Canada's new passport fee hike kicks in on Tuesday
If you’re planning to apply for a passport in Canada, prepare to pay more. New fees are set to kick in this week.
Getting a passport in Canada will cost more starting Tuesday, March 31.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced on Jan. 26 that the annual fee hike is due to increased processing costs, as well as costs associated with mailing and courier services.
Base fees first came into effect in 2013, with fees expected to go up by a standard two per cent annually until 2023. However, with inflation outpacing the planned two per cent increase, the new hike has been adjusted to 2.7 per cent, and those changes will be implemented this week.
“The first annual fee adjustment to account for inflation will occur on March 31, 2026, and increase with the April 2024 All-items Consumer Price Index for Canada, as published by Statistics Canada under the Statistics Act,” states IRCC.
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On Tuesday, the fee for a five-year adult passport (age 16 and up) will go from $120 to $122.50, while a 10-year adult passport fee will increase from $160 to $163.50 for those living in Canada.
But if you live outside Canada, fees are a little higher: the adult five-year passport fee will jump from $190 to $194.25, while a 10-year passport will go from $260 to $266.25.
The fee for a child’s passport (valid for five years) is increasing from $57 to $58.50 for those living in Canada, and from $100 to $102.50 for those living outside the country.
Need your passport sooner? In addition to regular passport fees, urgent pickup is getting more expensive, increasing from $110 to $125.75. Fees for weekend or statutory holiday passport services are also rising from $335 to $383.50.
Meanwhile, the cost of a temporary passport is going up from $110 to $125.75, and an interim passport will increase from $135 to $150.75.
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Passport fees aren’t the only thing increasing; Canadians will also be paying more for other travel documents.
The fee for an adult certificate of identity is increasing from $260 to $266.25, while an adult refugee travel document will rise from $120 to $122.50.
If you’re applying online or in person, the fee depends on the day you submit your application, so make sure to check that you’ve paid the correct amount.
But if you’re mailing in your application, keep in mind possible delays when you mail it and when it’s received, as fees could change during that time.
For mail-in applications, the new fee is based on the date that the IRCC receives your application, not the date it was sent. Any applications received on or after May 1, 2026, with the wrong fee will be returned, and you’ll need to submit them again with the correct fee.
For more information, visit the IRCC website on passport and document fee changes.
What are your thoughts on the new passport fee increase? Let us know in the comments or email us at trending@dailyhive.com.