Canadian passport

File:Canadian Passport.jpg

A Canadian passport is a passport issued to citizens of Canada for the purpose of international travel; allowing the bearer to travel in foreign countries in accordance with visa requirements; facilitating the process of securing assistance from Canadian consular officials abroad, if necessary; and requesting the protection of the passport holder while abroad.^[1][2] Passports also serve as proof of Canadian citizenship and as a means of personal identification.

All Canadian passports are issued by Passport Canada, a special branch of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and are valid for five years, except that those of children under age three are valid for three years. As of early 2009, nearly 54% of Canadians held a valid Canadian passport.^[3] Although held by individuals, all Canadian passports remain property of Her Majesty in right of Canada.^[4]

The first Canadian passports were issued in 1862, following the outbreak of the American Civil War, when the United States demanded more secure identification from Canadians wishing to cross the border. They took the form of a Letter of Request from the Governor General. These documents remained in use until, in 1915, Canadian passports were first issued in the British format, a ten section single sheet folder.

The modern form of the Canadian passport came about in 1921. At that time, Canadians were British subjects, and Canada shared a common nationality code with the United Kingdom; thus, Canadian passports were issued to those British subjects resident in or connected to Canada. This arrangement ended in 1947, when the Canadian Citizenship Act was granted Royal Assent and the designation of Canadian citizenship was created. As of July the following year, Canadian passports were issued to Canadian citizens only,^[5] and by 1985 the first machine-readable passports were distributed, in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization standards.

In the 2008 federal budget, Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, announced that electronic passports would be introduced by 2011.^[6] A pilot project began in 2009, with e-passports being issued to special and diplomatic passport applicants.^[7]

The issuance of passports is a royal prerogative,^[4] rather than an Act of Parliament; they are issued in the name of the reigning monarch, as expressed in the passport note. However, the authority to issue passports is granted to Passport Canada, a Special Operating Agency of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, under the authority of the Canadian Passport Order, an Order-in-Council that specifies grounds for which Passport Canada can issue or renew a passport.

Applicants must fill out the required forms, which include the necessity of two passport photos and affirmation from a surety. Rules regarding renewals of passports and the eligibility of guarantors were last updated in 2007, whereafter applicants may renew the passport using a shorter application form if: they are resident in Canada when they apply; lived in Canada and were at least sixteen years of age at the time of their previous application; and are in possession of a Canadian passport that was issued under their current name after January 31, 2002, is valid for five years, and not damaged or reported lost or stolen. Further, a guarantor may be a Canadian who currently holds a valid, or no more than one year expired, five-year Canadian passport; has known the applicant for more than two years; is eighteen or more years old; and were sixteen years of age or older when they applied for their own passport. For citizens abroad, passport applications are forwarded back to a passport centre by the local embassies, high commissions or consulates.

Passport Canada may revoke a passport or refuse to issue or renew a passport on grounds set out in the Canadian Passport Order, including such grounds as failure to submit a complete application, misrepresentation in obtaining a passport, and criminality. However, whether a Canadian passport may be revoked or refused on the basis of national security concerns has been questioned. In July 2004, Abdurahman Khadr was denied a Canadian passport by Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, on the explicit advice of her Foreign Affairs Minister, Bill Graham, who stated the decision was "in the interest of the national security of Canada and the protection of Canadian troops in Afghanistan." The government invoked royal prerogative in order to deny Khadr's passport, as national security was not at that time listed in the Canadian Passport Order as a ground for refusal, though, shortly thereafter, on September 22, 2004, section 10.1 was added to the Order, which allowed the Minister to revoke or refuse a passport due to national security concerns.^[8] Khadr sought judicial review of the minister's decision to refuse his passport,^[9] and on June 8 of the following year, the Federal Court ruled that the government did not have the power to refuse to issue Khadr's passport in the absence of specific authority set out in the Canadian Passport Order, but stated in obiter dicta that if the order were to be amended (as it had been after the fact), Khadr would likely not be able to challenge the revocation.^[10] In 2006, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, then Peter MacKay, again denied Khadr's application, this time invoking section 10.1 of the amended Canadian Passport Order ^[11] Section 10.1 was later challenged in Federal Court by Fateh Kamel, whose passport had also been refused for national security reasons. On March 13, 2008, the Federal Court declared section 10.1 of the Passport Order to be unconstitutional and therefore invalid,^[12][13] though the court suspended its declaration of invalidity for six months in order to allow the government time to amend the order. The federal government launched an appeal at the Federal Court of Appeal and a ruling handed down on January 29, 2009 overturned the lower court decision in March 2008. The court unanimously agreed the denial of passport service on national grounds is in compliance with the Charter, citing the limitation clause as its main decision point.^[14][15]

