What to know
- Canadians renewing an adult passport can do so online, by mail, or in person without a guarantor or citizenship proof, as long as their previous passport was issued within 15 years and matches their personal details.
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada introduced online renewals for eligible applicants, though daily application caps reset at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to manage demand.
- Renewals cost $120 for five years or $160 for ten years, and as of March 2025 the government guarantees processing within 30 days or applicants receive a full refund.
If you’re looking to renew your passport ahead of an upcoming trip, here’s what you need to know regarding the process and new systems in place.
As the temperature rises, the summer season tends to mean a spike in vacations in and out of Canada, according to a Travelmarket report.
It’s important to ensure your passport is renewed if you’re planning to leave the country, and in the last few years, the federal government has made some changes to the process in order to make it more efficient.
How to renew
Any adult with an existing Canadian passport is able to renew their document with some simple steps.
For renewing a passport, you don’t need a guarantor as you would for a new passport application. You also don’t need proof of Canadian citizenship or supporting identification.
Child passports are not able to be renewed, and application for a new one is required every time it expires until adulthood.
To renew your passport it has to be an adult passport, created when you were 16 years or older. It also needs to have been issued within 15 years from when you’re applying for renewal and valid for five to 10 years. Additionally, your old passport must have the same name, date of birth, gender and place of birth as you want on your new passport.
The cost of the renewal varies by type. Applying for a five-year adult passport costs $120, while a 10-year adult passport costs $160.
Passports are able to be renewed online, by mail or in person.
Online renewal
As of the end of 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) made it so a select number of adults with Canadian passports in the previous 15 years was able to renew their passport online.
Now anyone looking to renew online is able to fill in their application, pay and upload a digital photo taken and stamped by a photographer in order to complete the renewal.
To be eligible for online renewal, Canadians must meet the following requirement:
- Your home and mailing address is in Canada.
- You applied for your current passport when you were 16 or older.
- Your current passport is a regular (blue) passport, was valid for 5 or 10 years, shows your place of birth and was issued in the last 15 years
- Your passport is expired, or will expire in six months
- Your passport has never been seized or surrendered
Canadians are asked to note that online applications have been given a daily cap limit to manage demand, as of February 2026. The amount of people that can access the online renewal service daily was not specified, but the limit resets at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily.
Your current passport will be cancelled once you apply online.
Digital photo requirements
On the back of 1 of your photos, the photographer must write or stamp their studio or company name, their complete address and the date the photos were taken.
By mail renewal
To get started, you’ll need to fill the main application form only using a desktop or laptop, not a phone or tablet.
Don’t forget to specify if you want a five or 10-year passport under section 4 of the form.
To pay, fill out the payment section of your application form with a valid bank card, prepaid card, cheque or money order.
Once you’ve mailed us your application, you can’t change the method of payment.
The mailing address depends on what province or territory you’re in. If you’re based in Ontario, the mailing address you send the application to is the following:
Courier mailing address
Government of Canada
Passport Program
22 De Varennes Street
Gatineau, Quebec J8T 8R1
Non-courier mailing address
Government of Canada
Passport Program
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0G3
In-person renewal
The IRCC advises applicants to fill out the form online and print it to save time in person.
You will then submit your application and payment at a Service Canada Centre or specialized passport office.
Applicants can check how long current Service Canada passport processing times are through the government website.
Guaranteed or your money back
The IRCC also announced in March 2025 that renewed passports will be processed within 30 days of the initial application and payment. If this standard is not met, applicants will receive a full refund, regardless of whether they applied online, in-person or by mail.
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