Canadian Passport Fees Rise March 31 After Decade-Long Freeze

Canadian passport fees, unchanged for over a decade, increase on March 31 to align with Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation. This year’s adjustments range from $9 or less, depending on the service, with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducting a comprehensive review of the fee structure for future changes.

Details of the Fee Increases

Under the Services Fees Act (SFA), fees adjust annually based on Statistics Canada’s CPI. IRCC applies a 2.7 per cent rate from April 2024.

• Adult five-year passport: rises from $120 to $123.24
• Adult 10-year passport: rises from $160 to $164.32
• 10-year passport for Canadians abroad: rises from $260 to $267.02

These changes may affect low-income individuals, families with multiple children, seniors on fixed incomes, students, youth, refugees, and vulnerable consular clients.

Reasons Behind the Adjustments

The Passport Program’s base fees no longer cover operational costs. Since the last inflation adjustment, CPI has risen 14.5 per cent, causing expenditures to exceed revenues by about $121 million in fiscal year 2024–2025.

Existing fee formulas from 2013, designed for two per cent annual inflation over a 10-year cycle, proved inadequate as actual inflation exceeded projections. These formulas, which ended in March 2023, fail to address 85 per cent of program costs, including application processing, IT support, and external services like mailing.

For instance, applying the formulas for the 2025-2026 fiscal year would require a 20 per cent increase for overseas applicants, while domestic clients—90 to 95 per cent of users—would see a one per cent reduction.

Future Outlook and Costs

Annual CPI-based increases will continue. IRCC estimates transition costs at $59,000 for the current fiscal year and $71,000 annually thereafter. While no public consultation was required for these amendments, it will occur during the ongoing program review.