The federal government has unveiled a new redesigned passport and announced that Canadians will soon be able to renew their travel documents online.
Sean Fraser, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and Karina Gould, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, revealed the new passport on Wednesday, which has been redesigned from cover to cover with state-of-the-art security features and new artwork.
The new security features include a polycarbonate data page similar to a driver’s licence and laser-engraved personal information to make the data page more durable and resistant to tampering and counterfeiting. The passport will also utilize a temperature-sensitive ink feature, a Kinegram over the main photo of the passport holder, and a custom see-through window with a secondary image.
The revamped passport will include a new cover design with an outline of a maple leaf, with other artwork depicting images of Canada’s four seasons.
The current version of the passport was released in 2013.
The federal government will begin rolling out the new passport this summer, however, further details have not been released. Until then, Canadians can continue to use their current valid passports.
Beginning this fall, the Government of Canada also plans to offer a new online service, that will allow Canadians to renew their passport, pay fees, and upload their photograph securely online.
