Starting March 31, 2026, Canadians will face higher passport fees for the first time since 2013, followed one day later by the launch of a new processing guarantee that promises automatic refunds when application finalization takes more than 30 business days.
The back-to-back changes mark the most significant overhaul of Canada’s passport program in years and will impact both how much Canadians pay and the level of service they can expect from the government.
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New passport fees
On March 31, 2026, most passport and travel document fees will increase to reflect inflation and the rising cost of producing secure travel documents.
The full breakdown of old and new fees is as follows:
| Service | Old fee (before March 31) | New fee (on or after March 31) |
|---|---|---|
| 10-year adult passport (in Canada) | $160 | $163.50 |
| 5-year adult passport (in Canada) | $120 | $122.50 |
| 10-year adult passport (outside Canada) | $260 | $266.25 |
| 5-year adult passport (outside Canada) | $190 | $194.25 |
| Child passport, 5-year (in Canada) | $57 | $58.50 |
| Child passport, 5-year (outside Canada) | $100 | $102.50 |
| Adult certificate of identity | $260 | $266.25 |
| Adult refugee travel document | $120 | $122.50 |
| Urgent pickup | $110 | $125.75 |
| Weekend or statutory holiday service | $335 | $383.50 |
| Temporary passport | $110 | $125.75 |
| Interim passport | $135 | $150.75 |
For applications submitted online or in person, the fee is based on the date of submission. For mailed applications, the fee is based on the date Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) receives the application, not the date it was mailed.
New refund policy
Beginning April 1, 2026, the Government of Canada will introduce a 30-business-day processing guarantee on passport applications. If a complete application is not processed within that time frame, the applicant will receive a full automatic refund of their passport fees.
No action is required on the part of applicants to receive a refund.
For applications submitted within Canada or from the United States, refunds will be issued by cheque and sent to the mailing address on file.
Applications submitted from outside Canada or the US will see fees refunded via credit card (if one was used) or by cheque or electronic funds transfer.
This new policy applies regardless of submission method—online, in person, or by mail—and covers:
- adult five-year and 10-year passports (both domestic and abroad);
- child passports;
- temporary passports;
- adult refugee travel documents; and
- adult certificates of identity.
Not all fees are eligible for a refund under the Service Fees Act. The $25 consular fee for adult applications, fees related to urgent or expedited services (such as transfer fees or express pick-up), and fees for child certificates of identity and child refugee travel documents are excluded.
The policy replaces the existing partial refund system, which currently offers a 25% refund for applications processed within one to 10 business days past the service standard, and a 50% refund for those processed more than 10 business days late.
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Further fee increases ahead
The upcoming March 31 increase is not a one-time adjustment.
Passport fees will now be adjusted annually in accordance with the Service Fees Act, tied to the All-items Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Canada as published by Statistics Canada.
The first adjustment reflects an increase based on the April 2024 CPI. Going forward, Canadians can expect small, annual increases that track inflation.
This represents a structural shift in how passport fees are set. Rather than accumulating large gaps between fee updates, the new approach is intended to provide smaller, more predictable adjustments each year.
Who is eligible for a Canadian passport?
To apply for a Canadian passport, an individual must be a Canadian citizen.
Proof of citizenship—typically a Canadian citizenship certificate, a Canadian birth certificate, or a certificate of Indian status—is required as part of the application.
For those born in Canada, eligibility is generally straightforward: with few exceptions, all individuals born on Canadian soil hold citizenship by birthright.
For those born outside Canada, eligibility depends on whether they acquired citizenship by descent through a Canadian parent or grandparent.
Changes under Bill C-3
On December 15, 2025, Bill C-3, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act, came into effect. This legislation removed the first-generation limit (FGL) to citizenship by descent, which had previously prevented Canadian citizens born abroad from passing citizenship on to their children who were also born outside Canada.
Under the old rules, introduced in 2009, only the first generation born abroad could receive Canadian citizenship by descent. This meant that if a Canadian citizen who was themselves born outside Canada had a child abroad, that child could not acquire citizenship—even if the family had deep ties to Canada.
Bill C-3 eliminates this restriction in two key ways:
- For individuals born outside Canada before December 15, 2025, the FGL has been removed entirely. As long as they can trace their lineage back to a Canadian citizen, they may now be recognized as citizens retroactively.
- For individuals born on or after December 15, 2025, citizenship by descent is available if the Canadian parent (who was also born abroad) spent at least 1,095 days (three years) physically present in Canada before the child’s birth or adoption.
Those who believe they gained citizenship under Bill C-3 must apply for a citizenship certificate through IRCC to confirm their status. Once a citizenship certificate is obtained, they can then apply for a Canadian passport.
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