How do I obtain a temporary ID if I lose my passport in Edmonton?

If your passport is lost, your first instinct might be to rush straight to the consulate to get a new one. But in Edmonton, that’s not the only—or even always the fastest—option. The city offers several parallel paths to obtaining a temporary ID, depending on who you are: an immigrant with a work permit, a student, a permanent resident, a Canadian citizen, or someone without any documents. Choosing the right strategy can reduce the time it takes to resolve the issue from several weeks to a few hours or one to two business days.

In the context of Edmonton and Alberta, the term “temporary ID” refers to several different documents. These include a paper temporary driver’s license issued by a registration agent on the spot; an “Identification Card Receipt,” which officially replaces the “Alberta ID Card” until the permanent card arrives in the mail; a temporary travel document issued by a consulate; or, for certain categories of undocumented individuals, assistance from specialized programs. Each of these options is discussed in detail below.

Option 1: Alberta Driver’s License or Alberta ID Card

This is the fastest and most accessible option for most Edmonton residents, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.

Interim Driver’s License — issued the same day

If you already have a valid Alberta driver’s license but it was lost or stolen along with your passport, visit any of Edmonton’s 28 Registry Agents. Most are open Monday through Friday, and some are open on weekends. Here are a few convenient locations in different parts of the city:

• In & Out Registry (South Side) — 6246 99 St NW, tel. 780-437-6630
• In & Out Registry (North East) — 13058 50 St NW, tel. 780-473-8899
• Millwoods Registry Services — 6410 28 Ave NW, tel. 780-461-9071
• Oliver Square Registries — 11648 104 Ave NW, tel. 780-408-2000
• Northtown Registry Services — 15359 97 St, tel. 780-473-5724
• Abbey Road Registries — 13322-118 Ave, tel. 780-420-1234

At the registration office, you will have your photo taken and will be issued a paper Interim Licence on the same day—a temporary license that serves as a legally valid form of identification while you wait for your permanent card. Some agents issue the temporary document with a photo, others without. The permanent card arrives by mail within 10–21 business days. The cost of replacing a lost card is $28 (including GST).

Documents required for replacement (if you have a passport, even a temporary or photocopied one):

• birth certificate;
• a valid passport (original or other available document);
• a permanent resident card or citizenship card;
• a valid work, study, or visitor permit;
• a Secure Indian Status Card;
• a current utility bill, phone bill, or bank statement showing your name and address.

If you do not have any of the listed documents, call an agent in advance, such as In & Out Registry: 1 888 919-7623, and describe your situation. Some agents know how to help even in unusual cases.

Alberta ID Card — for those without a driver’s license

If you have never had an Alberta driver’s license or if it is invalid, an alternative is the Alberta ID Card — an official provincial photo ID card that serves as a recognized form of identification. It is available to all Alberta residents aged 12 and older, regardless of citizenship.

To obtain an ID Card, you must verify five categories of requirements: legal presence in Canada, date of birth, legal name, photo, and residence in Alberta. A single document can verify multiple categories at once. For example, a valid foreign passport verifies your photo and name, while a work permit verifies your legal presence and name. The full list of acceptable documents:

• a valid Canadian or foreign passport (verifies photo, name, and legal presence);
• a provincial birth certificate;
• a permanent resident card or proof of PR status;
• a valid work, study, or visitor permit;
• an Indigenous status card (Secure Indian Status Card);
• proof of refugee status (Refugee Protection Claimant Document);
• NEXUS cards;
• Canadian Armed Forces ID (DND ID).

If your passport is lost but you have at least one other official document, that may be sufficient. A temporary ID receipt (Identification Card Receipt) is issued at the office immediately and is a valid document until the permanent card arrives by mail within up to 21 days. If the card has not arrived within 21 days, call the number on the back of the receipt, and the office will issue a free replacement.

Remote Replacement — When You Can’t Come In Person

If you are temporarily outside Alberta or cannot come to the office for medical reasons, registration agents offer the Remote Driver’s Licence / ID Card Application — an application submitted via email. You will receive a temporary document via email (without a photo) within 2–3 business days, and the permanent card will be mailed approximately 10 business days after approval. This service costs about $28 (for a 1-year replacement).

Option Two: Ukrainian Consulate — Certificate of Return

For Ukrainian citizens currently in Edmonton who plan to return to their homeland in the near future, the most relevant temporary document is the Certificate of Return to Ukraine (Certificate of Return / Certificate of Return). This document is issued by the Consulate General of Ukraine in Edmonton and is generally valid for up to 30 days—enough time to arrange your departure.

Consulate Contacts and Address

Consulate General of Ukraine in Alberta: Unit 327, 9707 110 St NW, Edmonton, AB, T5K 2L9. Phone: +1 (780) 425-3217. Email: [email protected]. Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM. Before visiting, it is recommended to confirm availability by phone or through the website, as the consulate often operates by appointment only.

Documents Required to Obtain a Return Certificate

The document package required to obtain a temporary document includes:

• Application (standard form; to be filled out at the consulate or in advance);
• Police report with an EPS (Edmonton Police Service) case number regarding the loss or theft of the passport;
• Two passport-sized photos (35×45 mm);
• Any copies of documents that can confirm your identity: a copy of the lost passport, driver’s license, Alberta ID Card, PR Card, work or study permit, or even pages from previous passports, if available.

The consul will verify your information in the internal databases of the State Migration Service of Ukraine; therefore, even without copies of documents, identification through these databases is possible if you provide all your personal details—full name, date of birth, Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and passport number from memory. Consular fees must be paid in cash or by money order in Canadian dollars; credit cards and personal checks are not accepted.

