Here's how much more expensive travel is getting for Canadians this year

As if travel wasn't already expensive enough, recent changes will see Canadians paying even more to travel this year.

Increasing travel costs aren't just about the cost of flights or hotels — extra fees and taxes are adding up at almost every step as Canadians plan their vacations. From paperwork to immigration fees, there's no escaping the rising costs.

So before you start planning your itinerary, here are all the fees and rate hikes you should be aware of.

Passport fees

Canadians will be hit with higher fees long before they can even start packing for their trip. If you need a new passport, you can expect to pay even more.

Each year, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) hikes prices due to increased processing costs, as well as costs associated with mailing and courier services. However, on March 31, fees went up by 2.7 percent rather than the standard two per cent increase due to inflation.

That means Canadians applying for a five-year adult passport (age 16 and up) must pay $122.50 (up from $120) and $163.50 (up from $160) for a 10-year passport. Canadians who live outside Canada will see fees increase from $190 to $194.25 for a five-year passport and $260 to $266.25 for a 10-year passport.

Make sure to apply sooner because urgent pickup fees have gone up from $110 to $125.75. In addition, fees for weekend or statutory holiday passport services are also rising from $335 to $383.50. And if you need a temporary passport, the fees are going up from $110 to $125.75.

For information on increases to other travel documents, check out our full breakdown.

Immigration fees

If your travel plans involve the U.K., you must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) if you're a Canadian citizen. The mandatory visa waiver allows travellers from visa-exempt countries to enter the U.K. and stay for up to six months. You can apply through the ETA's app or website, and in April, the fee increased from £16 (C$29.67) to £20 (C$37).

If you're planning a vacation in Europe, it's important to note that Canadians will have to apply for the European Travel Information Authorization System (ETIAS) visa waiver system, which kicks in later this year.

When the visa waiver system was first announced in 2018, the fee was set at €7 (around C$11.26). The European Commission says this year, it will be hiking the cost to €20 (C$32.17) per application, which is nearly triple the original fee.

Airline fuel surcharge

As airlines struggle with ongoing fuel supply chain issues, several Canadian airlines announced that they've added temporary fuel surcharges.

On April 6, subsidiary Air Canada Vacations added a fixed surcharge of $50 per passenger, and similarly, WestJet subsidiary Sunwing Vacations announced a $50 fuel surcharge to bookings made on April 14.

WestJet added a temporary surcharge of $60 on all bookings made with a WestJet Rewards companion voucher, while Porter Airlines flyers redeeming their VIPorter rewards points have to pay a $40 surcharge.

Several airlines have also suspended routes and reduced capacity as fuel prices soar.

Baggage fees

Now might be the best time to travel light, as several airlines have increased their baggage fees.

Air Canada hiked its checked baggage fee for customers flying on Economy Basic, Standard, or Flex fares purchased on or after April 13, 2026. The first checked bag for Economy Basic and Standard passengers now costs $45 to $54, up from $35 to $42.

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The second checked bag has increased from $50 to $60 to $60 to $72. Canadians who book Economy Flex get their first checked bag free, but now have to pay $60 to $72 for the second bag, up from $50 to $60.

WestJet also announced a $10 increase to the first checked and second checked bags at airport check-in, and a $50 increase to excess, overweight, and oversized bag fees. Prepaid fees have also gone up by $5 for the first and second checked bags.

United Airlines also raised its first and second checked bag fees by $10 for flyers travelling in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and Latin America.

Accommodation taxes

The fees don't end once you make it your holiday destination, as several popular places have raised taxes for hotels and short-term stays.

Canadians staying in Barcelona now have to pay a city tax surcharge of up to €3.25 (C$4.76) per night per person, depending on your type of accommodation. And if you have a trip to Scotland coming up this summer, Edinburgh is charging a five per cent tax on overnight accommodations in the city starting July 24.

This year, tourists in Paris staying in five-star hotels or palaces were hit with a tax increase of up to €15.93 (C$25.63) per night, up from €15.60 (C$25.10). Kyoto also introduced Japan's highest-ever accommodation tax in March, charging tourists up to ¥10,000 (C$86.95) a night per person, depending on the cost of your accommodation.

Hawaii's transient accommodations tax saw a modest increase this year from 10.25 to 11 per cent, which will automatically be added when booking hotels or short-term rentals in Hawaii.

Tourist tax and other travel costs

Travellers heading to Japan face higher costs as the country plans to triple its departure tax in July. The increase will apply to airlines and cruise lines, with the fee rising from the current ¥1,000 (C$8.70) to ¥3,000 (C$26.09) per person.

And starting on June 20, international tourists in Thailand will be required to pay the increased departure fee of 1,120 Thai baht or C$47.40 (up from 730 Thai baht or C$30.90) at six airports across the country.

With files from Isabelle Docto and Laine Mitchell