Canadians applying for passports and other travel documents will soon pay slightly higher fees as the federal government moves to update costs for the first time in more than a decade while introducing a new service guarantee aimed at improving processing times.
The changes, announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, will take effect on March 31, 2026, and will apply to passport and travel document applications submitted on or after that date. Officials say the adjustment is necessary to keep pace with inflation and the rising cost of producing secure travel documents and maintaining passport services across the country.
Under the updated fee structure, the cost of a 10-year adult passport issued within Canada will increase from $160 to $163.50. A five-year adult passport will rise from $120 to $122.50, while a five-year passport for children will increase from $57 to $58.50. Although the increases are relatively small, they mark the first time passport fees have been updated since 2013.
Fees for other travel documents will also see modest increases. For Canadians applying from outside the country, a 10-year adult passport will rise to approximately $266.25, while a five-year passport will increase to about $194.25. Temporary and interim passports, along with certificates of identity and refugee travel documents, will also become more expensive under the new schedule.
Federal officials say the changes reflect the growing costs associated with passport production, which includes advanced anti-counterfeiting technologies, biometric chips and upgraded security features designed to prevent fraud and protect Canadian travellers abroad. In addition to the physical production of the documents, the passport program also covers application processing, customer support services and international consular assistance.
The federal government says the increase is part of a broader shift toward regularly adjusting passport fees to keep them aligned with inflation. Under the federal Service Fees Act, certain government service charges must be updated periodically based on changes in the Consumer Price Index. As a result, passport fees are expected to be reviewed annually moving forward rather than remaining unchanged for long periods.
Officials say the program’s current fee structure no longer fully reflects the cost of delivering passport services. Rising expenses related to staffing, technology systems, and document security have put pressure on the program’s finances in recent years, prompting a broader review of its funding model.
Alongside the fee increase, Ottawa is introducing a new processing guarantee designed to improve accountability and service reliability. Beginning April 1, 2026, the government will process complete passport applications within 30 business days or the passport will effectively be free. If the service standard is not met, applicants will automatically receive a refund of the passport fee without needing to request it.
The refund policy is intended to provide Canadians with greater certainty when planning international travel, particularly after widespread delays that occurred during the surge in passport demand following the COVID-19 pandemic. The new guarantee applies only to standard applications submitted with all required documentation.
However, certain charges will not be refundable. These include the $25 consular fee collected for services outside Canada, as well as fees associated with urgent or express processing requests. Applications for some specialized travel documents, such as child certificates of identity or refugee travel documents, are also excluded from the refund policy.
Passport services in Canada are delivered through a network of government offices and Service Canada centres across the country. The documents remain among the most widely held forms of identification for Canadians and are considered one of the most secure travel documents in the world due to embedded biometric chips and advanced printing technology.
For many Canadians, the modest price increase is unlikely to significantly affect travel plans. Still, officials acknowledge that even small fee changes can impact some groups, including families applying for multiple passports at once, students, seniors on fixed incomes and Canadians with limited financial resources.
The government says the updated fee structure and new service guarantee are part of broader efforts to modernize passport services while ensuring the system remains financially sustainable and responsive to demand.
Applications submitted before March 31 will continue to be processed under the current fee structure. After that date, all new applications will be subject to the revised prices and the new processing guarantee scheduled to begin the following day.
About the Author
