If you’ve been putting off renewing your passport, now might be the time to get moving.
According to a federal government announcement, Canada is changing how it calculates citizens’ passport fees, and the new prices kick in on March 31, 2026. Instead of using a preset formula, fees will now be adjusted annually based on inflation, specifically tied to Canada’s All-items Consumer Price Index. The first adjustment reflects the 2.7% CPI recorded in April 2024.
Luckily, it’s not a massive jump.
New passport fees
For Canadians applying from within Canada, here’s what you’ll pay starting March 31:
- Child passport: $58.53 (up from $57)
- Five-year adult passport: $123.24 (up from $120)
- Ten-year adult passport: $164.32 (up from $160)
If you’re picking up your passport or receiving it by mail from outside Canada, the fees are higher:
- Child passport: $102.70 (up from $100)
- Five-year adult passport: $195.13 (up from $190)
- Ten-year adult passport: $267.02 (up from $260)
Note that fees for lost or stolen passport replacements, urgent processing, and other administrative services have not been confirmed as part of this adjustment.
Why are fees going up?
The federal government says the current fee structure, which has been in place since 2013, doesn’t cover the actual cost of running the Passport Program. Material costs, processing, domestic delivery, program support, and IT costs make up roughly 85% of operating expenses, none of which were factored into the old formula. Switching to a CPI-based model is meant to keep fees in line with what it actually costs to deliver the service year over year.
If you’re planning any international travel in 2026 and your passport is due for renewal, getting your application in before March 31 means you’ll pay the current rates. After that, expect these new prices to be the baseline, with annual adjustments baked in going forward.
