Canadians applying for passports will see a fee increase later this month as the federal government updates the cost of travel documents for the first time in more than a decade. According to the Government of Canada, most passport and travel document fees will rise starting March 31st, 2026. The change reflects inflation and the increasing costs associated with producing secure travel documents and supporting applicants throughout the process. Related stories: MP Leslie brings passport clinics back to Portage and region Portage passport clinic helps residents save time For applications made within Canada, the new fees will be: 10-year regular adult passport: from $160 to $163.50 5-year regular adult passport: from $120 to $122.50 5-year regular child passport: from $57 to $58.50 The federal government says it is the first update to passport fees since 2013. Under the federal Service Fees Act, passport and travel document fees will now be adjusted annually based on inflation. Processing guarantee introduced Alongside the fee changes, the federal government says it will introduce a new processing standard aimed at improving accountability. Beginning April 1st, 2026, complete passport applications will be processed within 30 business days, or the application will be free. Refunds will be issued automatically if the service standard is not met. MP for Portage-Lisgar Branden Leslie reacts Branden Leslie, Member of Parliament for Portage-Lisgar, said the increase came as a surprise to him and raised concerns about rising costs for Canadians. “At the end of the day, passports are essential documents. People need them for work or travel, and for their families to go anywhere internationally... there are so many people who have faced so many modest increases that have led to people, frankly, falling behind.” He also said his office has regularly hosted passport clinics in the riding to help residents apply for the documents. “We'll be continuing to do that for the weeks, months and years ahead, frankly, because it's an excellent service and that’s such a vital document,” he continued, saying that, “I think government should be looking for ways to ease the burden on taxpayers, whether they're paying for a service that they deserve, like passports or anything else, and not just trying to add to it.” Questions about future increases Leslie also raised concerns about the move to tie passport fees to inflation moving forward. “This is not just a one-year increase. This is, they're setting in motion that they'll be able to, on an annual basis, increase these costs.” He said he worries the change could lead to passports becoming more expensive over time. The new fees will apply to applications received on or after March 31st, 2026.