If you do not plan to leave immediately but wish to obtain a new full-fledged international passport, the process will take significantly longer—usually 2 to 8 weeks, depending on the consulate’s workload and the type of passport. In this case, a return certificate is not required.

Option 3: Service Canada’s Expedited Services — for Canadian Citizens

If you are a Canadian citizen and need a passport urgently, the Edmonton Service Canada Centre offers expedited and urgent passport services. Address: Canada Place Building, 9700 Jasper Avenue, Suite 126, Edmonton, Alberta, T5J4C3. Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:00 PM.

Available processing times:

• Urgent pick-up — passport ready the next business day (for the most urgent situations);
• Express pick-up — 2–9 business days (some locations require a minimum of 3–4 days);
• Emergency weekend service — for critical situations on weekends.

Visitors from Edmonton confirm that it is indeed possible to receive a passport on the same day if you arrive in the morning. To receive urgent service, you must prove the necessity — provide airline tickets, medical documents, death certificates, etc. In addition to the standard fees for a new passport, there is a $45 charge for replacing a lost or stolen document, plus a completed PPTC 203 form.

Option Four: The Recovery Alberta ID Program — for Vulnerable Populations

If a person finds themselves in a situation where absolutely all documents have been lost and there is no alternative ID, Edmonton offers a specialized free assistance program.

Recovery Alberta ID Program (formerly known as AHS ID Program) assists homeless individuals, people at risk, and those who have recently secured housing in obtaining an Alberta ID Card and Alberta Health Care Card through alternative means of identification—meaning even without the standard set of documents. Program staff know how to work around standard requirements through special arrangements with registration agents and government agencies.

The Edmonton location of the program is at Royal Alexandra Hospital, Women's Centre, Room 1915, 10240 Kingsway Ave NW, Edmonton, AB, T5H 3V9. Phone: 780-613-5556; email: [email protected]. Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM (no appointment needed, first come, first served — arrive early, as there are lines).

Eligibility criteria:

• individuals aged 18 or older (or emancipated minors);
• residency in Alberta for at least 90 days;
• legal right to be in Canada;
• currently homeless, at risk of homelessness, or recently displaced (within the last 6 months).

Bring everything you have—even phone bills, envelopes with your name on them, or any documents mentioning your SIN or date of birth. Program specialists will help you gather the set of documents required by the registration agent.

Option Five: IRCC — Temporary Documents for Immigrants

For those whose immigration status depends on specific IRCC permits (Work Permit, Study Permit, PR Card), losing a passport raises a specific question: how can you prove your identity to Canadian authorities until a new passport is issued?

If you have a valid work or study permit (Work/Study Permit), it is itself an official federal document and can be used as proof of your legal status in Canada—along with any other photo ID (such as an Alberta ID Card). While your passport is being renewed, this combination allows you to continue living and working legally.

For permanent residents who have lost their PR Card: contact IRCC at 1-888-242-2100 to deactivate the card, then apply for a new one using form IMM 5444. While waiting for your new PR Card, your status remains valid, but do not leave Canada—without a valid PR Card or PRTD (Permanent Resident Travel Document), you will not be able to return via commercial transportation.

Preparing for your visit: what to bring and how to speed up the process

Regardless of which route you choose, there are several practical steps that will significantly speed up the process of obtaining a temporary document.

First and foremost—find and gather everything you have. Even a long-expired document, an old student ID, an internet provider bill with your address, a bank statement, a doctor’s registration form, or a job offer letter—all of these can come in handy and confirm your identity through various registries. Consulates and registration agents evaluate the totality of evidence, not just the presence of a single perfect document.

If you have been saving digital copies in the cloud (Google Drive, iCloud, email) — print them out before your visit. Although copies of a passport are not officially equivalent to the original, they help verify your passport number, date of issue, and series through the relevant databases.

Obtain a police report before going to the consulate or a registration agent—this document significantly speeds up the processing of applications at all institutions. You can file a report of loss/theft online on the EPS website at edmontonpolice.ca, and within 15 minutes you will have a case number. Print or write down this number.

Table: Comparison of routes for obtaining a temporary license

What to do if you have no documents at all

A situation where a person has no documents—no passport, no driver’s license, no work permit, no health card—is the most difficult, but not hopeless. In this case, the procedure is as follows.

First, get an Alberta Health Card—all you need is your full name, date of birth, address, and personal health card number (if you have one). If you don’t have a number but can provide at least basic information, Alberta Health (780-427-1432, press 3) can issue or locate a card through internal records, or they will tell you how to contact a registration agent with a completed form.

With a Health Card or even just a verified SIN (which you can find through My Service Canada Account, a T4 slip, or your employer), you can go to Service Canada to verify your SIN. With a Health Card + verified SIN, go to a registration agent for an Alberta ID Card, or use the Recovery Alberta ID program. If you have no documents and nothing is mentioned—start with the Alberta Health Card (no ID required if you can verify your identity verbally), then Service Canada, then a registration agent. This “chain” strategy is well known to social workers and legal advisors at Student Legal Services of Edmonton.## Practical Tips for Everyday Use of a Temporary DocumentA paper Interim Licence or Alberta ID Receipt is formally a valid form of identification—banks accept them for routine transactions, employers accept them during document checks, and most government agencies do as well. However, some private establishments (pawn shops, certain financial services, car rentals) may require a “hard” (plastic) document—in such cases, explain the situation and ask to use a combination of documents.For travel within Canada—for example, on WestJet or Air Canada flights—the paper temporary document is accepted as a form of ID along with another form of identification (such as a credit card). When traveling outside of Canada, it is insufficient—you will need a valid passport or a PR Travel Document. Therefore, if you plan to travel in the near future, apply immediately for an expedited new passport or the appropriate travel document, rather than waiting solely for your provincial ID.