Canada launches online passport renewals

As of July 28, Canadian citizens aged 16 years of age or older can now renew their passports online, provided the passport was issued within the past 15 years.

Individuals who renew their Canadian passport online will receive real-time updates as their application is processed.

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To renew online, applicants must provide a Canadian residential and mailing address, along with a digital passport photo taken by a commercial photographer within the past six months.

The passport must also either have already expired or be set to expire within the next six months to qualify for online renewal.

The digital application process will permit applicants to upload required supporting documentation instead of mailing them in or visiting a Service Canada Centre, allowing them to keep their original personal documents in their possession.

This service is not intended to replace or phase out in-person or mail-in applications—these options will remain available. Rather, it aims to provide Canadians with more options, reduce in-person wait times, and help applicants avoid common mistakes and incomplete submissions which may result in delays.

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced the launch of the online passport renewal service on July 28, 2026, at a press conference in Vancouver at 10 a.m. Pacific Time (PT).

Online passport renewals carry a 20-business-day processing target, not including approximately five days for mailing. As of April 1, applicants will receive their passport for free if processing times longer than 30 business days.

The government expects to receive 4.6 million Canadian passport applications this year, with renewals accounting for roughly 60%. Up to two million applications are expected to qualify for the new online passport renewal service, reducing in-person queues at Service Canada locations.

The federal government began testing the service in December 2024 in a limited capacity, initially processing 10 applications a day and gradually expanding to 2,000 applications daily. As of July 28, the testing period is over and the daily cap on online passport renewals has been lifted.

By September 30, 2025, over 27,000 Canadians had used the online passport renewal service, according to a December 2025 IRCC briefing document for the Public Accounts Committee.

"The online system was designed and tested according to Government of Canada security and privacy standards, and we will continue to monitor it as more Canadians begin to use it," Diab said during the Vancouver press conference.

According to the immigration minister, the expansion of online passport renewal availability is part of the government's broader work to modernize passport services for Canadian citizens.

Online passport renewals are presently unavailable to Canadians residing outside Canada and individuals under 16. The government may broaden access as it continues to review the system.

Individuals with more than six months of validity remaining on their passport or those with a damaged, seized, or surrendered passports are not eligible for online renewal.

Those who meet the eligibility criteria to submit an digital renewal application can do so through the IRCC Portal - New Version.

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