Canadian Government Introduces New Passports

New passports for Canadians feature computer chips and historical watermarks to help prevent fraud.

Canada’s passports have been updated to include chip technology and watermark images designed to prevent fraud, but they are also going to cost a lot more.

The new passports will be renewable for either five- or 10-year periods, but they’ll come with a price: $120 for five years, up from the current $87, and $160 for the 10-year option. Passports for children will be $57, an increase of $20.

The new passports have computer chip embedded technology that’s already used in almost 100 other countries. New security features, similar to those on banknotes, have been added with increasing frequency since 2001. Microprinting, holographic images, UV-visible imaging, watermarks and other details have been implemented, particularly on the photo page. As well, the photo is now digitally printed directly on the paper (in both standard and UV-reactive ink). Previously, the actual photo had been laminated inside the document. All Canadian passports issued on or after July 1, 2013 have been ePassports.

Visa requirements for Canadian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Canada. According to the 2018 Henley visa restrictions index, holders of a Canadian passport can visit 176 countries and territories visa-free or with visa on arrival, and the score of Canada is ranked 5th according to the Visa Restrictions Index. Canada is a member of the Five Nations Passport Group, an international forum for cooperation between Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. There goal is to “share best practices and discuss innovations related to the development of passport policies, products and practices”.

.All ePassports are issued with 36 pages as opposed to the previous choice of 24 or 48 pages.

Each blank page of the document will also contain watermarks depicting iconic images from Canadian history.

 

New Passports for Canada

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