Canada launches “30 days or free” passport processing guarantee

Effective April 1, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has introduced a new service guarantee to strengthen accountability for passport processing. Under the “30 days or free” policy, applicants will automatically receive a full refund of their passport or travel document fee if processing takes longer than 30 business days. The processing clock begins once a complete application is received and ends when the document is printed and verified, excluding mailing time. Officials say the standard will apply consistently regardless of how Canadians apply, and will compensate applicants when service targets are not met.

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