Here's When To Apply For Or Renew Your Canadian Passport Based On When You Need To Travel

When to renew your Canadian passport

Exactly when you should renew your passport will depend on a few things.

For one, it depends on where you're going. In some cases, you'll need to renew your passport even if it hasn't expired yet, as some countries require that visitors have a passport that's valid for three to six months beyond the date they expect to leave.

For example, European countries that are part of the Schengen Area, like Italy, Greece and Portugal, require that your passport be valid for at least three months beyond the date you expect to leave the zone.

Other popular tourist countries, like Indonesia, Fiji and Thailand, require that your passport be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave.

You can find details on passport requirements for each country on Canada's travel advisories website.

Another factor in when to renew your passport is how soon you'll need it.

In June 2022, Canada was facing the peak of a passport backlog, with Canadians experiencing months-long passport wait times that often ended up derailing travel plans.

In January, the minister responsible for passports in Canada said that the backlog of applications had been "virtually eliminated."

Currently, the service standard for non-urgent applications is around 10 business days if submitted in person at a passport office or about 20 days if submitted at a regular Service Canada Centre.

The government notes that this doesn't include mailing time. So if you've already got travel planned and need to renew your passport, it's best not to wait until the month of your trip to do it.

However, it's worth noting that Canada does offer urgent and express passport applications, if needed.

When to apply for a new Canadian passport 

You'll need to apply for a new passport if you don't already have one, of course, but there are other reasons you may need to apply for a new one.

If you were under the age of 16 when your passport was issued, you'll need to apply for an adult passport.

If you want to change your personal information, like your name, date of birth, place of birth or gender identifier, you'll also be unable to renew your passport and will need to apply for a new one.

Depending on when you need your new passport, you may want to opt for visiting a passport office in person versus sending in the application by mail.

If your request is urgent (i.e. you need it by the end of the next business day), you'll want to visit a passport office with urgent pick-up service. It's worth noting that these are for walk-ins only and don't take appointments.

If you need it within 2-9 days, you can go to a passport office with express pick-up service, which allows for both appointments and walk-ins.

Otherwise, as mentioned, the service standard for applications is 10 to 20 business days, plus mail time.