by Jen Mallia
Last updated: 10:50 AM ET, Thu March 5, 2026
After teasing the idea last year, the Government of Canada is moving ahead with its proposed time guarantee for passports. Starting April 1, 2026, passports that aren’t processed within 30 business days will be refunded.
In announcing the new initiative, the government stated that in order to “provide a simpler and more predictable experience for Canadians, the Government of Canada is strengthening accountability and efficiency for passport services.”
Even simpler, passport applicants won’t have to do anything to get the refund, rather the passport office will automatically process it if the 30 business day limit is exceeded.
For more information, please see: the Refunds for applications processed outside service standards page on Canada.ca
Fees Increase
The passport announcement wasn’t all good news, however, as it also contained the information that prices for Canadian passports are increasing.
For applications made within Canada, the fees will be as follows:
- 10-year regular adult passport – from $160 to $163.50 (up $3.50)
- 5-year regular adult passport – from $120 to $122.50 (up $2.50)
- 5-year regular child passport – from $57 to $58.50 (up $1.50)
Other passport services will also be more expensive. For a full list, please see the Passport and travel document fee changes page on the federal government website.
The increases are due to inflation and the “growing cost of producing secure travel documents and supporting Canadians throughout the application process,” according to the announcement.
Prices will now likely increase every year. The last time Canadians faced an increase was in 2013.
The price increase goes into effect on March 31, 2026.
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