Passport renewal Canada costs C$163.50 for a 10-year adult passport and C$122.50 for a 5-year one when you apply from inside Canada, according to fees that took effect on 31 March 2026. Since 1 April 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) guarantees to process a complete application within 30 business days or refund the fee automatically. Online renewal opened to all eligible adults on 28 July 2026.
If you’re researching passport renewal Canada, three things changed this year: the fee, the processing guarantee and the online route. The fee rose for the first time since 2013, the old partial refunds were replaced with a full refund promise, and adults can now renew from a computer if they meet a short list of conditions. This guide covers the fees inside and outside Canada, urgent options, who can renew online, the photo and references, the 30-business-day guarantee, lost passports and the places where the sources disagree. It draws on Global News (11 March 2026), CIC News (27 March 2026), Immigration News Canada (30 March 2026), Moving2Canada (last modified 6 October 2026), Narcity (29 July 2026) and a Liberty Immigration blog post (28 July 2026). None of these is an IRCC page, and the official pages could not be opened from our tools, so confirm each fee and rule on the Government of Canada site before you apply. For how renewal works in the United States, see our passport renewal guide.
How Much Does Passport Renewal Canada Cost?
C$163.50 for an adult 10-year passport in Canada, and C$266.25 outside Canada. Global News, CIC News and Immigration News Canada list the same fees.
Narcity says the fee is the same whether you apply online, in person or by mail. For online and in-person applications, the fee date is the day you submit. For mailed applications, it is the day IRCC receives the file, so a mailed application that arrived after 31 March 2026 paid the new fee. CIC News mentions a C$25 consular fee for adult applications, without more detail, and the processing guarantee excludes it.
How Much Did the Fees Go Up?
By C$3.50 for a 10-year adult passport, or about 2.2 percent. The arithmetic is C$163.50 minus C$160, which equals C$3.50, and 3.50 divided by 160 is roughly 0.022. A 5-year adult passport rose by C$2.50 (about 2.1 percent), a child’s by C$1.50 (about 2.6 percent), and the outside-Canada adult fee by C$6.25 (about 2.4 percent).
Global News calls this the first passport fee update since 2013 and says the government cited inflation and the rising cost of producing secure travel documents. Immigration News Canada adds that fees will be indexed to the Consumer Price Index from 2026, with the first adjustment expected in April 2027. Moving2Canada says fees will rise each year with inflation under the Service Fees Act, so a guide written next spring may show a different number.
What Do the Fees Work Out to per Year?
A 10-year adult passport costs about C$16.35 per year, and a 5-year one costs C$24.50 per year. The arithmetic is 163.50 divided by 10 and 122.50 divided by 5. The longer passport therefore costs C$8.15 less per year of validity (24.50 minus 16.35), and C$41 more up front (163.50 minus 122.50).
A family of two adults and two children pays C$455 in Canada if the adults choose 10 years (163.50 twice plus 58.50 twice). The same family abroad pays C$740.50 (266.25 twice plus 102.50 twice), before any consular fee. The gap between the two totals is C$285.50.
What Do Urgent Services Cost?
C$125.75 for urgent pickup, and C$383.50 for weekend or statutory holiday service. CIC News lists the new urgent and special fees, which are charged on top of the passport fee.
An adult who needs a 10-year passport urgently pays C$289.25 in total (163.50 plus 125.75). The sources don’t give processing timelines for urgent service. Immigration News Canada only suggests applying in person at a Service Canada location for the fastest processing, and Liberty Immigration calls in-person service the best choice for travel within 24 to 48 hours. Moving2Canada says urgent options cost more but gives no figures. Urgent and express fees are not covered by the refund guarantee.
Who Can Renew a Canadian Passport Online?
Eligible adults living in Canada whose passport is about to expire or has expired. Moving2Canada says online renewal became available to all eligible adults on 28 July 2026, with no daily limits. Narcity lists the conditions.
- You renew your own passport.
- You have a home and mailing address in Canada and can receive the passport.
- Your passport expires within six months or has already expired.
- You don’t need the passport for the next 20 business days plus mailing time.
- Your name, date of birth, place of birth and gender identifier are unchanged.
- Your passport is undamaged and has no observations (notes) on its pages.
Liberty Immigration describes the rules differently: it says the applicant must be 16 or older, that the previous passport must have been issued within the past 15 years and that you must be physically in Canada. It lists lost, stolen or damaged passports and citizens living outside Canada as not eligible. Narcity’s headline says “all adults,” but its body adds the conditions above, so check the official page for your own case.
What Photo and References Do You Need?
A digital photo from a commercial photographer and two references. Narcity gives the online requirements.
- Photo: taken in person by a commercial photographer, no more than six months old and not a scan of a print. It must be a .jpeg or .jpg file that meets the size and face measurement rules and has not been altered. Liberty Immigration says selfies and retouched photos are rejected.
- References: two people aged 18 or older who have known you for at least two years and agree to be listed. Immediate family, spouses or partners, children, grandchildren and other extended family are excluded.
- Documents: Liberty Immigration says you upload scans of any supporting identity or name change documents and do not mail originals, but it does not list which documents are required.
Moving2Canada lists the general documents for a new passport: the application form, proof of citizenship, supporting identity documents, two identical photos, a guarantor, two references and full payment. The sources don’t say which of these apply to a renewal, so follow the checklist the application generates.
