Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C.

The Embassy of Canada stands on Pennsylvania Avenue, between the Capitol and the White House, and it is the only Canadian building in the United States with a ceremonial as well as a consular job. It is also the only one that keeps walk-in hours, though not for consular business.

The furthest city in its district with a page here is Huntington, 387 miles away.

Contacting the Washington, D.C. office

The walk-in hours apply to the building. Consular services run on appointments in two blocks, morning and afternoon, like every other office in this directory.

What the Washington, D.C. office handles

This office is the one Canada names for Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

It witnesses signatures, takes affidavits and statutory declarations, certifies copies, and issues permanent resident travel documents to residents who need to fly home without a valid card.

What it cannot do

A long list of things people arrive expecting are handled somewhere else entirely.

• It does not issue a permanent resident card, which IRCC prints and mails.
• It does not issue a citizenship certificate, which is also an IRCC application.
• It does not issue a birth, marriage or death certificate, which are provincial.
• It does not grant an eTA or a visitor visa, both of which are online applications.

What you can do without coming in

Before you book anything, check whether your business needs an office at all.

• Renew a permanent resident card, An IRCC application. The card is mailed, and never to an address outside Canada.
• Apply for a citizenship certificate, Online or on paper, direct to IRCC. This is the document that proves you are Canadian.
• Get an eTA, A web form linked to your passport. Most applications are approved within minutes.
• Order a birth or marriage certificate, From the province where it happened. Ottawa does not hold these records.