Yesterday, Canada unveiled a new passport design that’s sure to draw some double-takes during your next international trip.
What happened: The maple leaf-centric look has been a decade in the making, which is actually quite impressive, considering it took 40 years to get the Canadian flag design off the ground. As our Gen Z readers would say, it’s kind of giving… fashion house rebrand vibes.
- The cover-to-cover update does away with old historical symbols (with the exception of King Charles III) and instead includes a series of very artsy and zen landscapes.
- Passport offices have resumed processing applications since the end of the federal worker strike, but by the fall, you’ll also be able to renew your passport online.
Why it matters: It’s not just about appearances. Canadian passports are among the most powerful in the world, granting visa-free entry to 115 countries, making them vulnerable to counterfeiting and fraud. The redesign includes new security features to combat this.
- In addition to the new driver's licence-like page and anti-tampering features around the passport chip, information will be laser engraved and temperature-sensitive.
Zoom out: Recently rolled out passports from Switzerland and New Zealand also boast top-notch security features aimed at making life difficult for international fraudsters.—SB