Biometrics for Canada: Fingerprints and Photo, Fees, Exemptions and Where to Go

Canada collects fingerprints and a photo to confirm your identity and to check it against immigration and criminal records. You give them once, and they are reused for other applications for 10 years.

You usually need to give biometrics if you apply for:

• A visitor visa, including a super visa
• A study permit or a work permit, including a post-graduation work permit if you haven't given biometrics in the last 10 years
• Permanent residence
• Refugee or asylum status
• An extension of your stay in Canada, in some cases

Age. Applicants from age 14 up to age 79 generally must give biometrics. People claiming asylum must give them regardless of upper age.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) lists groups that don't need to give biometrics, including:

• Canadian citizens, citizenship applicants, and existing permanent residents
• Children under 14
• Applicants over 79 (except asylum claimants)
• Visa-exempt travelers coming as tourists with a valid eTA
• Heads of state and heads of government, and some diplomats and officials on official business
• US visa holders transiting through Canada
• People who already gave biometrics for a permanent residence application that is still in process, when applying for a temporary document

If you gave biometrics in the last 10 years and they are still valid, you usually don't need to give them again. Check the status of your biometrics using IRCC's online tool before you pay.

Fees as of September 2026, from the IRCC fee list:

Pay the biometrics fee when you submit your application, together with the application fee. Paying it later can delay your application.

Biometrics you gave for one application usually cover later applications for 10 years. For example:

If you are not sure, apply and pay only if your IRCC account or instructions say biometrics are needed. Paying for biometrics you don't need can delay your file while IRCC sorts out the payment.

IRCC uses your fingerprints and photo to confirm your identity when you apply and when you arrive in Canada. At major Canadian airports, border officers or kiosks may check your fingerprints against the ones you gave when you applied.

Canada also checks fingerprints against Canadian criminal and immigration records, and shares some immigration biometric information with close partner countries under formal agreements. This helps detect people who use different identities or who hid past refusals or criminal records. Answer every question on your application honestly; see inadmissibility for the consequences of misrepresentation.

After you apply and pay, IRCC sends a biometric instruction letter. You usually have 30 days to give your biometrics. Bring the letter and your passport to an official collection point:

Some locations offer extra services for a separate fee. They are optional. You don't need to pay a third party to "speed up" your biometrics.

If you can't give biometrics by the deadline, for example because the nearest center is closed, contact IRCC through its web form and keep proof.

• Pay the fee with your application. Your file does not move forward until IRCC has your biometrics.
• Book your appointment as soon as you get the letter. Appointment slots can fill up in busy seasons.
• Bring the right passport. Use the same passport you used in your application.
• Keep your receipt. The collection center gives you a receipt. Keep it in case there is a question later.
• Check your 10-year window. If your biometrics will expire before your application is decided, IRCC may ask you to give them again.