Canadians can FINALLY renew their passports online but there’s a catch

Renewing a Canadian passport has never exactly been a fun errand. Between the lineups, the paperwork, and the trips to a government office, most people put it off as long as humanly possible.

That just changed (sort of). As of April 16, all eligible Canadians can now renew their passport entirely online through the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada portal — no in-person visit or envelope stuffing required.

The option had been available to a limited group since last year, but the federal government has now opened it up to everyone. It’s the first time Canada has offered fully online passport renewal, and it joins the existing in-person and mail-in routes as a third option.

However, just because it’s online, it doesn’t mean spots are unlimited. The government is currently capping online applications at 1,500 per day while it monitors the system’s performance. The counter resets at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern, with 750 slots available in each 12-hour window.

So, if you’re planning to apply, timing matters.

Do you qualify?

The online process is designed for straightforward renewals, so there’s a specific list of conditions you need to meet. You’re eligible if all of the following apply:

• You’re applying for your own passport, not a child’s or someone else’s
• Both your home address and mailing address are in Canada
• You were 16 or older when your current passport was issued
• Your current passport is a regular 5 or 10-year passport that shows your place of birth
• Your passport was issued within the last 15 years
• Your passport expires within the next six months or has already expired
• Your name, date of birth, place of birth, and gender designation are all staying the same on the new passport
• You have a digital photo that meets the required specifications
• Your passport has no observations noted, hasn’t been seized, and hasn’t been reported lost or stolen

If you changed your gender since your last passport was issued, you’ll need to apply in person or by mail instead.

A key thing to know before you hit submit

The moment you submit your online renewal application, your current passport is automatically cancelled and no longer valid. If you have any travel planned within the next 20 business days (the approximate processing time Ottawa has indicated) you’re better off applying in person rather than online.

What does it cost?

The fees are the same regardless of how you apply, and new rates have been in effect since March 31:

• Child passport (15 and under): $58.53
• 5-year adult passport (16 and over): $123.24
• 10-year adult passport (16 and over): $164.32

If your completed application isn’t processed within 30 business days, you’re entitled to a full automatic refund with no action required on your part.

To get started, head to the IRCC portal at ircc.canada.ca.

This story was inspired by the article “Tu peux ENFIN renouveler ton passeport canadien en ligne et voici comment” which was originally published on Narcity.