Fee Remission for Beirut Explosions Document Replacements

Summary#

The Government of Canada made the Remission Order in Respect of Certain Fees for the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (Port of Beirut Explosions) on May 8, 2024. It cancels certain fees (total forecasted at $10,830) that people had to pay to replace Canadian travel or identity documents lost or destroyed because of the Port of Beirut explosions, if they applied between August 13, 2020 and January 31, 2021.

What it does#

• Remits (cancels) fees for replacing specific documents that were lost, damaged, destroyed or made inaccessible as a result of the Port of Beirut explosions.
• Covered document types include:
  • passports
  • certificates of Canadian citizenship
  • travel documents issued to permanent residents (temporary or emergency travel documents)
  • permanent resident cards
  • emergency travel documents
• The remission only applies if, during August 13, 2020 to January 31, 2021, the person (or someone acting for them):
  • was in, or had residence in, an area affected by the explosions;
  • applied for the replacement document (or had someone apply for them); and
  • included a declaration that the loss/damage was caused by the explosions.
• The remission applies to fees under the Passport and Other Travel Document Services Fees Regulations, the Consular Services Fees Regulations, the Citizenship Regulations, and parts of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
• The Order does not cover applications already in process before August 13, 2020, and it excludes fees already remitted under an existing passport regulation.

Who's affected#

• People who were in, or whose residence was in, the area affected by the Port of Beirut explosions and whose Canadian travel or identity documents were lost, damaged, destroyed, or made inaccessible because of the explosions.
• It mainly affects:
  • Canadians abroad who needed to replace passports or get emergency travel papers;
  • permanent residents who needed travel documents or cards; and
  • people who needed certificates of Canadian citizenship to get replacement documents.
• Eligibility depends on having applied for the replacement between August 13, 2020 and January 31, 2021, and on including the required declaration with the application.
• If it is unclear whether a specific situation qualifies, the Order’s conditions should be checked; the notice does not expand eligibility beyond those conditions.

Why it matters#

• The Order removes a financial barrier for people who lost identity or travel documents in a major disaster. That could have made it harder or more expensive for them to travel back to Canada or to prove their status.
• The government says the cost of these remissions is $10,830 in total (a small amount for the federal government) and that the remissions will be reported by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
• It follows the government’s prior approach of waiving or remitting fees in response to sudden crises, so affected people are not left with debt for replacing essential documents.