New Canadian passports to feature computer chip
Posted October 26, 2012 5:16 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – Canada’s new electronic passport will make its debut in the spring with chip technology and an extra layer of security implanted in watermark images of the country’s history.
Foreign Minister John Baird revealed the new images for the inside pages of Canadian ePassports Friday.
The images include Terry Fox, the Grey Cup and Stanley Cup and the Fathers of Confederation.
“We’ve chosen images that are uniquely Canadian, images that highlight iconic moments in our proud history and showcase our beautiful country,” Baird said.
“These pictures also play an important role,” he said. “Each image is itself a security feature designed to prevent counterfeit.”
The changes are designed to deter counterfeiters and make the passport more secure.
The ePassports will have computer chips embedded in the back cover of the book — technology that is already used in at least 95 countries.
The chip will store the information found on page two of a Canadian passport — the passport holder’s name, sex, date of birth, etc. — a photo of the holder and a country-specific digital security feature likened to a signature, which proves the passport was issued by Canada.
Information stored on the chip is electronically locked and if someone were to attempt to tamper with the data, the chip would indicate that the lock had been compromised.
Baird said the chip technology and watermark images “make it more difficult for fraud to take place.”
Canadians will also be given an option to renew their passports for either five or 10 years at $120 for five years — up from $87 — and $160 for 10 years, according to Passport Canada.
Children will be eligible for only a five-year passport at $57 — an increase of $20.
For applicants outside of Canada, it will cost $190 for a five-year passport up from $97, and $260 for 10 years, according to Passport Canada.
The five-year ePassports will be available at select locations in early 2013, Baird said. The five and 10 year documents will be available countrywide by the summer.