Before 1947, there were two types of passports: those issued to people who were born British subjects and those issued to people naturalized as British subjects.

Today, there are six types of Canadian passports:^[16]

Regular Passport (navy cover)

These documents are issued to citizens for occasional travel, such as vacations and business trips. The maximum validity period varies with the age of the passport holder. Children (3 to 15 years of age) and adults (16 years of age or over) are issued passports with a maximum validity of 5 years; children (under 3 years of age) are issued passports valid for a maximum of 3 years.

Frequent Traveler Passport (navy cover)

These are issued to frequent travelers, such as business people. These passports cost slightly more than a regular passport, containing 48 pages; $5 more for adults, $2 for children. The validity period for this passport is the same as for the regular passport.

Temporary Passport (white cover)

These are issued on behalf of Passport Canada to Canadians with an urgent and proven need for an interim passport.

Emergency Passport (1 page)

Emergency passports are one-use documents issued to Canadians for direct return to Canada or to another Canadian mission where full passport services may be obtained.

Special Passport (green cover)

These are issued to people representing the Canadian government on official business, including Privy Councillors, Members of Parliament, provincial cabinet members, public servants, citizens nominated as official non-diplomatic delegates^[17] and Canadian Forces members who are posted abroad.^[18]

Diplomatic Passport (maroon cover)

These are issued to Canadian diplomats, top ranking government officials (including lieutenant governors and commissioners of territories),^[19] diplomatic couriers, and private citizens nominated as official diplomatic delegates.

Regular passports are deep navy blue, with the Coat of Arms of Canada emblazoned in the centre of the front cover. The words "PASSPORT•PASSEPORT" are inscribed below the coat of arms, and "CANADA" above. The bilingual cover is indicative of the textual portions of Canadian passports being printed in both English and French, Canada's two official languages. The standard passport contains 24 pages, but it can be issued in a 48 page format upon request for an additional fee.

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.

File:Data Page of Canadian Passport.jpg

• Photo of the passport holder
• Type (P)
• Issuing Country (CAN)
• Passport No.
• Surname
• Given Names
• Nationality (Canadian/Canadienne)
• Date of Birth
• Sex
• Place of Birth
• Date of Issue
• Issuing Authority
• Date of Expiry
• Signature of the passport holder

The information page ends with the Machine Readable Zone.

File:CanPassportInsideCover.jpg

The passports contain a note from the issuing authority addressed to the authorities of all other states, identifying the bearer as a citizen of that state and requesting that they be allowed to pass and be treated according to international norms. The textual portions of Canadian passports is printed in both English and French, the official languages of Canada. The note inside of Canadian passports states:

• In English:

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada requests, in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.

• In French:

Le ministre des Affaires étrangères du Canada, au nom de Sa Majesté la Reine, prie les autorités intéressées de bien vouloir accorder libre passage au titulaire de ce passeport, de même que l'aide et la protection dont il aurait besoin.

