You can now renew your Canadian passport online — Here’s everything you need to apply

The federal government now offers online renewal for your Canadian passport.

But you need to meet certain eligibility requirements, have a special digital photo, sign up for an account, and more to apply.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada recently expanded online passport renewal to more Canadians, with a limited number of applications accepted each day through the online portal.

Even though this service is now more widely available, not everyone is able to apply and renew online.

If you need the travel document in 20 business days or more and meet the other eligibility requirements, you may be able to renew your Canadian passport online

So, here’s what you need to apply online for the renewal of your adult passport.

Meet the eligibility requirements

The requirements to apply online aren’t the same as what’s needed to apply in person or by mail.

You must meet all of these requirements:

• you’re applying to renew your own passport
• your home and mailing address are in Canada
• you applied for your current passport when you were 16 or older
• your current passport:
  • is a regular (blue) passport
  • was valid for five or 10 years
  • shows your place of birth
  • was issued in the last 15 years
• your passport will expire in the next six months or is expired right now
• you don’t need a passport for the next 20 business days, plus mailing time
• you’ll use the same name, date of birth, place of birth and gender identifier on your new passport
• you don’t have any observations in your current passport
• your current passport hasn’t been seized or surrendered
• you’re not reporting a lost or stolen passport as found if it hasn’t already been returned to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

If your passport expires in more than six months, you can’t renew it online.

Also, if you found your passport after it was lost or stolen, you’re not eligible for online renewal.

Get a digital photo

You must have a digital photo for online renewal of your passport.

The photo requirements when applying online are different than the requirements for applying in person or by mail.

Your digital passport photo must:

• be taken in person by a commercial photographer
• be taken no more than six months before the date you submit your application
• not be a scanned copy of a printed passport photo

Also, your photo must have:

• your face and shoulders centred and squared to the camera
• a neutral facial expression with
  • eyes open and clearly visible
  • mouth closed, not smiling or frowning
• uniform lighting with
  • no shadows, glare or flash reflections
  • clear, sharp and in focus
  • natural skin tones
• a plain white or light-coloured background with a clear difference between your face and the background

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said to share these specifications with the photographer when you have your photo taken:

• the photo must be in .jpeg or .jpg format
• the image must:
  • have a 3:2 aspect ratio with the camera oriented in portrait mode
  • be at least 1,800 pixels high by 1,200 pixels wide
  • be no larger than 4,500 pixels high by 3,000 pixels wide
  • be between 200 KB and 5 MB in size
  • have a chin-to-crown (top of head) measurement that’s between 45% and 50% of the photo’s height
• the file must be saved directly from the original file captured by the camera
• it can’t be a scanned copy of a printed photo
• the photo may be either in colour or in black and white
• the photo must not be altered in any way

When you upload your photo, you must provide the studio or photographer’s name, the studio or photographer’s address, and the date the photo was taken.

It’s recommended that you ask for a digital copy and a printed physical copy of your photo in case you’re not able to renew your passport online.

Have references

You need two references for your passport renewal.

Anyone you put as a reference must:

• be 18 years of age or older
• have known you for at least two years
• agree to you using their name and contact information for your application

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said you need to make sure your references are available if or when they need to be contacted. This can help you avoid delays in the renewal process.

Also, you could be asked to provide additional references at any time.

Have money for the passport fee

Canada’s passport fees recently increased, but the costs are the same whether you’re renewing online or in person.

It costs $163.50 for a 10-year adult passport and $122.50 for a five-year adult passport if you are a Canadian living in Canada and renewing your passport online.

Sign in or register for an account

You can start your passport renewal online through the new IRCC Portal.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is currently limiting online applications and only allowing a certain number of people to start an application each day. The limit resets at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET.

But you can create an account at any time so you’re able to continue the renewal process when there is space within the application limit.

If you want to apply for passport renewal online, you have to sign in or register for an online account with the government.

You can sign in with your online Canadian banking information if you have an account with one of the federal government’s partners, including BMO, CIBC, National Bank, RBC, Scotiabank and TD.

You can create a GCKey user ID and password or sign in with that information if you already have an account for other government services.

With GCKey, you have to choose your own username and password, then select security questions and answers to secure your account. There is also the option to provide your email address.

Once you sign in and apply for your renewal online, your current passport will be cancelled. That means it will no longer be valid.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said it can take up to 20 business days to process your application. When your passport is ready, it will be mailed to you. That usually takes five business days, but it can vary across the country.

This article’s cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.