Passport Canada

On January 17,2024, at 9: 30am, I visited the passport office in Whitby with the expectation of a quick process due to the absence of queues. However, to my surprise, there was a significant queue both inside and outside the office, with many people waiting.

We got our Biometric done from this location. The staff at this location are kind and helpful.

Arrived there at 820 and about 25 people ahead of me. Completely finished process by 900. Stephanie assisted me. She was very friendly and professional.

This location is great. I was in and out in 15 mins or less. The representative was courteous and efficient.

Arrived here before 7am and was in the front of the queue. Took me only less than 10 minutes to submit the application. Staff was nice and efficient.

Tip: mall entrance is open, go inside and wait by the entrance of passport office. Bring a folding chair is better. If you want to be in the front of the line, be there at least before 7: 30am.

Went in with an appointment. Went straight in but had to wait for an hour for my number to be called. Time at the counter was about 5 mins

Very pleasant experience today. The people who assisted me were kind, quick, and efficient!

Looking to renew or get a passport? This Service Canada office is located inside Whitby mall. You are protected from the elements and can wait in line outside the office.
I suggest coming there about 1 hour before opening time. Hours are posted in my pictures. Be sure to have your passport photos and completed passport application. 10 years passport is $160 and 5 years is $120. They accept credit card, debit card for payment.

Easy peasy if you are courteous and nice no problems if your a rude or demanding you get what you get so be nice.

Excellent service, arrived at 8am on a Wed, 14 people in front of me, went straight to an agent at 8: 30 am. Kelly was very patient, friendly and quick. Took a little longer for me since I had 5 passports but overall a hassle free experience!

Very nice and efficient location for passport services. The place is well located in Whitby mall.

We reached at 7: 50 am and there were around 11 people already in line. By the time the office opened there were around 50-60 people in line. The office opened sharp at 8: 30 am and quickly called in people for application processing. There are around 17 counters and they quickly process all the applications.

We were done with our application in 10 mins and left the office by 8: 40 am. I was very impressedwith how efficient and fast the office employees are.

Make sure you have all the necessary documents and you will be done in no time.

Definitely a place to go if you have anything related to passport.

Went on a Friday and got there around 7: 20am. I was the 5th person in line. We were let in at 8: 30 and I was in and out within 10 minutes. The line behind me was super long, so it was definitely worth getting there early!

I was surprised of the fast moving waiting lanes after hearing differently from media. This passport office is well organized and they help out where they can. It took me 1.5 hrs in the busy time to get my passport renewal dealt with. Only negative was the fact that the government offices still require masks. Seems to be the only place left to do so. Another unpleasant side note is that there are everywhere signs that say no cellphone use but people are on the phones and some were even placing calls. I thought ok, seems the signs are not important. I was shocked when a security guard confronted a baby carrying mom because she used the phone to text her husband to let him know when she is done. Everybody else was left alone with their phones. I was glad to be out of there though.

Legit this was one of the better passport office i've went to. Normally all other would turn you away for sections that are filled incorrectly, they were nice enough to point those out, highlight it! Small attention to details truly goes a long way.

I can't believe I am giving this Passport Office 5 stars with such long line up, but it's because the staff are doing their best to answer questions and treat people with respect. Many thanks to the staff for treating us well and most importantly, for the flexibility to not force us go back with my baby.

The passport people are great the one gentleman security guard though, very clueless and unhelpful.

Went there on Thursday at 11: 20am their were only 2 people in front of us waiting in line to get their tickets to sit down. Got our waiting ticket at 11: 30am and the waiting room wasn't busy at all and by 11: 51am they called our number up. All the staff we encountered were great.

Extremely poor service. I traveled all the way from Peterborough with an infant, took time off work, stood in the line for 2 hours, fed my child while in the line, and when my turn came I was turned away at 2.30 pm when the closing time for office was 4.30 pm as mentioned on their website.
Very unorganized. They should mention on their website if they are not providing service after a certain time. People should not be made to wait in the line only to be turned back and refused service.

17 working stations and only 3 employees on floor. They definitely need more people on fooor in order to process everything faster so less line up and hold time for people.

I arrived for my passport appointment on July 29 and was let in by the security guard at the entrance 5 minutes before my scheduled appointment time, and I bypassed the walk in line (which closed off at 11: 00 am that day) to the front desk. The front desk verified my documents, I took a ticket and sat down and waited to be serviced. I waited for 30 minutes, then I was called to the service rep for 15 minutes verifying the documentation and that was it. My total time spent there was 45 minutes. I received my passport in the mail on August 9th, and they told me it was going to be delivered the week of August 15th. Im glad it came early, great experience!:)

60 people in line at 8: 30 am and if I mail it it takes 13 weeks or stand in line for 2-3 hours! Most people are not even Canadian born.

Arrived at the office at 6: 15am on August 5th with my 6 month old baby, the mall was already open so we fortunately didn't have to wait outside. 50 people were already lined up, and about 50 people had joined after me. Everyone had lawnchairs as mentioned in previous reviews (great idea), there is also a coffee shop in the mall. At around 7: 15am someone came out and checked proof of travel. You must be traveling within 45 days to be served. If you need an immediate passport (within 3 days) you cannot be served here. Those people exited the line. Tickets were issued to everyone remaining in line with offices opening at 8: 30am. Around 8: 15am someone checked everyone's paperwork to ensure they had the proper signatures, photo and proof of travel. We got into the office around 9: 30am and our number was called at 10: 50am to be served and we were out by 11am. There were only 5 people working inside, with 2-3 people working before they opened to check documents. Although unfortunate circumstances having to line up, the staff are kind, and extremely helpful answering questions and serving everyone. Good luck to everyone during this insane time, especially all of the mamas/papas juggling little ones, you got this! Thank you to all the amazing strangers who offered me a seat, an checked in on me and the little one. It's nice to see people coming together during stressful times!

Went on Monday August 22nd for 2 adult renewals and 4 children's passports. Security guards and staff are very helpful. You can ask questions at the front before waiting in line to make sure you are not wasting your time. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PROOF OF TRAVEL WITHIN 45 DAYS! Arrived at 9: 30am, got into the office by 11: 15, was seen at a kiosk at 12: 45, left at 1: 30pm. Figured 4 hours wasn't bad. The staff are working hard but the wait is due to the fact that they are under-staffed. 17 kiosks but only 3 working at a time.at one point there was 1 kiosk opened.

Update: received my passport in the mail in less than two weeks (August 5th)

Arrived at 3: 45am on July 28th, there were about 8 people in front of me in line. Security opened up the mall around 6am and we were guided inside. Around 7: 15am, staff came out with information and checked to make sure we had all of the correct documents with us. The office opens at 8: 30 and this is when they will start serving people. I was out by 8: 50am. I’m not sure where they cut the line but I would arrive no later than 6am to ensure that you get seen and aren’t waiting all day.

IMPORTANT: as of now, this office will only take applications for those travelling in the next 45 business days (with proof of travel). Make sure you print and complete your application form before you come, they may not have extra copies! The line starts by coffee time, not at the back of the building.

Completely disorganized, no one knows where they should stand, like 3 different lines, they tell you to return and will then tell you they can't take you. Only passports within 25 days, but I saw many people being accepted outside that. It's a total mess.

WORST SERVICE!
I did not have the option to give them zero star unfortunately. Out of all the passport offices that I have been to the Whitby Mall office is the worst place to go to in my opinion. They are extremely slow in their service and front security has very poor communication skills. People serving at the back passport desks are very rude and provide no care and assistance at all. They are extremely slow and it seems they don’t want to work at all although they have much less lineup’s then most other passport offices. There’s a board there that says “rude behaviour will not be tolerated” but they need to check their staff’s behaviour first. I’d not recommend anyone going to this office. If people have a choice go somewhere else and they will be better taken care much faster.

They now accept walk-ins for under 25 days travelling! I got there at 9: 35am and there was about 30 people in line. I was able to get in an out in about an hour (most of the time was waiting). Just don’t go right when it opens because the line will be wrapped around, if you want to be first go around 7-7: 30am. If you don’t mind waiting an hour or two, go around 9-10am. Service once it was my turn was quick and efficient!

Went to get my passport had everything just for them to say no you have to start over and go to stc. I explained that I leave in the 29th but they didnt care and now I'm going to miss my trip thanks to incompetence.

Went there today for passport renewal and stood in line for an hour and 10 mins when this indian security lady comes out and says this Center accepts passport applications only for those travelling in the next 25 days. She went on to say that she's been coming out every 15 to 20 mins informing ppl about this.well had she informed earlier I wudnt be giving this 1 star. Such important info wasn't even on their website. So this was very poor customer service together with the highest disregard to customers time and patience. Zero stars is what this service centre deserve. Truly dissapointed for making me waste my time and day. This is not the true Canadian customer service that all of us deserve.

I can tell that the agent we dealt with at counter 15 was different than the others. She was rude, unhelpful, judgemental and inconsiderate. We waited in line for 40 minutes and get to the counter to get the forms for passport renewal, which weren't available outside the door. She made us leave the office to complete the forms and wait in line for another 30minutes. She said its common sense that she can't wait for us to fill out forms, even though the lady in the kiosk next to us allowed her customer to fill out the exact same form at the counter. Her response was that it's up to agent. There was no sinage stating to fill out forms prior to entering or a place to get forms until you enter. When i suggested they should put a sign up so people aren't waiting unnecessarily, she said its not her problem. I would like to speak with management but I don't know how to reach them.