On the inside of the back cover on passports issued after 2007, a logo is printed for the federal department of "Foreign Affairs Canada."^{[citation needed]} However, there has never been a Department of Foreign Affairs in Canada; the Department of External Affairs was continued under the legal name Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) in 1995. Legislation was introduced in the 38th Parliament to legally separate DFAIT into two separate departments, but the legislation was defeated, though the Federal Identity Program allowed the departments to identify themselves by separate names. When the legislation was defeated, the Treasury Board revoked the authority, but, when prompted for comment, Passport Canada stated: "According to the Federal Identity Program of the Treasury Board Secretariat, the applied title for the Department is as follows: Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade/Ministère des Affaires étrangères et du Commerce international - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada/Affaires étrangères et Commerce international Canada. However, Passport Canada has been permitted to keep using the previous name of the Department until the printed passport covers stock is exhausted."^{[citation needed]}

Passport applicants may request, in writing, that Passport Canada not list the country of birth on their data page. In response to the government of the People's Republic of China's (PRC) modification to the requirements for the issuance of visas to Canadian citizens born in Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan, the PRC will not issue visas to Canadian passport holders whose place of birth is inscribed as being Hong Kong HKG, Macau MAC or Taiwan TWN. Accordingly, passports issued to Canadians born in Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan now only list the place of birth, without an accompanying three-letter country code, unless upon request.^[20] Canadian citizens born in Jerusalem have their birthplace identified only by the city's name, with no national designation, due to the unresolved legal status of Jerusalem.^[21]

Document	Adult (16 and over)	Children (3 to 15)	Children (under 3)
24-page passport	$87	$37	$22
48-page passport	$92	$39	$24

In 2008, Passport Canada announced that it would be issuing more secure, electronic passports to Canadian travellers starting in 2011. These passports would be valid for 10 years instead of the current five.^[22]

In September, 2003, Le Devoir printed a piece calling on Passport Canada to give individual Canadians the choice of which official language appeared first in their passports, English or French. The Passport Office initially claimed that this was not allowed under international norms, but it was shown that Belgian passport applications asked Belgian citizens which of their country's three official languages (Dutch, French or German) should appear first in their passports.^[23]

It is estimated that 187 countries and territories granted visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to ordinary Canadian passport holders. 150 (visa on arrival for free counted) countries and territories are visa-free accessible. Visa prior to arrival or pre-arrangement required for countries or territories not mentioned below.^[24]

Where visa-free access is permitted, such access is not necessarily a right, and admission is at the discretion of border enforcement officers. Visitors engaging in activities other than tourism, including unpaid work, may require a visa or work permit.

Countries and territories	Conditions of access
Botswana	90 days [3]
Cape Verde	Visa issued upon arrival [4]
Comoros	visa issued upon arrival [5]
Djibouti	visa issued upon arrival for DJF3,000 (10 days), DJF5,000 (1 month) [6]
Egypt	30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$15 [7][8]
Ethiopia	3-month visa issued upon arrival for US$40 [9][10]
Kenya	3-month visa issued upon arrival for US$50 [11][12]
Lesotho	14 days [13][14]
Madagascar	90-day visa issued upon arrival for MGA28,000 [15]
Malawi	90 days [16]
Mauritius	6 months per year (tourist), 90 days per year (business) [17][18]
Mayotte	90 days [19]
Morocco	3 months [20][21]
Mozambique	30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$25 [22]
Namibia	90 days [23]
Réunion	90 days [24]
Rwanda	90 days [25]
Saint Helena	visa-free access
Senegal	3 months [26]
Seychelles	1 month [27]
South Africa	90 days [28]
Swaziland	60 days [29]
Tanzania	visa issued upon arrival for US$50 [30][31]
Togo	1-month visa issued upon arrival for XOF10,000 ~ XOF35,000 [32]
Tunisia	3 months [33]
Uganda	6-month visa issued upon arrival for US$50 [34][35]
Zambia	visa issued upon arrival for US$25 (single), US$80 (multiple) [36][37]
Zimbabwe	3-month holiday, 30-day business or 3-day transit visa can be issued upon arrival (cost between US$30-55) [38]

