Passports Issued by Canada

Travelers who are citizens of Canada will need to get a Canadian passport before they take a trip outside the country. Otherwise, they will not be allowed to leave Canada or enter anywhere. Here’s what travelers need to know about this document to make sure they can get the right version and use it appropriately for all of their travel needs.

What is a Canadian Passport?

A CAN passport is a document that formally recognizes a person as a citizen of Canada. It is most often used to travel to other countries, but it can serve other purposes, too. Holding a passport from Canada often means that the holder is eligible to enter countries without a visa or with a visa that they obtain upon arrival. 

In countries that require Canadians to get a visa, the visa will often be stamped into the passport or connected electronically to the passport’s chip.

What Does a Passport From Canada Look Like?

Most Canadian passports are small blue booklets. However, some special passports are green, white, black, or maroon/red. Inside, the passport contains one page that has all of the traveler’s personal information, as well as their photograph. Personal info includes their name, birthday, and date of passport issuance.

Other pages inside the passport contain instructions about how and when the passport should be used. Then, there are blank pages. These are where stamps or visas usually go and most normal passports have 36 of these. 

Canadian passports also contain small microchips. These have the traveler’s information encoded on them and can be scanned by foreign governments at ports of entry.

How to Get a Passport From Canada

To get a passport from Canada, citizens need to follow directions based on where they are located. If they are outside of both the USA and Canada, they will need to apply at an embassy or a consulate nearby. If their need is urgent, they can contact that office by phone.

• If they are in the United States, most Canadians will need to apply for a passport by mail. However, if they need the passport urgently, they will need to contact the nearest embassy or consulate. Most Canadians will apply for a passport from inside Canada, especially if they haven’t had one before.
• If they need their passport in 2 business days or less, they can visit their nearest passport office and apply there.
• If they need it sometime between 3 and 25 business days, they can make an appointment or visit a passport office.
• If they need it more than 26 days from the current time, they can apply through a Service Canada Center or apply through the postal service.
• Travelers will need documentation that shows they are citizens of Canada, as well as passport-sized photographs of themself. They will also need to pay the relevant fees.
• In addition, applicants will need to fill out an application. They may also need documentation from a guarantor and two references.

These people basically attest to the traveler’s character and purpose for travel. They help ensure that only worthy people represent Canada outside of the home country.

How to Renew a Passport From Canada

Renewing a Canadian passport is easier than getting a brand new one, though the process is similar. In Canada, only passports that were issued to people over 16 years of age can be renewed. Those who were under 16 will need to get a new adult or child passport, based on their current age.

Renewable passports will have been issued within 15 years from the current date. They must have the same name, date of birth, place of birth, and gender identifier as the old passport. Passport renewal in Canada involves filling out a form, getting passport photos, finding 2 references, and submitting the application and fees based on the instructions outlined above.

Travelers who still have a current passport must submit that along with the rest of their renewal packet. The old passport will be voided so the person only holds one at a time.

Different Types of Canadian Passports

Most Canadians will get the regular passport or the blue passport. This is for Canadians who do not qualify for another type of passport. Canada also issues diplomatic passports or maroon passports. These are for high-level people traveling on official business in Canada.

The special passport, or green passport, is for lower-level officials who are representing Canada in some official way through their travels. Finally, Canada also offers a temporary, or white passport. This is for travelers who get stranded overseas and who are waiting for their official passports to come through.

Travelers need to make sure they have the right kind of passport for the type of travel they want to do. Note that travelers on diplomatic or special passports may only perform official duties on those passports. If they take a vacation, they will need a regular passport for that trip.

Validity Rules for Canada Passports

Committing certain offenses can render a Canadian passport invalid. Similarly, people who owe money to the government for certain reasons will not be allowed to get a passport. Travelers who let other people use their passports or who get their passports with misleading information will also not be allowed to keep the document.

People who are believed to want to travel o commit sexual offenses against children will have their Canadian passports revoked, too. In addition, people with damaged passports will need to renew the documents before they can travel with them.

Damage can be from water, torn pages, and more. Anything that renders the passport unusable is grounds for its invalidation. Similarly, people who damage the microchip in their passport will need to renew it before they can visit other countries.

What to Do If a Canadian Passport is Lost or Stolen

Canadian citizens who have their passports stolen or who lose the document need to get a police report right away. If the passport is valid, they also need to notify the Canadian embassy. They will also need to go through the renewal process, following the outlines mentioned above.

They can renew it as normal, though they may need that police report to prove their circumstances. There may be extra fees involved in issuing a new passport under these circumstances. This depends on the status of the passport and the location of the traveler at the time.

Biometrics

Canadian passports contain biometric chips. These small computer chips hold all of the traveler’s personal information and are inside the cover of the passport. These make border crossings faster and safer. Officials can simply scan the passport to determine whether the traveler is eligible to enter a country.

These chips also help validate a passport. As long as the information on the chip matches the information on the passport, the document is valid.

How Powerful is a Canadian Passport?

The exact power of a passport from Canada depends on who is doing the evaluation. However, it is always in the top 10 most powerful passports, and sometimes is in the top 5!  

Canada’s passport offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 185 countries around the world. That is most of the world! The list of countries offering this kind of access to Canadian citizens is subject to change. Travelers need to make sure they have the documentation they need before they leave home.

What is Dual Citizenship for Canadians?

Dual citizenship means that a person qualifies to be a citizen in more than one country. Some countries only permit people to hold their citizenship if it is the only one they claim. Canada is not one of these countries. Canadian citizens can also be citizens of other countries, as long as they qualify in both locations.

Are There Restrictions on a CAN Passport?

All Canadian passports have a set period of validity. If they are outside of this window, usually 5 or 10 years, then the passport isn’t valid and travel will be restricted. Most countries that Canadians visit will require their passports to have at least 6 months of additional validity at the time of entry.

If a traveler knows their passport will not have this, they should renew them before they take their trip. Similarly, many countries want Canadian passports to have at least 1-2 completely blank pages for stamping upon entry and exit. Once again, if a traveler’s passport doesn’t have these, they should get a new one before they travel.

Minors in Canada can only get passports that are valid for 5 years. These cannot be renewed but the traveler must, instead, apply for a brand new passport when the old one expires. Canada can choose to restrict a particular passport at any given time. They need to have a reason, but they may or may not make that clear to the traveler. Travelers can usually ask to get more information if their passport is restricted for some reason.

Overall, passports from Canada are easy to get and easy to use around the world. Citizens can get one so they can take an international trip soon.