If you’ve been putting off renewing your Canadian passport, today is the last day to do it at the current price.
Starting tomorrow, March 31, any application received by the federal government will be processed at new, higher rates. It’s the first passport fee adjustment since 2013, and unlike past increases, this one won’t be the last. Under the Service Fees Act, fees will now be reviewed and updated on an annual basis going forward.
The increases themselves are fairly modest. A 10-year adult passport goes from $160 to $163.50, a 5-year adult passport rises from $120 to $122.50, and a 5-year child passport climbs from $57 to $58.50. Expedited processing fees stay the same — urgent service (10 business days) still adds $20, 48-hour service adds $50, and same-day or next-day service adds $110.
There’s some good news, too
Alongside the fee hike, a long-promised passport guarantee is finally taking effect. Starting April 1, if your complete application isn’t processed within 30 business days, you’ll automatically receive a full refund — no forms, no phone calls, nothing required on your end. The policy was first announced back in March 2025 as part of a broader effort to avoid a repeat of the 2022 passport crisis, but it’s only now getting a firm start date.
One thing to keep in mind: mailing time doesn’t count toward that 30-business-day window, so if you’re applying by mail, factor in a few extra days on either end.
Worth checking your expiry date
Even if a trip isn’t on the immediate horizon, it’s worth digging out your passport and checking when it expires.
Passport Canada recommends renewing at least six months before the expiry date, and for good reason. More than 70 countries, including popular destinations like Thailand, Turkey, the Dominican Republic and Singapore, require your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date. A passport that looks fine on paper could still get you denied at the gate.
Full details on fees and renewal options are available at canada.ca.