16 Nov 2021 / between 10.20AM to 10.40AM.

To the lovely and kind lady at window 8 at Passport Canada (Whitby location), thank you so much for your assistance and smooth process of my application. I think her name was Nancy. Thank you again

We both had a moment/connection when the applicant in the next window informed how they lost the passport and found it again. We both heard the mini story and both of us were like "Wait, What? " The applicant had misplaced the passport when they had gone clubbing. Question: why would anyone take a passport as proof of ID for clubbing while still in Canada? Er.there are other ID forms available for local use.

In addition, with health protocol in place, please make an appointment and save your self the waiting game. Appointments can be made online and is approx 30 days out depending on location. You show up on your appointment time and you will be provided priority accrss. The application process takes max 30 minutes so why wait two hours in line?

If your passport is expiring within 2 months, be proactive and renew/apply for a new one with enough time so that the appointments can be made during those 2 months. Why wait till the last minute? Please, make an appointment and use your time for more productive work.

I saw parents with young children and seniors standing for 2+ hours and some were smart to bring chairs and meals and play the waiting game.

Apologies for the long review but want to provide my experience

Refusing to serve people while there is still 30 minutes left of the open time. Chose to stand and argue with customers instead of servicing them.
Poorly run services.

In person passport renewal was easy.
I attended in November 23rd arrived for 740 even though the office opens at 830.
I was about 15th in line. But no worries as it’s inside a mall. I had a fold up chair that I brought with me and when the office opens at 8: 30 a lady came out and asked who had appointments. People with appointments go to the front of the line and the line is for “Walk ins” only.
The staff there were very efficient processing people fairly quickly. The doors opened at 8: 30 with a few people taking precedent as they had appointments. So they go pass the line.
I was out by 910 am with renewing three passports.
I hope this info helps anyone looking to find information.
The return call via the service Canada website was over a week to return my call.

If you are pregnant or have a mobility issue, make sure you bring a chair. They will offer no accommodation for anyone who cannot wait standing outside. Even though they have about 100 chairs piled up inside for no one to use.

It always feels like a waste of time with our passport offices, there’s always something wrong with my info or someone in a bad mood.

I went this morning for the first time. The people were great- friendly and helpful. I would recommend it to everyone!

Would give 0 if allowed. My children (17 & 18) lost their passports while on vacation in Japan and received white temporary passports from the local Canadian Embassy. We were told by the embassy to exchange the white passports for regular passports once we returned to Canada. Before going in to do the exchange I called the customer service line to confirm how to complete the exchange. I was told that if the children were physically going into the office all they would need to bring with them was additional ID. Essentially in line with what we were told by the embassy in Japan. As it seemed like a straightforward situation I asked their grandmother to take them into the office. Once there they were told by a rude and impatient staff member that they would need to fill out new passport applications and complete the process from scratch. She made no attempt to look up their case files, could not be bothered to check with any other staff and when told by my mother that that was not the process that was explained to me; ignored her and ushered her out of the line. Follow up with the customer service line confirmed the process as originally explained - no new application is required, no additional photographs need to be taken, no additional fees need to be paid. The service rep looked up their case files, located their new already EXISTING permanent passports and made arrangements to do the exchange through the mail. For all the other courteous and knowledgeable civil servants it is a pity your efforts are tainted and unfortunately overshadowed by situations such as this. The bright side is the lines in the Whitby Passport office will be a little shorter in the future.

Long line up but it was quick, lots of people working there and they were courteous and polite. Good experience.

Quick, efficient, and professional. This office is very well run and the staff area knowledgeable and friendly. After hearing horror stories about other passport offices I was nervous but this was genuinely a pleasant experience and I'm glad I went to this office.

Man, this isn't a government office, it's a downright love-fest full of the most friendly people I've ever met behind a counter. Seriously, you're met by a security guard who tells you very kindly what direction to head in - and I'm sure he's super-tired of saying the same thing to everyone who walks through the door, but he doesn't show it! Then you're met by fabulous front counter folk, this time a lovely woman who examined the paperwork I had for accuracy, and sent me on to a numbered desk.

That's where I waited all of three seconds, which is how long it took me to count backwards to my desk. There I was greeted by an equally friendly employee who chatted and joked our way through the most painless $160 I have ever spent.

These people should be proud of themselves and the services they provide! I hope they are.

Technical stuff: Right on a main road, free parking, easy to find inside a somewhat small mall.

On Dec 3 their comptuer systems were down so I waited about 30 mins and it was busy that day. Past years when I have been to this office I am in and out in 5 mins! By far the best Passport Office in the GTA!

This passport office is straight out of NARNIA.
It is *that* MAGICAL.
I drove all the way out of North York just to be *blessed* by this locations *superior* customer service and borderline almost non-existent lines!

Can *not* recommend enough!

We had great experience here. Service is fast and efficient. The staff who assisted us are very friendly!