Fees Remitted for Iran Travel Documents

Summary#

The federal government made the Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (Iran) Remission Order on December 17, 2025. It allows fees for passports, citizenship certificates, consular services and other travel documents to be waived or refunded for Canadians and permanent residents who were in Iran and had to leave urgently between February 9, 2023 and February 28, 2025. The total possible cost to the government from these remissions is up to $66,900.

What it does#

• Remits (waives or allows refunds for) fees tied to issuance of these documents:
  • passports and temporary passports, including emergency travel documents and some administrative passport services;
  • certificates of citizenship;
  • travel documents for permanent residents;
  • the Consular Services Fee charged on adult travel documents.
• Sets the eligibility conditions:
  • the person was in Iran as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and had to travel urgently because of the worsening human rights situation between February 9, 2023 and February 28, 2025; and
  • the person, or someone acting for them, applied for the document during that period.
• Notes that the order was made so refunds can be issued even though the two responsible departments did not have the legal authority to remit the fees themselves at the time.

Who's affected#

• Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada who were in Iran and required urgent travel between February 9, 2023 and February 28, 2025, and who applied for any of the listed documents during that time.
• People who already paid one of these fees and meet the conditions can apply for a refund. The government says no such cases have been identified so far.
• The work of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) will reflect these remissions in their public fee reports.

Why it matters#

• This removes a financial barrier for people forced to leave Iran in an emergency.
• It creates a formal path for refunds if someone paid fees that should have been waived.
• The government estimates the cost of these remissions at up to $66,900 (for example, 892 instances of a $75 proof-of-citizenship fee would equal $66,900).
• The order resolves a legal gap: ministers had waived collection in practice but needed this order to legally remit fees or issue refunds.