Canada expands online passport renewal to all eligible adults

The federal government has expanded online passport renewal to all eligible adult Canadians in Canada, removing the previous limit on the number of people who could access the service.

Eligible Canadians can now complete the renewal process online by submitting their application, digital passport photo and payment without mailing documents or visiting a Service Canada Centre.

All passport applications still require a commercially taken photo. 

For online renewals, applicants must obtain a digital photo file from a commercial photographer.

The eligibility requirements for online renewal differ slightly from those for applications submitted by mail or in person. 

Canadians are advised to review the requirements before beginning an application.

“Canadians expect passport services that work for their lives. Expanding online renewal gives eligible Canadians a simpler, more convenient way to renew their passports, without unnecessary barriers or delays,” said Lena Metlege Diab, minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. 

“This is part of the Government of Canada's ongoing work to modernize passport services and deliver public services that are responsive to the needs of Canadians today.”

Online applications follow 20-day standard

Online renewals follow the same 20-business-day service standard as simplified adult renewal applications submitted by mail or at most Service Canada Centres.

Applicants also receive real-time status updates that allow them to track their application while it is being processed.

Canadians who require a passport sooner must apply in person at a Service Canada Centre or passport office offering 10-business-day, express or urgent service.

In-person and mail-in applications will remain available for people who prefer them or are unable to use the online service. 

Canadians applying from outside the country must continue to apply by mail or visit a Government of Canada office abroad.

“Accessible service means giving Canadians options, starting with more ways to renew a passport,” said Patty Hajdu, minister of Jobs and Families and minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario. 

“We are removing the barriers between Canadians and the services they rely on by modernizing how we deliver them and shaping them around how people live. When Canadians can access services without added stress or lost time, they can focus on what matters, their families, their jobs, and their futures.”

Passport services expanded

The online rollout follows several other changes to Canada’s passport services, including the introduction of an online application status checker and expanded access to 10-business-day service at select Service Canada Centres.

The government has also introduced a service guarantee under which applications will be processed within 30 business days or the passport will be issued free of charge.

“The Government of Canada is working to make services more efficient and better suited to the needs of Canadians. The online passport renewal service is a great example of modernizing our service delivery landscape and improving the passport program,” said Annie Koutrakis, parliamentary secretary to the minister of Jobs and Families. 

“In the long term, this online service will reduce wait times at our points of service and benefit Canadians who can spend more time where it matters the most to them.”

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