Canada unveils new passport design
Research and Planning
From: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
The Canadian passport is one of the most powerful and respected travel documents in the world. For some, it is used to reconnect with loved ones, to explore, and have an adventure.
The Passport Power Rank puts the Canadian passport seventh globally, offering holders visa-free access or visa on arrival to over 170 countries (as of Ferbruary 2024).
The new passport has been redesigned from cover to cover with state-of-the-art security features and new artwork, maintaining its status as one of the most secure and universally accepted travel documents in the world for all Canadians.
The new passport includes state-of-the-art security features designed to keep Canadians’ identities safe, such as a polycarbonate data page—a technology similar to Canada’s driver’s licences. Passport holders’ personal information will now be laser engraved instead of being printed with ink, making the data page more durable and resistant to tampering and counterfeiting.
The new passport celebrates Canada’s heritage and identity with iconic images of Canada's natural beauty throughout the four seasons. It also includes a new cover design with an outline of a maple leaf—the first significant change in decades.
Canadians with valid passports will only need to renew them when they are getting close to their normal renewal date.
On March 21, 2023, the new online Passport Application Status Checker was launched, allowing Canadians to check the status of their passport application online.
The new Canadian passport is unveiled at an event at the Ottawa International Airport in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
