The cost to get a Canadian passport will increase later this month

As if travel wasn't expensive enough, getting a passport in Canada is about to get pricier as fees are expected to rise.

Getting a passport in Canada is set to be a little more expensive starting March 31. An official federal regulation published in the Canada Gazette on Jan. 26 states that passport fees are set to go up by 2.7 per cent.

"The first annual fee adjustment to account for inflation will occur on March 31, 2026, and increase with the April 2024 All-items Consumer Price Index for Canada, as published by Statistics Canada under the Statistics Act," reads the statement issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Canada first introduced the Passport Program's base fees in 2013, expecting to increase them annually by two per cent until 2023. However, inflation far outpaced the two per cent increase.

So, how much more will you be paying?

Right now, a five-year adult passport costs $120, and a 10-year passport is $160. With the upcoming changes, Canadians can expect to pay about $123.24 for a five-year passport and $164.32 for a 10-year one. For children 15 and under, the fee will also rise slightly from $57 to around $58.54.

If you're applying from outside Canada, a five-year adult passport will go up from $190 to $195.13, while a 10-year passport will increase from $260 to $267.02. Children's passports will increase from $100 to $102.7.

As IRCC tries to keep up with increasing operating costs, Canadians can expect more changes in the future.

"In addition, the Passport Program's base fee structure alone can no longer support the cost of Program operations," states the federal department.

"Since the last time inflation was accounted for in Program fees, the CPI increased by 14.5 per cent, leading to expenditures outpacing revenues by approximately $121 million in fiscal year 2024-2025. The Program is in the midst of a comprehensive fee structure review, which will result in options for fee adjustments to account for the true cost of operations."

We reached out to IRCC for more information and will update this story.

What are your thoughts on this fee hike? Let us know in the comments.