Check Passport And Travel Document Processing Times And Service ...

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Check our service standards: Canadian passports and other travel documents

Check the service standards below to see approximately how long it may take us to process your application under normal circumstances. We recommend you don’t finalize any travel plans until you get your passport.

What’s the difference between a service standard and a processing time?

The service standard for your application is our commitment to process your application in a certain amount of time, under normal circumstances.

The processing time for your application is the actual time it takes us to process your application. We can’t tell you exactly how long it will take.

  • Your processing time
    • starts once we have
      • your application form
      • all your supporting documents, and
      • payment of your fees
    • depends on whether your application is properly completed or not
    • depends on how you applied
    • depends on if we need new or additional information for your application
    • doesn’t include mailing time
  • A small number of cases may take longer
    • if we have to ask for corrections (to your application) or new photos
    • when we do routine verifications and security checks

Select an application type:

  • Passport

    Where are you applying from?

    • Canada

      What kind of service are you applying for?

      • Regular service
      • Urgent or express service
    • United States
    • Outside Canada and the United States
  • Refugee travel document or certificate of identity
  • Official (special or diplomatic) passport
  • Certified true copy of a passport or other travel document

Service standards for regular passport applications submitted in Canada

Submitted in person at a passport office (Service Canada Centre – Passport Services) or Service Canada Centre that offers 10-day processing

10Footnote *

business days

Submitted in person at a regular Service Canada Centre, a Service Canada Scheduled Outreach Site that offers passport services, by mail or online

20Footnote *

business days

Footnotes

Footnote *

This doesn’t include mailing time. We aren’t liable for any losses if we can’t deliver your passport in time.

Return to footnote * referrer

Check your application status

Answer a few questions to find out how to check your application status.

Learn how to check the status of your application

If we don’t meet our service standards

You may be eligible for a partial refund of some of your fees under the Service Fees Act. Refunds are processed automatically. Learn what refunds you might be eligible for.

Learn more about our policies for fee remissions:

  • Departmental Remission Policy
  • Passport Subordinate Remission Policy

Service standards for urgent or express passport applications submitted in Canada

Urgent pick-up

By end of next business day

Express pick-up

2 to 9

business days

We aren’t liable for any losses as a result of the passport not being issued to you or your child in time.

A passport officer will tell you the date of your pick-up when you apply.

Learn more about urgent or express passport services.

Service standards for regular passport applications submitted from the US

Applications mailed from the US

20Footnote *

business days

Footnotes

Footnote *

This doesn’t include mailing time. Passports are printed in Canada, and mailing time varies by region. Because of this, you should give yourself extra time when applying. We aren’t liable for any losses if we can’t deliver your passport in time.

Return to footnote * referrer

Check your application status

Answer a few questions to find out how to check your application status.

Learn how to check the status of your application

If we don’t meet our service standards

You may be eligible for a partial refund of some of your fees under the Service Fees Act. Refunds are processed automatically. Learn what refunds you might be eligible for.

Learn more about our policies for fee remissions:

  • Departmental Remission Policy
  • Passport Subordinate Remission Policy

Service standards for regular passport applications submitted outside Canada and the US

Applications mailed from abroad

20Footnote *

business days

Footnotes

Footnote *

This doesn’t include mailing time. Passports are printed in Canada, and mailing time varies by region. Because of this, you should give yourself extra time when applying. We aren’t liable for any losses if we can’t deliver your passport in time.

Return to footnote * referrer

Check your application status

Answer a few questions to find out how to check your application status.

Learn how to check the status of your application

If we don’t meet our service standards

You may be eligible for a partial refund of some of your fees under the Service Fees Act. Refunds are processed automatically. Learn what refunds you might be eligible for.

Learn more about our policies for fee remissions:

  • Departmental Remission Policy
  • Passport Subordinate Remission Policy

Service standards for other travel document applications

We aim to process applications within our service standard.

If you have already applied and now need a travel document urgently, contact us. We aim to respond to urgent requests sent through our web form within 3 business days.

We recommend you don’t finalize any travel plans until you get your travel document.

Refugee travel documents and certificates of identity

20Footnote *

business days

Footnotes

Footnote *

This doesn’t include mailing time. We aren’t liable for any losses if we can’t deliver your travel document in time.

Return to footnote * referrer

Fill out our web form.

Tell us it’s about a Certificate of Identity/Refugee Travel Document.

Include your travel date and the reason you need the travel document.

If we don’t meet our service standards

You may be eligible for a partial refund of some of your fees under the Service Fees Act. Refunds are processed automatically. Learn what refunds you might be eligible for.

Learn more about our policies for fee remissions:

  • Departmental Remission Policy
  • Passport Subordinate Remission Policy

Service standards for official travel applications

Learn what our service standards are for official travel.

Certified true copies of passports or other travel documents

10Footnote *

business days

Footnotes

Footnote *

This doesn’t include mailing time. We aren’t liable for any losses if we can’t deliver your copy in time.

Return to footnote * referrer

Page details

2025-06-25

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