Importance and Reasons for Renewing an Iranian Passport
A passport is the most important official identification document issued by governments to their citizens, allowing them to travel between countries. A passport verifies identity and guarantees the security and rights of a country’s citizens in other countries. According to current national laws, issuing passports to Iranians residing abroad is the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s representative offices abroad.
Passport applications and issuance are based on various reasons, including:
- Passport expiration: (for those whose passport validity is 6 months or less)
- Filled passport pages
- Changes in name, surname, or date of birth, based on the Iranian birth certificate
- Changes in the residence of citizens residing abroad in the passport
Applicants for a passport must, after creating an electronic file in the Mikhak system (profile), completing the passport issuance application form and uploading images of the required documents, send it to the relevant representative office or attend in person (with the tracking code received from the system) to complete the issuance and delivery of documents and receive their passport.
The Process of Renewing an Iranian Passport in Canada
The passport renewal process varies from country to country due to different conditions and requirements. In Canada, Iranians must renew their passports through the Canada office (via Dublin) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington, D.C. The general steps of this process are as follows:
- Choosing the application submission method: There are two methods for applying for Iranian passports for residents of Canada, and applicants can choose either method.
- Preparing the necessary documents: Valid residency document – birth certificate (including the first page – children’s details page – spouse’s details page and explanations page) – national ID card – personal photo – military exemption/service completion card (for men).
- Registering the application in the Mikhak system: All consular requests must first be registered in the Mikhak system and a tracking code received.
- Payment of fees: The cost of renewing a passport varies depending on the applicant’s circumstances.
- Identity verification: To verify the identity of each applicant, a video must be prepared according to the method described in the identity verification guide and sent via WhatsApp to the consular services department (+989108106635).
- Preparing a postal label: The applicant must visit www.ups.com and, with the help of a step-by-step guide, prepare a postal label and send the file to the consular services department.
- Sending document images via WhatsApp: After preparing all the above documents, send them all at once to the consular services WhatsApp number (+989108106635).
- Final step and punching the old passport: After receiving the postal package containing the passport, you must punch the old passport according to a simple instruction and send it so that your new passport is activated.
This process may vary depending on various conditions such as the number of applicants and official holidays. Passport issuance at the Canada office (via Dublin) takes 4 to 6 weeks from the time of sending the documents to receiving the passport. Otherwise, you can use the Washington office route (www.daftar.org).
Also, please note that since passports are sent by mail to Canada, there are risks such as postal workers not working due to strikes, packages being returned for various reasons (unclaimed) such as the applicant not being present at the location or not going to the local post office to receive the package, or entering incorrect or incomplete information in the address section, which may cause delays.
Choosing the Application Method
Iranians residing in Canada can choose one of two methods for applying for a passport. The first option is through the Canada office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (via Dublin, Ireland), and the second is through the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington, D.C. (www.daftar.org).
Steps to Issue a New Passport Through the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington, D.C.
Iranians residing in Canada can renew their passports through the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington, D.C. This method is suitable for those who can travel to the United States and submit an application in person at this representative office, but it is also possible to send documents by mail. For more information, refer to the Interests Section website.
Steps to Apply for a New Passport Through the Canada Office
In this section, we will introduce the steps to apply for a passport for Iranians residing in Canada through the Canada office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in detail. In this method, the passport is printed at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Dublin (Ireland) (passport issuance takes approximately 45 days after completing and sending the documents) and will be sent to your destination in Canada by the Irish postal company. By following the steps below, you can receive your new passport.
Step One: Prepare the Necessary Documents
Preparing the initial documents is the first and most important step in the passport renewal process. Images of these documents must be sent once in the Mikhak system and then to the announced WhatsApp number. The required documents are:
- Birth certificate: Image of the birth certificate pages (including the first page – children’s details page – spouse’s details page and explanations page)
- New photo: Take a new, high-quality personal photo. Note that the photo must be new and high-quality, without a hat and glasses, and for women with Islamic hijab.
- Valid residency document: Your valid residency document according to Canadian immigration laws.
- National ID card
- (For men): Military exemption/service completion card or student exemption.
- (For women): Women, if they have their husband’s permission to issue a passport, upload an image of the consent form.
Important Notes
- Carefully review all documents before submitting them.
- Make sure the images meet the criteria outlined in this article.
Note: If the original birth certificate is in Iran, a relative must go to the service desk or one of the provincial offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the original birth certificate to complete the file.
Consent is not required for spouses who have simultaneously applied for a passport with a change of residence to Canada. (The spouse should mention when sending the documents that they are applying for a passport at the same time as their husband.)
Consent is not required for a father and child who have simultaneously applied for a passport.
Previous passport: After completing all the steps and receiving the new passport by mail, you must hand over your previous passport according to the instructions in the last (seventh) step. Otherwise, your new passport will not be activated.
Step Two: Register the Application in the Mikhak System
After preparing the documents, the next step is to register the application in the Mikhak online form. All consular requests must first be registered in the Mikhak system and a tracking code received.
- Registration: Since the password is sent to your email when you log in to the Mikhak system, the applicant’s email and phone are required. Watch the Mikhak system registration guide video here.
