New Passport Timeline: 30 Day Guarantee for Canadians

Canadians worried they’ll be faced with a long wait getting their passports back after renewing can now rest assured they’ll be ready within 30 days or less.

Announced March 7 by Citizens’ Services Minister Terry Beech, the guarantee comes as the department seeks to cut down on wait times for services including passports, federal benefits and the social insurance number (SIN) program.

“We are modernizing service delivery and improving the passport program to reduce wait times and costs while ensuring Canadians can access the support they need without unnecessary barriers,” said Parliamentary Secretary Stéphane Lauzon in a Friday release.

In the 2021-22 year, Service Canada issued 1.3 million passports, less than half of the three million counted in 2018-19. The guarantee follows lengthly delays caused by the pandemic and more recently, the Canada Post mail strike. The new passport timelines are part of a larger overhaul of the Service Canada system and its supports which are being digitalized and streamlined to make processes for obtaining important government documents such as Social Insurance Numbers easier and faster.

Currently, Service Canada says the current wait for a passport is 20 business days, or four weeks, with some locations offering a faster turnaround of two weeks. Applicants will receive a full refund if their documents aren’t processed in time.