Canadian passports are getting a makeover

May 15, 2023 —

The new design of the Canadian passport was unveiled last week in Ottawa by Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser, and Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould.

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 like Canada's driver's licenses. 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. 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 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.

The images of human history and culture that have been featured on past versions of the passport are conspicuously absent from the new design. That has led to some critics accusing the government of erasing regard for history. Opposition Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of showing a lack of respect for veterans and national heroes like Terry Fox, who were formerly featured on the passport.

The previous version of the Canadian coat of arms will appear on the new passport as the design went to production before the new arms were unveiled. The new coat of arms does not have the traditional St. Edward's Crown, which is the official symbol of sovereignty, but instead features a redesigned crown of maple leaves replacing the cross and fleurs de lys on the St. Edward's Crown. Critics of the change—and the Trudeau government, have derisively called it the "Trudeau crown."

The new passport will start rolling out later this summer. Until then, the current passport remains secure and reliable. Canadians with valid passports will only need to renew them when they are getting close to their normal renewal date.

The passport system in Canada was plagued with long delays last year. People were often driving hours to passport centers in smaller cities with the hope of shorter lines and faster service.

The Government of Canada 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 and conveniently online.