Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced a new service guarantee for passport processing starting April 1, 2026. If an applicant’s passport or travel document is not processed within 30 business days from the receipt of a complete application, they will automatically receive a full refund of the fees paid. Processing time covers the period from when all required documents and fees are submitted to when the passport is printed and verified, excluding mailing time.
This guarantee applies uniformly across all application methods and aims to hold the government accountable for timely passport issuance. Most applications are processed within existing service standards, which range from 10 to 20 business days depending on the application location or method.
Certain services, such as urgent or express processing, and some administrative or low-value document services, remain exempt from this policy. Existing refund policies for expedited services will continue.
This initiative reflects IRCC’s commitment to improving service consistency and provides applicants with greater predictability and assurance when applying for passports.
Original Source
canada.ca