If you are already in China, send your documents to the Authentication office in Ottawa by mail.

Canadian citizens should contact local service providers: Canadian lawyers or Local Notary Public Offices for other notarial services that are not available at the Embassy. Some notarial services for Canadian documents are also offered online. Please note that Canadian citizens have the responsibility to ensure that the services provided by the Embassy are acceptable for local authorities. Documents generally require translation into Chinese for local providers. A list of local lawyers is available from the Embassy and online at Ask Travel. The names and organizations are not an endorsement or a recommendation.

Payment method

Credit Card: Visa and Mastercard only.
Payment in Canadian dollars.

Details Fee (CAD) Fee (CNY)
Administering an oath or receiving a statutory declaration or affirmation. The fee shown is per document. 50.00 270.00
Authenticating (witnessing) a signature. The fee shown is per document. 50.00 270.00
Authenticating signatures of Canadian authorities or notaries. 50.00 270.00
Certifying a true copy of a document. The fee shown is per copy. 20.00 110.00
Issuing a Statement in lieu of Certificate of Non-impediment to Marriage Abroad. The fee shown is a minimum, per document. 30.00 160.00
Transfer of private or public funds from Canada or elsewhere to the mission. The fee shown is per transfer. 75.00 405.00
Issuing a facilitation letter 50.00 270.00

Passport services

Please read carefully the following information in its entirety before submitting a passport application.

Complete your passport application and pay your fee online before submitting your application.

All your documents must be in either English or French. If a document is in another language, you must provide an official translation.

As a temporary measure, Consular Sections of the Canadian missions for mainland China are currently accepting passport applications by mail, including those for the first passport of a child, waving the requirement for parents to come in person.

When applying for an Adult passport, verify if you are eligible for the passport renewal service, which simplifies your application process. If you are, we strongly encourage you to submit your application by mail.

Please note, however, that incomplete mail-in applications will be rejected and sent back to the sender without being processed. Please follow closely the instructions provided as part of the passport application. Here are the top reasons for rejected applications:

  • Application form missing information or signature
  • Incorrect photo size
  • Missing supporting identification document for first time applicants.
  • Missing birth certificate or proof of citizenship for first time applicants. A birth certificate for a child’s passport application must clearly indicate both parent’s lineage.
  • Canadian guarantor signature differs from their own passport application signature for first time applicants.
  • Missing marriage certificate or custody documents for children passport application.
  • Missing parent’s identification document for children’s passport application.

Applications sent by mail should include an Express Mail Service (EMS) label with the applicant's name, address (address must be written in Chinese) and cellular phone number for delivery of the new passport.

Important: Some applications require a guarantor. If the occupational guarantor is a local dentist, medical doctor, dean or head of a university or college, pharmacist, veterinarian, police officer, or signing officer at a bank, they can be any nationality. If the guarantor is a foreign national (neither Canadian nor Chinese) judge, lawyer or notary, they cannot practice law in China so they cannot be a guarantor.

A passport application for a child under 2 years of age without proof of citizenship can be submitted when fulfilling these requirements:

  • A citizenship application has been submitted prior to or at the same time as the passport application.
  • A proof of international travel (airline ticket or booking confirmation) or a statement detailing a residency requirement.
  • The validity period for a passport for a child under 2 years of age is 2 years.

To apply for a child’s passport when the child lives with a legal guardian in China and both parents reside outside of China:

  • Section 2 (Information on applicant) of the application requires the details about both parents. Do not sign the declaration in this block.
  • Section 5 (Declaration of applicant) requires the details and signature of the guardian. The guardian must present personal identification with an English or French translation if originally issued in another language.
  • The passport examiner will provide a file number to the guardian who will give it to the parents.
  • The parents should visit the nearest passport or Canadian office to submit a written statement confirming: "I the undersigned, (name), as the parent, custodial parent or legal guardian, authorize (name of guardian) to apply for a passport on behalf of child (name) and the passport, when it is issued, may be released to that person."
  • The statement must also include the reason why they were unable to apply.

Please note that China does not recognize dual citizenship. Local authorities may consider a child born in China as a Chinese citizen if one parent is a Chinese citizen, or if both parents are Canadian citizens residing in China with Chinese identification. Local authorities may consider the child a Chinese citizen, but may not issue a visa. Contact the Entry and Exit Administration Division of the nearest Public Security Bureau for more information.

You may also book an appointment to present your documents in person.

If no timeslots are available through the appointment system, please disregard the pop-up message and contact the mission directly at guangzhou.consulaire@international.gc.ca to discuss your passport service needs. Please remember to bring your online payment receipt to your appointment.

Lost, stolen and damaged passports

Payment method

Pay online for all your passport services.

Details Fee (CAD) Fee (CNY)
10-year adult passport (age 16 or over) 260.00 1405.00
5-year adult passport (age 16 or over) 190.00 1025.00
5-year Child passport (0-15 years of age) 100.00 540.00
Additional fee for replacing a valid lost or stolen passport 45.00 245.00
Pay online

Pensions and retirement

Refer to Benefits for Canadians living abroad.

Studying abroad

Refer to Studying abroad and EduCanada.

The Canada-China Scholars' Exchange Program (CCSEP) is open to Chinese applicants for the 2022-2023 academic year.

Visa and immigration services

Refer to Travel documents – Visas.

Permanent residents of Canada: Find out how to apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD).

Voting abroad

Refer to Voting in an election while outside Canada.

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