2025 Wildfires: Identity Document Fee Waiver

Summary#

The federal order Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (2025 Canada Wildfires) Remission Order: SI/2025-116 waives replacement fees for specified identity and travel documents if they were lost, damaged, destroyed or made inaccessible because of the 2025 wildfires. The relief applies to events that happened between April 1, 2025 and November 30, 2025 and was published on December 17, 2025.

What it does#

• Covers replacement fees for these documents when they were affected by the wildfires:
  • passports (fees under the Passport and Other Travel Document Services Fees Regulations);
  • certificates of citizenship (fees under the Citizenship Regulations);
  • permanent resident cards (fees under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations);
  • certificates of identity; and
  • refugee travel documents (fees under the Consular Services Fees Regulations).
• Remission (fee waiver) applies only to the specific replacement fees listed in those regulations.
• To get the remission, a person must meet all of these conditions:
  • have been in, or have had their residence in, an area in Canada affected by a wildfire at some time between April 1, 2025 and November 30, 2025;
  • have had the document — while it was still valid — lost, damaged, destroyed or rendered inaccessible as a result of the wildfire;
  • have applied to replace the document during that same period; and
  • include with the replacement application a declaration that the loss/damage was due to the wildfire plus either proof of residence in the affected area at the time or a declaration that the person was in the affected area at that time.
• The order does not apply if the same fees have already been remitted under section 11 of the Passport and Other Travel Document Services Fees Regulations.

Who's affected#

• People who lived in or were present in Canadian areas affected by the 2025 wildfires between April 1, 2025 and November 30, 2025, and whose valid identity or travel documents were lost, damaged, destroyed or made inaccessible because of those wildfires.
• Specifically includes holders (or applicants) of passports, certificates of citizenship, permanent resident cards, certificates of identity, and refugee travel documents.
• It is not clear from the order text which specific communities or geographic areas are officially designated as “affected” — that detail is not listed in the order itself.

Why it matters#

• Replacing identity and travel documents can be costly and time consuming. This order removes the replacement fee for people who lost documents in the 2025 wildfires, reducing immediate financial burden.
• Having valid identity and travel documents is important for accessing services, travel, work and benefits. Waiving the fee helps people recover more quickly after a disaster.
• The relief only applies if the application and required declarations/proof were submitted during the specified wildfire period, so timing and documentation matter.