Canada Is Making It Easier To Renew Your Expired Passport With A Simplified Process

With Canada's border measures having changed, travel is now on the rise — so that means it's time to dust off those passports. If your Canadian passport is expired, the renewal process has been simplified to make things much easier.

The federal government has introduced a simplified renewal process for passports in order to "modernize and improve its services to better respond to the changing needs of Canadians."

Considering travel restrictions have eased in the last few weeks, the demands for passports, both new and renewals, are now increasing and returning to pre-pandemic levels, the government said.

As of March 31, 2022, Canadians both in Canada and abroad can now use the simplified process to renew their expired passport. What exactly does this mean?

Well, if you have an expired passport that was issued within the last 15 years or a passport that has been lost, stolen, or damaged, you can now renew your passport without a handful of tedious steps.

With the new simplified process, Canadians no longer need a guarantor or to provide their original documents, including proof of citizenship or photo identification.

The simplified passport renewal process will allow applications to simply submit two photos, two references, their completed form, and the applicable fees.

According to the Canadian government, "these changes make renewing a passport easier while maintaining the highest level of program integrity."

Luckily, thanks to the simplified renewal process, Canadians do not need to rush to renew an expired or soon-to-be expired passport if they do not have any imminent travel plans.

The Government of Canada still urges the public to apply early and not finalize any travel plans until they have received their new passport.

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