Welcome to the ATIP Request Service

You will be directed through a series of steps to provide the details of your request. Depending on whether you are seeking general government records or personal information, the steps may differ.

Once you have submitted your online request, it will be sent to the selected institution for processing. Institutions are required to respond to requests within 30 days, either by providing records or explaining why more time is needed. If your request is incomplete or requires clarification, an access to information and privacy officer from the institution will contact you directly.

Steps to make a request for general government records:

These are the steps to completing a request for general government records using the online request system:

1. Search completed requests: Before submitting your own request, you will have the option to search summaries of previously-released responses to see if the government has already released the information you want. If you do find what you are looking for, you can request the previously-released response instead of making a new request. Asking for a previously-released response is often quicker than making a new request because the files are ready for release. If you choose to make a new request, you will continue through the following steps.
2. Select the institution: You will be asked to select the institution you wish to ask for information.
3. Log in, register or proceed as a guest: You will be asked to register (if you make requests regularly), login (if you registered previously) or proceed as a guest (if you prefer not to register). Registration requires only an email address and a password. Guests provide an email address only. Both steps require email verification so that the institution can contact you about your request.
4. Provide request details: You will be asked to confirm your eligibility to make the request, provide the details of your request and specify how you would like to receive your request (electronically, paper, view in person). Please note that electronic responses may be provided by email, CD or DVD depending on file size. You will also have the option of providing any supporting documentation that could help the institution process your request.
5. Provide contact information: You will be asked to provide your contact information, including name, address, and phone number, so that you can be contacted about your request.
6. Review request details: You will have the opportunity to review and confirm the details of your request, and make any necessary changes before it is sent to the institution for processing.
7. Pay the $5 application fee: You will be directed to Moneris Solutions (opens new window), our payment processing partner to provide your credit card information to pay the $5 application fee.
8. Once your payment is processed, you will return to this system and see a confirmation message. You will have the opportunity to print a copy of your request and your payment receipt. An email will be sent to you at the email address you verified earlier in the process, with a summary of your request. You will then have the option of completing a short feedback questionnaire, exiting the service or making another request.

Steps to request personal information:

These are the steps to completing a request for personal information using the online request system:

1. Specify the subject of request: You will be asked to specify whether you are seeking access to your own personal information or that of another person. If the request is for the personal information of another individual, you will be asked to specify whether they are living, deceased fewer than 20 years or deceased 20 years or more. Access to personal information of individuals deceased 20 years or more is granted under the Access to Information Act, and requires a $5.00 application fee. Access to personal information about yourself, another living individual who is eligible to make a request under the Privacy Act and has provided consent, or an individual deceased fewer than 20 years is granted under the Privacy Act and there is no application fee.
2. Select the institution: You will be asked to select the institution you wish to ask for information.
3. Log in, register or proceed as a guest: You will be asked to register (if you make requests regularly), login (if you registered previously) or proceed as a guest (if you prefer not to register). Registration requires only an email address and a password. Guests provide an email address only. Both steps require email verification so that the institution can contact you about your request.
4. Provide request details: You will be asked to confirm your eligibility to make the request, provide the details of your request and specify how you would like to receive your request (electronically, paper, view in person) and in what language. Please note that electronic responses may be provided by email, CD or DVD depending on file size. You will be asked to specify whether your request is about you or someone else. If your request is about someone else, you will be asked to specify whether they are living or deceased. You will also have the option to provide any supporting documentation that could help the institution process your request. If your request is about someone else, you will be required to provide proof of consent (for living individuals), proof of death, or proof that you are the executor or administrator of the individual’s estate (for deceased individuals).
5. Provide contact information: You will be asked to provide your contact information, including name, address and phone number so that you can be contacted about your request.
6. Review request details: You will have the opportunity to review and confirm the details of your request and make any necessary changes before it is sent to the institution for processing.
7. Once you finish your request, you will see a confirmation message. You will have the opportunity to print a copy of your request and your payment receipt. An email will be sent to you at the email address you verified earlier in the process, with a summary of your request. You will then have the option of completing a short feedback questionnaire, exiting the service or making another request.

System requirements

This application may not work if your browser is set to Private Browsing mode.

This application uses cookies to maintain your session so that you do not have to re-enter information already provided.

Fees

A request made under the Access to Information Act has a $5.00 application fee. No other fees are charged.

There are no fees for personal information requests made under the Privacy Act.

Paying for your online request

After you provide your request details, you will be redirected to a secure website to handle your payment. Once your payment is complete, you will return to our website to obtain your request summary and a payment receipt.

Registration

There are 2 ways to make a secure access to information or personal information request:

1. As a guest: If you are not a frequent user of this system, this option enables you to proceed without creating a login.

You will be asked to provide and validate an email address. Once you provide your email address, an email will be sent to you with a link that will bring you back to this site to continue your request submission. This step ensures that an institution can contact you about your request.

