Canada Expands Online Passport Renewal to Canadians Aged 16 and Over

Immigration Minister Lena Diab made the announcement at a press conference on July 28.

“Renewing your passport should be one of the easiest parts of planning a trip, not the most stressful,” Diab said during the announcement.

The government says the expansion is intended to give Canadians more choice when renewing their passports. Canadians who prefer to renew by mail or at a Service Canada office can continue to do so.

The nationwide rollout follows several months of testing and a gradual expansion of the online renewal service. According to Minister Diab, the program began as a small pilot in late 2024, initially processing about 10 online renewal applications per day. Before opening the service to all eligible Canadians, the government had increased capacity to about 2,000 online renewals per day.

Asked by Global News whether the system could handle roughly two million passport renewals each year, Immigration Minister Lena Diab said officials are confident the service is ready for the increased demand.

“The system has been tested. IRCC and Service Canada have an expectation, and it was designed with that in mind,” Diab said.

Who Can Renew a Canadian Passport Online?

To qualify for online passport renewal, you must:

• Be at least 16 years old.
• Be renewing your own passport.
• Have a home and mailing address in Canada.
• Be applying to renew their passports from inside Canada.
• Have applied for your current passport when you were 16 or older.
• Have a regular blue Canadian passport that was issued within the past 15 years and was valid for five or 10 years.
• Have a passport that is already expired or will expire within the next six months.
• Keep the same name, date of birth, place of birth, and gender identifier on your new passport.

One notable change is that Canadians can now complete online renewal for passports that have already expired, provided the passport was issued within the past 15 years.

Applicants will also need a digital passport photo taken by a commercial photographer within the past six months. The photo cannot be a scanned copy of a printed image.

How to Apply for Online Passport Renewal in Canada

Eligible Canadians can apply for passport renewal online by creating an account on IRCC’s Online Portal. Before starting your application, you’ll need:

• Your current Canadian passport.
• A digital passport photo taken by a commercial photographer within the past six months.
• A credit card to pay the application fee.
• Two references who are at least 18 years old, have known you for at least two years, and are not family members or your spouse or common-law partner.

After submitting your application, your current passport will be cancelled and can no longer be used for travel. The government says most online passport renewals will be processed within 20 business days, plus mailing time, and applicants can track their application through their online account.

Some Canadians Will Still Need to Apply in Person

Online renewal is available to most individuals, but in certain cases you may still need to apply in person or by mail. You need to apply in person or by mail if you’re applying for your first adult passport, renewing a child passport, or changing your name, date of birth, place of birth, or gender identifier.

The government also recommends applying in person if you need your passport within the next 20 business days. Once you submit an online renewal application, your current passport is cancelled immediately and can no longer be used for travel, even if it hasn’t yet expired.

Passport Renewal Fees

Canadian passport renewal fees remain unchanged. As of July 28, 2026, passport fees are:

• Adult Passport | 5 Years | $122.50
• Adult Passport | 10 Years | $163.50
• Child Passport | $58.50

These fees can be paid using a credit card.

Processing Times and Passport Guarantee

The federal government says it will process most online renewal applications within 20 business days, plus mailing time.

Online renewals are covered by Canada’s new “30 business days or it’s free” passport guarantee. Under this policy, applicants whose passport renewal takes longer than 30 business days to process will be refunded their application fees.

Applicants can track their application through the online portal after applying.

For Canadians who meet the eligibility requirements and don’t need to travel immediately, the new online renewal service offers a more convenient way to renew a passport without visiting a Service Canada office or mailing an application.