Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (2023 Morocco Earthquake) Remission Order: SI/2025-117
Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 159, Number 26
Registration
SI/2025-117 December 17, 2025
FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION ACT
P.C. 2025-899 December 5, 2025
Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, considering that it is in the public interest to do so, on the recommendation of the Treasury Board, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, makes the annexed Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (2023 Morocco Earthquake) Remission Order under subsection 23(2.1)footnote a of the Financial Administration Act footnote b.
Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (2023 Morocco Earthquake) Remission Order
Definition of document
1 In this Order, document means any of the following:
- (a) a passport, as defined in section 2 of the Canadian Passport Order;
- (b) a certificate of citizenship, as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Citizenship Act;
- (c) a travel document issued to a permanent resident under subsection 31(3) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
- (d) an emergency travel document.
Remission
2 Remission is granted to any person who meets the conditions set out in section 3 of the fees paid or payable set out in any of the following provisions, in respect of a document:
- (a) paragraph 7(c) and items 9, 10 and 14 of the schedule to the Passport and Other Travel Document Services Fees Regulations;
- (b) item 6 of the schedule to the Citizenship Regulations;
- (c) section 4 of the Consular Services Fees Regulations;
- (d) section 315 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
Conditions
3 Remission is granted on condition that
- (a) at some time during the period beginning on September 8, 2023 and ending on March 12, 2024, the person, as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada, was in an area in Morocco affected by the earthquake of September 8, 2023 and was required to travel on an urgent basis as a result of the earthquake; and
- (b) during the period referred to in paragraph (a), the person, or a person acting on their behalf, submitted an application for the issuance of the document.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the orders.)
Proposal
The Governor in Council, considering that it is in the public interest to do so, on the recommendation of the Treasury Board, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, pursuant to subsection 23(2.1) of the Financial Administration Act, has made the Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (2023 Morocco Earthquake) Remission Order and Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (2023 Türkiye and Syria Earthquakes) Remission Order.
Objective
The objective of these remission orders is to remit fees associated with travel documents, citizenship certificates and consular services that were not collected for Canadians and permanent residents of Canada affected by the earthquakes occurring in
- Morocco on September 8, 2023; and
- Türkiye and Syria on February 6, 2023.
Background
As part of the Government of Canada’s response to these earthquakes, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration announced special measures to support affected individuals in Morocco, Türkiye and Syria.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) did not collect fees from Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada associated with travel documents and citizenship certificates to help facilitate their exit from Morocco, Türkiye and Syria. These measures were determined to be in the public interest given that the costs associated with obtaining these documents would have imposed an additional burden on affected individuals, particularly for those seeking to reunite with family in Canada. The Minister of Foreign Affairs also did not collect the Consular Services Fee payable on all Canadian adult travel documents.
Fees were not collected for applications received from Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada directly affected by the earthquake in Morocco from September 8, 2023, to March 12, 2024, and the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria from March 29, 2023, to January 3, 2024.
The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the Minister of Foreign Affairs do not have the legal authority to remit fees for Canadians and permanent residents of Canada in emergency or crisis situations, and the fees were still required to be paid under the relevant regulations. An Order in Council is needed to allow for the remission of these fees.
Implications
Earthquake in Morocco in 2023
The remission of fees incurred because of the 2023 earthquake in Morocco has resulted in foregone revenues to the Government of Canada, as these fees will not be collected. The total cost of foregone revenues from remitting these fees is up to $18,300. Although no cases were identified where a client paid a fee that should have been eligible under the special measures, the remission order will still allow for the issuance of a refund if such a client comes forward that meets the eligibility criteria.
| Fee waived / service provided | Fee | Volume | Foregone revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proof of citizenship | $75 | 244 | $18,300 |
| TOTAL | N/A | N/A | $18,300 |
The Remission Order also provides for the remission of fees for temporary passports, emergency travel documents, passport administrative services including passport or other travel document replacement, passport pick-up service, and the consular services fee, but, to date, no requests for remission of these fees have been received. Given that the measures have expired, additional requests are not anticipated.
Earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria in 2023
The remission of fees incurred because of the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria results in foregone revenues to the Government of Canada, as these fees will not be collected. The total foregone revenues from remitting these fees is up to $27,140. Although no cases were identified where a client paid a fee that should have been eligible for the special measures, the remission order will still allow for the issuance of a refund if such a client comes forward and meets the eligibility criteria.
| Fee waived / service provided | Fee | Volume | Foregone revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proof of citizenship | $75 | 347 | $26,025 |
| Temporary passport | $110 | 9 | $990 |
| Consular services fee | $25 | 5 | $125 |
| TOTAL | N/A | N/A | $27,140 |
The Remission Order also provides for the remission of fees for emergency travel documents, passport administrative services, including passport or other travel document replacement and passport pick-up service, but, to date, no requests for remission of these fees have been received. Given that the measures have expired, additional requests are not anticipated.
Accountability implications
All remissions associated with the remission orders will be reported in the annual Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and IRCC Fees Reports, and in GAC and IRCC Public Accounts.
Contact
Bruce Scoffield
Director General
International Crisis Response Branch
International Affairs and Crisis Response Sector
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Email: Bruce.Scoffield@cic.gc.ca