The Accreditation Unit at a Glance

Canada hosts an extensive network of foreign diplomatic missions, international organizations and other representative offices. The Accreditation Unit is responsible for accreditation and for issuing certain documents to representatives of bilateral and multilateral missions and their family members once they have taken up their assigned posts.

The Accreditation Unit can guide you through the diplomatic, consular and official accreditation process and provide information on related matters. We also manage the Diplomatic List.

Where to Begin?

All accreditation directives that apply to Canada’s diplomatic corps appear on the Office of Protocol’s website under Policies and Guidelines, including the following essential policies:

  1. Policies and Guidelines Governing the Accreditation of Foreign Representatives
  2. Military and Defence Attaché Accreditation Process
  3. Career Consular Officers Appointment Process

Our Partners

Because of the Canadian federal system, certain obligations and goals related to the presence of diplomatic missions and international organizations, as well as services such as the issuance of licence plates, cannot be carried out without the cooperation of provincial governments. We work closely with the following authorities:

Service standards

  • Affixing acceptance counterfoils to passports: 20 business days
  • Agrément – military attaché: 12 weeks
  • Driver’s licence and licence plate letters: 20 business days
  • Honorary consul approval: 10 weeks
  • Identification cards (new/extensions): 30 business days

Contact us

XDC-Accreditation@international.gc.ca