Fee Remission for 2023 Morocco Earthquake

Summary#

The Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (2023 Morocco Earthquake) Remission Order: SI/2025-117 lets the government forgive certain passport, citizenship and consular fees for Canadians and permanent residents who were caught up in the September 8, 2023 earthquake in Morocco. The order was registered on December 17, 2025 and was made under the Financial Administration Act.

What it does#

• Defines the covered documents as:
  • passports, certificates of citizenship, travel documents for permanent residents, and emergency travel documents.
• Remits (forgives) fees listed in relevant regulations, including passport fees, citizenship certificate fees and the consular services fee.
• Sets the eligibility condition that the person, as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, was in an area of Morocco affected by the earthquake between September 8, 2023 and March 12, 2024 and needed to travel urgently because of the quake.
• Requires that an application for the document was submitted during that same period, either by the person or by someone acting on their behalf.
• Allows refunds if someone already paid a fee that should have been covered by the special measures.
• Records the government’s estimated foregone revenue for the Morocco measure as up to $18,300 (mainly from waiving $75 proof-of-citizenship fees for 244 applications).
• Also provides for remission of other items (temporary passports, emergency travel documents, passport administrative services, passport pick-up, consular fees), though no requests for those remissions have been received so far.

Who's affected#

• Primarily Canadian citizens and permanent residents who were in earthquake-affected parts of Morocco and had to leave urgently between September 8, 2023 and March 12, 2024, and who applied for one of the listed documents during that time.
• People who paid fees but later find they met the eligibility rules can apply for a refund.
• The departments involved in handling and reporting these remissions include Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC).

Why it matters#

• It removes a small financial barrier for people forced to leave Morocco after the earthquake by cancelling fees for identity and travel documents or allowing refunds if fees were paid.
• The government's direct cost is limited (estimated up to $18,300 for the Morocco measure).
• The order formalizes a practice ministers had already used informally (not collecting fees at the time) and gives legal authority to issue refunds now that the special measures have ended.