Countries and territories	Conditions of access
Anguilla	3 months [39][40]
Antigua and Barbuda	1 month [41][42]
Argentina	90 days [43]
Aruba	180 days [44][45]
Bahamas	3 months [46]
Barbados	6 months [47][48]
Belize	30 days [49][50]
Bermuda	6 months [51][52]
Bolivia	30 days [53][54]
Cayman Islands	30 days [55]
Chile	90 days - a one time entry tax of US$132 is charged when arrival is at Santiago Int. Airport, free at other entry points[56] [57]
Colombia	90 days [58][59]
Costa Rica	90 days [60]
Dominica	21 days [61]
Dominican Republic	30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$10 [62][63]
Ecuador	90 days [64][65]
El Salvador	90 days [66]
Falkland Islands	3 months [67]
French Guiana	90 days [68]
Greenland	3 months [69]
Grenada	3 months [70][71]
Guadeloupe	90 days [72]
Guatemala	90 days [73]
Guyana	3 months [74]
Haiti	3 months [75]
Honduras	3 months [76]
Jamaica	visa-free access [77][78]
Martinique	90 days [79]
Mexico	180 days [80][81]
Montserrat	3 months [82]
Netherlands Antilles	14 days [83]
Nicaragua	90 days [84]
Panama	30-day Tourist Card issued upon arrival for US$5 [85][86]
Peru	90 days [87]
Puerto Rico	[88][89]
Saint Barthélemy	90 days [90]
Saint Kitts and Nevis	3 months [91][92]
Saint Lucia	6 weeks [93][94]
Saint Martin	90 days [95]
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	90 days [96]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	1 month [97]
Trinidad and Tobago	3 months [98]
Turks and Caicos Islands	30 days [99]
United States	6 months [100][101]
Uruguay	3 months [102][103]
Venezuela	3 months [104][105]
British Virgin Islands	30 days [106]
United States Virgin Islands	6 months [107]

Countries and territories	Conditions of access
Armenia	21-day visa issued upon arrival for US$30 [108]
Azerbaijan	30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$100 [109]
Bahrain	14-day visa issued upon arrival for BHD5 [110][111]
Brunei Darussalam	14 days [112]
Cambodia	30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$20 (tourist), US$25 (business) [113]
China *	48-hour transit (Shanghai only) [114]
Georgia	360 days [115]
Hong Kong *	90 days [116]
Indonesia	30-day visa issued upon arrival [117]
Iran	14 days visa on arrival for Kish Island only (pre-arrival visa required to enter the mainland) [118] [119]
Iraq (only Iraqi Kurdistan)	visa issued upon arrival at Erbil Airport only (free of charge) [120]
Israel	3 months [121]
Japan	90 days [122]
Jordan	visa issued upon arrival for JOD10 [123][124]
South Korea	6 months [125]
Kuwait	3-month visa issued upon arrival for KWD5 [126][127]
Kyrgyzstan	1-month visa issued upon arrival for US$36 ~ 70 (business),US$35 (single tourist),US$55 (multiple tourist) [128][129]
Laos	30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$42 [130]
Lebanon	1-month visa issued upon arrival(free of charge) [131][132]
Macau, China *	30 days [133]
Malaysia	3 months [134]
Maldives	30 days [135]
Nepal	60-day visa issued upon arrival for US$30 [136]
Oman	1-month visa issued upon arrival for OMR6 [137]
Philippines	21 days [138]
Qatar	21-day visa issued upon arrival for QAR55 [139][140]
Singapore	30 days [141]
Sri Lanka	30 days [142]
Taiwan **	30 days [143]
Thailand	30 days with a max total of 90 days spent in a 6 month period[144]
Timor-Leste	30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$30 [145]
United Arab Emirates	30 days [146]
Yemen	1-month visa issued upon arrival for YER10,500 [147]

