Canada Opens Online Passport Renewal to Eligible Adults

Canadian adults who meet federal requirements can now renew their passports fully online after Ottawa removed the daily application cap on July 28.

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced the expanded service in Vancouver. Eligible applicants can submit their form, digital photograph and payment through the IRCC Portal – New Version rather than mailing documents or visiting a Service Canada Centre.

Who Can Apply Online

The service is available to people living in Canada who are renewing their own adult passport. Both their home and mailing addresses must be in Canada, and they must remain there to receive the new document.

Applicants must have applied for their current passport when they were at least 16. The passport must be a regular blue passport, have been valid for five or 10 years, show the holder’s place of birth and have been issued within the past 15 years.

It must already be expired or be due to expire within six months. Passports with more than six months remaining do not qualify.

The online option is also unavailable when a passport is damaged, seized or surrendered. Applicants must use the same name, birth date, birthplace and gender identifier shown on their current passport.

Digital Photograph Required

Applicants need a digital passport photograph taken in person by a commercial photographer within the previous six months. A scanned version of a printed photograph will not be accepted.

Once an online application is submitted, the current passport is cancelled. Anyone who needs to travel soon should apply in person instead.

Online renewals have a 20-business-day service standard, plus mailing time. Mailing normally takes about five additional business days. Applicants receive real-time status updates during processing. The digital process also allows them to keep original personal documents rather than sending those records through the mail or handing them over in person.

Under the federal “30 days or free” guarantee introduced April 1, application fees are refunded when a complete eligible application takes longer than 30 business days to process. Mailing time is not included.

Pilot Expanded Nationwide

Ottawa began testing online renewals in December 2024. The pilot initially handled 10 applications per day before gradually increasing to 2,000 daily. More than 27,000 Canadians had used the service by September 30, 2025.

The government expects about 4.6 million passport applications this year, with renewals making up roughly 60 per cent. Up to two million applications may qualify for the online service, potentially easing lineups at Service Canada locations.

“The online system was designed and tested according to Government of Canada security and privacy standards, and we will continue to monitor it as more Canadians begin to use it,” Diab said.

Other Options Remain

In-person and mail-in applications will continue. Canadians living outside the country and people under 16 cannot renew online. Those needing faster service must visit a location offering 10-day, express or urgent processing.

The government says online renewal is part of a broader effort to modernize passport services while giving Canadians more ways to apply.