How Do You Renew a Canadian Passport Online?
Check eligibility, get a digital photo, sign in, enter your passport details, upload documents, pay and submit. Liberty Immigration lists six steps.
- Confirm that you are eligible.
- Get a digital photo from a commercial studio.
- Sign in with a GCKey or a Sign-In Partner credential.
- Enter the number, issue date and expiry date of your current passport.
- Upload scans of the supporting documents.
- Pay by credit card and submit, then keep the confirmation number for tracking.
Narcity and Moving2Canada both warn that submitting the renewal cancels your current passport right away. A traveler with a trip in three weeks should wait to submit, or choose the in-person route, because the old passport stops working before the new one arrives.
How Long Does Passport Renewal Canada Take?
Moving2Canada says typically 10 to 20 business days, and IRCC guarantees a decision within 30. Narcity says online processing could take up to 20 business days, and that delivery usually takes about five business days depending on the region. Liberty Immigration gives no time frame.
The guarantee started on 1 April 2026 and applies to complete applications submitted online, in person or by mail. Weekends, federal holidays and mailing time don’t count toward the 30 days, and the clock does not start until the file is complete, according to Immigration News Canada and Moving2Canada. Time spent waiting for IRCC to request extra information doesn’t count either. A mailed application received on Monday 2 November, with no gaps, should be finalized by mid-December, because 30 business days is six working weeks.
How Does the Refund Guarantee Work?
A complete application not processed in 30 business days gets a full automatic refund of the passport fee. CIC News says no action is needed. The refund method depends on where you applied.
- Applications from Canada or the United States: a cheque to the mailing address on file.
- Applications from elsewhere: a refund to the credit card used, or a cheque or electronic funds transfer.
The guarantee covers adult 5-year and 10-year passports (in Canada and abroad), child passports, temporary passports, adult refugee travel documents and adult certificates of identity. It excludes the C$25 adult consular fee, urgent or express fees (including transfer and pickup fees), and fees for child certificates of identity and child refugee travel documents. It replaces the earlier system that returned 25 percent for processing 1 to 10 business days late and 50 percent for more than 10 days late.
What If You Cannot Renew Online?
Use the mail or in-person route. Narcity mentions both options, including Service Canada locations, but gives no steps. If you live outside Canada, are under 16 or need to replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport, online renewal is not available according to Liberty Immigration, so use the route shown on the Government of Canada site.
For a lost or stolen passport abroad, Moving2Canada says to report it immediately to local police and the nearest Canadian embassy, consulate or consular office. They can help arrange emergency travel documents or a replacement, which may need extra fees, photos and identity checks. The page recommends keeping a digital copy of your passport pages as a backup.
Which Route Fits Which Applicant?
Renew online if you meet every condition and have time, and go in person if you travel soon. The table lines up the options.
How Reliable Are the Sources?
The fee figures are consistent, and the eligibility details are not. Global News, CIC News, Immigration News Canada and Moving2Canada all give C$163.50, C$122.50 and C$58.50, and they agree on the 31 March and 1 April 2026 dates. That agreement makes the fees safe to plan around.
The online eligibility rules are the weak spot. Narcity and Liberty Immigration describe the age (adult against 16 or older) and the issue date (no limit against within 15 years) differently, and Narcity’s headline overstates its own conditions. Moving2Canada gives only the expiry, observations and unchanged-details conditions. CIC News and Immigration News Canada word the refund trigger slightly differently (“finalized” against “processed”), so read the official terms.
What Should You Check Before You File?
Confirm the fee, your eligibility and your travel dates. Three quick checks save the most time.
- Open the Government of Canada fee page on the day you apply, since fees can change each year.
- Compare your passport against the online conditions: expiry within six months, no observations, details unchanged.
- Count 30 business days from the day your file is complete.
A parent renewing a 12-year-old’s passport should plan on the mail or in-person route, since the online route is for adults.
Which Mistakes Delay Passport Renewal Canada?
Rejected photos and applying too close to a trip cause most delays. Check each point first.
- Using a selfie, an edited photo or a scan of a printed photo.
- Listing a family member or a person you met under two years ago as a reference.
- Submitting the online renewal while you still need the current passport.
- Applying online when your name, birth details or gender identifier have changed.
- Using the pre-2026 fee of C$160.
- Assuming the refund guarantee covers urgent service fees.
- Waiting until your passport has under six months of validity before a trip.
- Applying from outside Canada through the online route.
FAQs
How much does passport renewal Canada cost?
C$163.50 for a 10-year adult passport and C$122.50 for a 5-year one, applied for in Canada.
Can I renew my Canadian passport online?
Yes, if you are an eligible adult living in Canada and meet the conditions on the official site.
How long does it take?
Typically 10 to 20 business days, with a 30-business-day refund guarantee from 1 April 2026.
Do I need references?
Yes for online renewal: two people aged 18 or over who aren’t family and have known you for two years.
Is the fee different online?
No. Narcity says the fee is the same online, by mail and in person.
Can I renew from outside Canada?
Not online, according to Liberty Immigration. The adult 10-year fee abroad is C$266.25.
Conclusion
Passport renewal Canada costs C$163.50 for a 10-year adult passport since 31 March 2026, and IRCC refunds the fee if a complete application takes longer than 30 business days. Check that you meet the online conditions before you submit, because the old passport is cancelled the moment you do.
