The Canadian passport is the passport issued to citizens of Canada. It enables the bearer to exit and re-enter Canada; travel to and from other countries in accordance with visa requirements; facilitates the process of securing assistance from Canadian consular officials abroad, if necessary; and requests protection for the bearer while abroad.
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 July 2009, 56.2% of Canadians held a valid Canadian passport. Although held by individuals, all Canadian passports remain property of Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada (the Government of Canada), as stated on the inside front cover of the booklet.
Passport Canada has announced that electronic passports, or e-passports, will be issued to Canadian citizens starting from 1 July 2013. The use of e-passports will allow Canada to follow international standards and maintain the ease of international travel that Canadians currently enjoy. At the same time, Passport Canada will also start offering the option of a longer 10-year validity period.
Read more about Canadian Passport: History, Rights To A Passport, Types of Passports, Physical Appearance, Fees (since 2005, Until 2012 Issue of Biometric Passports), Changes, Visa Free Access To The United States, Notable Cases of Misuse, Gallery of Historic Images
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