Canadians experience lengthy wait times for passports due to surge in demand

Canadians anxious for international travel are facing some lengthy wait times for passports due to a surge in applications.

According to Employment and Social Development Canada, processing time for a passport is five business days for those applying in person and 17 business days for those applying by mail.

“With the resumption of travel, Service Canada is experiencing an increase in passport applications across the country. Priority for appointments is given to clients with immediate travel needs based on their date of travel,” Maja Stefanovska, a spokesperson with Employment and Social Development Canada, told CTV News Atlantic.

According to the department, 1.2 million passports have been issued since the start of April 2021, compared to the 363,000 passportsthat were issued from April 2020 to the end of March 2021. Both of these figures are still far off from pre-pandemic levels, when Service Canada processed 2.3 million passports between April 2019 and March 2020, according to data provided to CTV News Winnipeg.

The surge in demand is leaving some travellers scrambling.