2. As a login holder: If you are a frequent user of this system, you may prefer to create a login.

This option will require you to validate your email address only during the registration process (instead of re-validating it each time, as a guest would be required to do). The login consists only of your email and a password that you choose. No other personal information is requested to create the login.

Information available under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act

If you are seeking access to government records generally, you can submit an access to information request under the Access to Information Act.

If you are seeking access to personal information held by a government institution, you can submit a request for personal information under the Privacy Act.

Access to information requests: For general records related to government operations

Government records may be requested under the Access to Information Act.

The Government of Canada is committed to open and transparent government, including making government information “open by default”. However, not all information can be released. Some information needs to be withheld to protect other important democratic values, such as national security, or to protect the privacy of personal information.

Sometimes, there are no records that respond to your request; or the records may not be under the control of the government institution receiving your request. For access to information requests, if another government institution could have these records, your request may be transferred to that institution. Requests are not transferred if the records are under the control of provincial, territorial or municipal governments, or private institutions such as commercial banks and credit bureaus.

The application fee for requests made under that Access to Information Act is $5.00.

Eligibility to make a request under the Access to Information Act

Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and any individual or corporation present in Canada can make a request under the Access to Information Act.

Personal information request: For information about you or someone else

There are no fees charged for requests made under the Privacy Act.

Eligibility to make a request under the Privacy Act

Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals present in Canada can make a request under the Privacy Act for personal information.

Foreign citizens who are not present in Canada cannot directly make a request for their personal information. They may provide their consent to an eligible individual who may request their personal information on their behalf, under the Access to Information Act.

Requesting someone else's personal information

To obtain the personal information of another living person on their behalf, you must provide their written consent authorizing you to receive their personal information. The consent must be signed and dated by the person giving the consent. Permission is not required to obtain the information of dependents who are under 18 years of age.

Requesting personal information of someone who is deceased

To obtain the personal information of a person deceased for 20 years or more, you must provide reasonable proof of death (for example, obituary notice, death certificate, or photograph of tombstone). Access to personal information of individuals deceased 20 years or more is granted under the Access to Information Act, and requires a $5.00 application fee.

If a person has been deceased for fewer than 20 years, only the executor or administrator of the estate may request the personal information of the deceased. The executor or administrator of the estate does not have an unlimited right of access to all of the deceased's personal information, but only that information which will allow them to fulfill their legal responsibilities to finalize the estate. Access to personal information about an individual deceased fewer than 20 years is granted under the Privacy Act and is not subject to an application fee.

Request to correct your personal information

The Privacy Act provides the right to Canadian citizens, permanent residents or individuals present in Canada to request correction of the personal information the government holds about them.

Requests to correct personal information are not processed through this service. To request a correction to your personal information:

• Complete the Record Correction Request Form (opens new window).
• Send your request by mail or email to the Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator (opens new window) of the government institution which holds the information you wish to have corrected. Contact information is listed by institution.

There is no fee for a request to correct your personal information.

Timelines

Government institutions have 30 days to respond to an access to information request or a request for personal information. The institution may be able to process your request more quickly if your request is specific and detailed.

However, an institution may extend the time limit in certain circumstances, for instance:

• the request is for a large number of records or requires a search through a large number of records and meeting the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operations of the government institution;
• consultations are necessary to comply with the request that cannot be completed within the original time limit; or
• additional time is necessary for translation purposes or for converting personal information into an alternative format.

If an extension is required, you will be notified within the first 30 days and told the reason why more time is needed.

Receiving records

You may receive records either electronically or by mail. Or, if you prefer, you can make arrangements with the government institution, through the access to information and privacy coordinator, to view the records in person.

Records are generally provided in the language in which they were created. You can request that the records be provided in either French or English. If translation would be required, the institution has discretion to decide whether to translate the records.

If you have a sensory disability, you can request that the records be provided to you in an alternative format. The institution will provide the records in an alternative format if it is necessary for you to exercise your access rights.

You may also request information in an open and reuseable format, such as in a form that can be read and used by a computer. The Interim Directive on the Administration of the Access to Information Act (opens new window) directs government institutions to accommodate such a request when feasible.

Complaints

If you have questions about your request or the response you receive, you may contact the ATIP Coordinator of the institution to which you submitted your request. (List of Access to Information and Privacy Coordinators (opens new window))

If you are not satisfied with how your access to information request is processed or with the records you receive, you can make a complaint to the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada (opens new window).

If you are not satisfied with how your personal information request is processed, with the information you receive, you can make a complaint to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (opens new window).

Both Commissioners receive and independently investigate complaints from requesters on any matter related to access to records held by government institutions subject to the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act. They may also initiate or intervene in court proceedings where necessary. They are required to report annually to Parliament on their activities and may issue a special report to Parliament at any time on any important topic that falls within their powers, duties and functions.

More information

Find out more about how Access to information and personal information requests work (opens new window).