* People's Republic of China; ** Republic of China (Taiwan)

Countries and territories	Conditions of access
European Union
Austria	3 months in a half year [148][149]
Belgium	3 months in a half year [150][151]
Bulgaria	3 months in a half year [152][153]
Cyprus	3 months in a half year [154][155]
Czech Republic	3 months in a half year [156][157]
Denmark	3 months in a half year [158][159]
Estonia	3 months in a half year [160][161]
Finland	3 months in a half year [162][163]
France	3 months in a half year [164][165]
Germany	3 months in a half year [166][167]
Greece	3 months in a half year [168][169]
Hungary	3 months in a half year [170][171]
Ireland	3 months in a half year [172][173]
Italy	3 months in a half year [174][175]
Latvia	3 months in a half year [176][177]
Lithuania	3 months in a half year [178][179]
Luxembourg	3 months in a half year [180][181]
Malta	3 months in a half year [182][183]
Netherlands	3 months in a half year [184][185]
Poland	3 months in a half year [186][187]
Portugal	3 months in a half year [188][189]
Romania	3 months in a half year [190][191]
Slovakia	3 months in a half year [192][193]
Slovenia	3 months in a half year [194][195]
Spain	3 months in a half year [196][197]
Sweden	3 months in a half year [198][199]
United Kingdom	6 months [200]
Non-EU
Albania	90 days [201][202]
Andorra	90 days [203]
Bosnia and Herzegovina	90 days [204]
Croatia	90 days [205][206]
Faroe Islands	3 months (same as Denmark) [207]
Gibraltar	visa-free access [208]
Guernsey	6 months (same as UK) [209]
Iceland	3 months in a half year [210]
Isle of Man	6 months (same as UK) [211]
Jersey	6 months (same as UK) [212]
Liechtenstein	3 months in half a year (same as Switzerland) [213]
Macedonia	90 days [214]
Moldova	90 days [215]
Monaco	90 days [216]
Montenegro	90 days [217]
Norway	3 months in half a year [218]
San Marino	90 days [219]
Serbia	90 days [220][221]
Switzerland	3 months in half a year [222]
Turkey	3-month visa issued upon arrival for US$60, €45 [223][224]
Ukraine	90 days [225][226]
Vatican City	90 days in half a year [227]

Countries and territories	Conditions of access
American Samoa	30 days [228]
Australia	pre-arrival Electronic Travel Authority required [229]
Cook Islands	31 days [230]
Fiji	6 months [231]
Guam	6 months [232]
Marshall Islands	30 days [233]
Federated States of Micronesia	30 days[234][235]
Nauru	30 days [236]
New Caledonia	90 days [237]
New Zealand	3 months [238]
Niue	30 days [239]
Norfolk Island	same as Australia [240]
Northern Mariana Islands	30 days [241]
Palau	30 days [242][243]
Papua New Guinea	60-day visa issued upon arrival for PGK100 (tourist), PGK500 (business) [244]
French Polynesia	90 days [245]
Samoa	60 days [246]
Solomon Islands	3 months [247]
Tokelau	free cruising permit can be obtain in Apia, Samoa [248]
Tonga	31-day visa issued upon arrival (free of charge) [249]
Tuvalu	1 month [250]
Vanuatu	30 days [251][252]
Wallis and Futuna	90 days [253]

Previously, Canadians were able to enter the United States by presenting a birth certificate (or other proof of Canadian citizenship) along with a form of photo identification (such as a driver's license or provincial health card). In many cases United States border agents would accept a verbal declaration of citizenship.

Under the United States Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, as of January 23, 2007, all Canadians entering the United States via air are required to present a valid passport or NEXUS card.^[25] As of June 1, 2009, all Canadian citizens require a passport, NEXUS card or enhanced driver's license to enter the US via land or water.^[26]

• Passport Canada
• Canadian Passport Order‎
• Passport
• Canadian nationality law

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