Federal government launches expanded online passport renewal service

Ottawa expands online passport renewal
Ottawa expands online passport renewal
The new Canadian passport is unveiled at an event at the Ottawa International Airport in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Writer

Immigration Minister Lena Diab says that, starting today, online passport renewal is open to all eligible Canadian adults.

To qualify, applicants must have an address in Canada, be older than 16 when they got their last passport, and must have received it within the last 15 years, among other criteria.

Applicants will still need to get a passport photo taken by a commercial photographer and submit a digital copy when applying online.

Online passport renewals have been an option for some passport holders for few years but the most recent version of the service had a daily cap of 2,000 applications.

Diab says people who apply online should expect to receive their new passports within 20 days and to be able to track its progress in real time.

The minister announced earlier this year that applicants' passport application fees will be reimbursed if they wait more than 30 days to get their travel documents.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2026. 

By David Baxter | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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