The Canadian government has launched a nationwide online passport renewal service, allowing eligible citizens aged 16 and above to renew their passports digitally instead of applying in person or by mail.
The service, which became available on 28 July, is open to Canadians whose passports were issued within the past 15 years and are either already expired or due to expire within the next six months.
Applicants must have a Canadian residential and mailing address and upload a digital passport photograph taken by a commercial photographer within the previous six months. Supporting documents can also be submitted online, enabling applicants to keep their original documents.
Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced the rollout during a press conference in Vancouver, describing the initiative as part of the government’s broader effort to modernise passport services and improve convenience for Canadians.
Officials said applicants will receive real-time updates throughout the application process. Online renewals have a target processing time of 20 business days, excluding mailing time. Under the government’s service guarantee, applicants will receive their passport free of charge if processing exceeds 30 business days.
The federal government expects to receive about 4.6 million passport applications this year, with renewals accounting for around 60% of the total. Up to two million applications are expected to qualify for the online service, helping to reduce queues at Service Canada centres.
The online renewal system was first introduced as a pilot programme in December 2024, initially handling just 10 applications per day before expanding to 2,000 daily applications. The testing phase has now ended, and the daily application limit has been removed.
According to a December 2025 briefing by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), more than 27,000 Canadians had used the online renewal service by the end of September 2025.
“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,” Ms Diab said.
The online renewal option is currently unavailable to Canadians living outside the country and to those under the age of 16. It also does not apply to people with more than six months remaining on their passport or those whose passports have been damaged, seized or surrendered.
Eligible applicants can submit their renewal applications through IRCC’s online portal.
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