On 10MAY, Ottawa unveiled the new design for the Canadian passport, featuring new security features and artwork. Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and Karina Gould, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, revealed the updated passport.
It includes new security features such as a polycarbonate data page, a technology similar to Canada’s drivers' licences. Passport holders’ personal information will now be laser engraved instead of being printed with ink, which the ministers say makes the data page more durable and resistant to tampering and counterfeiting. Other features include a Kinegram over the main photo, a custom see-through window with a secondary image of the passport holder, a variable laser image, and a temperature sensitive ink feature.
The new passport design incorporates Canadian heritage and identity with images of four seasons of Canadian nature. It also includes a new cover design with an outline of a maple leaf, which the Ministers note is "the first significant change in decades." Canada is among the first in the Commonwealth to introduce a travel document series with reference to King Charles III.
The new passport will start rolling out in later this summer. The first of Canada's 10-year passports begin to expire this year, and the release coincides with that cohort of new passport demand.
The ministers note that current passports remain valid and "safe," and Canadians only need to renew passports when they are getting close to their normal renewal date.
The Government of Canada awarded a 14-year contract in 2019 to the Canadian Bank Note Company to design, develop, and deploy the next generation of Canadian passports and travel documents. The current design dates from 2013.
The government says it has also been working to offer more online service options for Canadians. Starting later this fall, Canadians will be able to renew their passport, pay their fees, and upload their photograph securely online.