- Uploading document images: In the Mikhak system, based on the selection of various identity options and the reason for the request, different information and documents may be requested from the applicant. Upload scanned images of the required documents for your application with appropriate resolution. The applicant must be careful that the size of each photo is less than 300 kilobytes.
- Applicant photo: Take a new, high-quality personal photo and upload the file with a maximum size of 300 kilobytes to the Mikhak system first. The photo must have been taken in the last month. Also, the photo must be high-quality, without a hat and glasses, and for women with Islamic hijab. The background of the photo should be white (with a white border around the photo) and looking straight ahead.
- Completing the online application form: This form includes your personal information, as well as information about your previous passport. Be careful when filling it out. The most important items in this form are:
- Full name and date of birth
- National ID number and birth certificate number
- Residential address and telephone number
- Reasons for passport renewal
- Other fields of the Mikhak online form (see the complete Mikhak system usage guide)
Important Notes About Completing the Mikhak Online Form:
- On the Mikhak system, in the passport affairs section, select the new passport request with the representative office name “Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Canada Office” and then upload and register the required documents.
- If the applicant is a married woman or a child under 18 years of age and does not have a husband or father’s approved consent form, be sure to obtain the husband’s permission before entering the Mikhak passport section and uploading the documents. The necessary explanations in this regard are available in the consent section of this site.
- If you are unable to register your application in the Mikhak system, you can use the service provided by the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington, D.C., by sending a note along with a fee of $60 per application. In this case, you must follow the application submission process through this office.
- After filling out the form, be sure to review the information once more. Making sure there are no errors in the form will prevent future problems. After creating a profile and final registration, it is not possible to edit identity information in the Mikhak system. Therefore, applicants who need to edit personal information entered in this system can, after receiving the system tracking code, go in person to the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington, D.C. to have their personal information edited at that representative office.
- Incomplete applications will not be processed, and the applicant must obtain a new tracking code.
- Passports for students who have an approved educational file in Mikhak and whose current semester’s certificate of enrollment has been approved are free, along with their families. Student passports are only issued with an Iranian residence. To create an educational file, see here.
Step Three: Pay the Issuance Fee
The passport issuance fee must be paid by a relative or acquaintance in Iran to one of the foreign exchange branches of Bank Melli across the country to the Euro account number 2078070003 in the name of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Dublin.
Send the deposit receipt after completing all the following steps, along with other documents, to the WhatsApp number +989108106635.
The issuance fee varies depending on the applicant’s circumstances. To see the fee table, browse here.
Step Four: Identity Verification
To verify your identity, make a video of yourself according to the method described in this article on the site and send it to the WhatsApp number +989108106635. The video should be clear and high-quality.
When recording this video, you must hold your identity documents facing the camera.
Step Five: Receive a Postal Label
To receive your new passport, you need to visit www.ups.com or download and install the UPS app from Google Play or the App Store.
Each applicant must prepare a postal label with their own name separately.
Please note that since passports are sent by mail, consider the following multiple risks:
- Postal workers not working due to strikes
- Package being returned for various reasons (unclaimed): such as the applicant not being present at the location or not going to the local post office to receive the package, or incorrect address information.
If, while tracking the postal package, you notice that your package has stopped at the post office, see this help link.
Step Six: Send Documents from Steps 1 to 5 via WhatsApp
After completing the above five steps, send the documents prepared in each step (including the Mikhak system tracking code, personal photo, scanned documents, printed payment receipt, and postal label file) all at once to the WhatsApp number +989108106635.
Please avoid sending documents incompletely and gradually.
Final Step: Receive and Activate the New Passport
After the passport is issued, an image of it is sent to the applicant. If there is any discrepancy in the information on the passport, report the error to the passport WhatsApp within 12 hours so that the passport can be corrected before the package is delivered to the post office. After sending the postal package, the relevant department is not responsible for incorrect passport information. If the discrepancy is not reported and the postal package is sent, to correct the error, the applicant must send the passport to the Iranian embassy in Dublin and prepare and send a new label for the return of the corrected passport.
When you receive the new passport, it is not yet active and usable. After receiving the postal package containing the new passport from Dublin, first sign the “passport holder’s signature” on the first page. Then, to activate the new passport, punch a hole in the first page of the old passport and send it to the email dcs.passport@mfa.ir. You will soon receive an activation email. The confirmation email may go to the spam folder. Check there occasionally to be informed on time.
Important Notes in the Passport Application Process
- Passport and laissez-passer application for individuals under 18 years of age: Must be registered by the father or legal guardian. This means that the father or legal guardian creates their own profile and then applies for their child under 18 years of age. The tracking code received after registration belongs to the passport issuance request for the individual under 18 years of age.
- Numerous reports of wrongdoing by some service companies have been sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Therefore, it is recommended that before you provide your information to an individual or company to carry out the passport application process, make sure that they have no history of misconduct. Note that negligence in protecting identity documents, including access to the Mikhak system, will result in identity theft.
- All consular requests must first be registered in the Mikhak system and a tracking code received. Incomplete applications will not be processed, and the applicant must obtain a new tracking code.
