Ottawa—As COVID‑19 restrictions are lifted, more and more Canadians are looking to travel abroad. The Government of Canada will continue to modernize and improve its services to better respond to the changing needs of Canadians.

The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and the Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, today announced the expansion of the simplified renewal application process for Canadian passports.

Beginning today, March 31, Canadians in Canada and abroad can now use the simplified process to renew an expired passport as long as it was issued within the last 15 years. The simplified process is also available to individuals who had their passport lost, stolen or damaged. Previously, the simplified renewal process wasn’t available for passports expired longer than a year or those that were lost, stolen or damaged.

With the simplified renewal process, applicants don’t need to have a guarantor or to provide their original documents, such as proof of citizenship or photo identification. They simply need 2 photos, 2 references, their completed form and the applicable fees. These changes make renewing a passport easier, while maintaining the highest level of program integrity.

With the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions, the demand for passports—both new and renewals—has started to increase and is returning to pre-pandemic levels. The Government of Canada recommends that Canadians apply early and not finalize any travel plans until they have received their new passport. Thanks to the simplified process, Canadians without imminent travel plans do not need to rush to renew an expired or soon-to-expire passport.