First Look at Canada’s New Redesigned Passport

This week, the Government of Canada unveiled a completely new Canadian passport, updated from cover to cover with new designs and security features that it says will help keep Canadian identities safe while traveling.

The new design will begin rolling out in late summer. Depending on when they apply, applicants may get the new or the old version, but Canada is stressing that both versions are secure and reliable, so there is no need to renew unless passports are expiring.

Aside from that new design, which features a Coat of Arms and makes Canada among the first in the Commonwealth to introduce a travel document series that references King Charles III, the updates will allow Canadian citizens to renew their travel documents online, a significant change for Canadians. While some countries, including the U.S., have started moving renewals online, Canada will make it a full reality when the new passport officially launches.

Here’s what else is new:

Security Features
There are a number of new elements that the Government of Canada says will make this new version more secure. They include an updated, tamper-proof data page, metallic foils in the shape of a maple leaf on the covers and a debossed maple leaf on the back.

There’s also color-shifting ink in the shape of a deer and snowflake on the inside front cover, and a passport chip and antenna on the opposite page, along with a kinegram that changes colors and appears to move when you look at it from different angles. Canada says that those features “can be used to confirm the validity of your passport and keep your information secure.”

Seasonal Art
Visa pages inside the passport book now have seasonal art that changes when you look at it under ultraviolet light. See below for the before and after: