How to Renew Your Passport in Canada

Your passport allows you to move from one country to another. You cannot travel internationally without a valid one, so always renew your passport when its expiry date approaches. Here’s how to renew your passport in Canada.

Passports expire after five or 10 years, so you cannot use yours after that point. After 2020-21 travel restrictions ended, Canada’s passport system struggled to keep pace with renewals. For months, application backlogs took a serious toll on Canadian travellers eager to get away to new destinations. Some had to wait in long lines, prompting the federal government to hire more workers and streamline its approval processes.

To avoid this type of hassle, plan ahead and don’t wait to renew this key identity document. Also, keep in mind that some countries only welcome you if your passport has at least six to eight months time left to go. The renewal process is straightforward and takes only a few weeks.

Who can renew a passport?

Anybody with an expired Canadian passport can apply for renewal if they already have an adult passport. In fact, you do not have to wait for your passport to expire to renew your passport in Canada. You can send in your request up to a year before your existing passport ends. But, remember that you cannot transfer the unused validity period of your existing passport to your new one.

Presently, adults can renew this document but only if you were at least 16 when you applied for your previous one. Anyone under age 16 must apply for a new child passport.

During recent floods and wildfires, many Canadians lost these vital documents. However, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has made it easier for people to replace them even if you dont have your original copy. Typically, the government must have issued your passport within the last 15 years for you to qualify for a renewal. If not, you must start all over again.  

You will have to apply for a new passport if you’d like to change personal information, like a new name or gender. You won’t have to ask for a change if your correct gender already appears on your passport or has an X observation sticker.

How to renew your passport in Canada: a step-by-step guide

Since this document stays valid for many years, it’s easy to forget the steps in renewing a passport in Canada. Here’s a refresher!

1. Fill in the application form

First, fill out and download the free online application form for eligible Canadians applying in Canada or the United States. You’ll find it straightforward and easy to complete. Alternatively, you can go to your nearest Canada Post location and pick a copy of a free application form. 

The website will give you the option to keep existing visas. So, make sure to check the relevant box to ensure you don’t lose valid visas when you apply for passport renewal in Canada.

Take care when filing the form. You cannot white out words but you can cross out the error and add the right information below or above it. However, you will have to write your initials beside the changes.

2 Get two passport photos

Next, you need to submit two unaltered, identical photos with your application. They must have been taken no more than six months before you send in your application with no filters or alterations. In addition, the photos must meet the following requirements:

• 50mm wide by 70mm high
• Your face must serve as the focal point with the height of your face measuring between 31mm and 36mm from your chin to the top of your head.
• Black and white or in high-quality colour. We suggest that you stick to colour photos.
• In focus, clear and sharp images.
• No accessories can cover your facial features, such as large sunglasses. Head coverings and hats worn for religious or medical reasons are permitted but they must not hide your face.
• No flash reflections, glare or shadows.
• You can wear makeup but the picture must show your true skin tone.
• You must keep a neutral expression with your eyes open and clearly visible. No smiling or frowning.
• Don’t tilt your face and shoulders. You must look straight into the camera.
• Plain white or light-coloured background

Ideally, work with a professional studio or photographer and ensure photos get printed on a high-quality, plain photographic paper. In short, don’t take and print your own photos at home. Further, photos on heavy paper get rejected. Finally, have the photographer stamp and date your photos with the studio’s full address and name on the back.

Unlike an application for a new passport, a renewal does not require a guarantor. So you don’t need a guarantor’s signature on the photos.

3. Find references

Don’t confuse guarantors with references! You must include two references aged 18 or over in your application. These individuals must have known you for at least two years, but not as members of your immediate or extended family.

4. Calculate the fee

Next, pay your Canadian passport renewal fee based on these fees:

• 5-year adult passport – $120
• 10-year adult passport – $160
• Applications made in the United States = $190 CAN (5-year passport) or $260 CAN (10-year)

There may face additional charges if you need to replace a stolen or lost passport. Furthermore, you can expedite the process if you have an upcoming trip.

• Urgent pickup within 1 business day – $110
• Express pick-up within 2 to 9 business days – $50
• Pick-up in person within 10 business days – $20
• For emergencies on weekends or holidays – $335

The expedited services options only work for applications submitted in person. You can avoid this fee by not buying expedited services. Still, you pay an extra $45 for replacing a stolen or lost passport, certifying a true copy or transferring a file to a different office.

For instance, you may need a certified true copy in cases where the embassy expressly asks you to submit one. Also, you pay file transfer charges only when you wish to transfer your documents to another passport office. 

5. Pay and submit your application

You cannot currently pay these charges online. However, you may visit the nearest office to pay in person. Available locations include any participating Canada Post outlet, Service Centre Canada and any other Passport Program offices. 

You can pay by debit card, credit card, money order or certified cheque. For cheques, make them payable to the Receiver General for Canada. Further, the government only accepts Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Thankfully, these companies offer some of the best travel credit cards! You can also fill in the payment section of your form, provide the requested details and mail it in. You may NOT pay by personal cheque or cash.

Lastly, the form contains a checklist to ensure you don’t forget anything. You must submit all the required documents including your old passport with your new application.

6. Collect your passport

Finally, collect your passport. You can choose to receive it via mail or pick it from your nearest passport office. If you wonder when you will receive your passport, check the status of your application online.

Once it arrives, check the document to ensure it contains no errors. Then, sign your name in the signature line on page 3 and write your address on page 4. After all, you cannot use unsigned passports for international travel.

How to renew your passport from abroad

You can renew your Canadian passport from abroad without having to come back Canada. The process differs based on where you live. In most cases, you simply fill in and submit an application form then add supporting documents, including your photos. Applications usually go to the Canadian embassy in your country. However, some countries offer dropbox services while others require you to deliver it in person. Processing can take a couple of weeks depending on the country. 

The fee structure depends on your country since they could add charges for expedited services and verifications. Check with the embassy for more details.