Lost Canadian Passport Overseas: Prevention and what to do
Your Canadian passport is your most valuable and important piece of government-issued identification. However, Canadian passports are also amongst the five most popular targets for smugglers and criminal organizations because of how widely they are accepted internationally. Thus, you should be extremely mindful of your own passport when overseas as loss or theft is not as uncommon as you may believe. Here are 4 important passport tips to keep in mind when traveling overseas:
- Make two photocopies of your passport before your travel – Leave one with a relative or friend and take the other with you, keeping the copy separate from the original.
- Be aware of where your passport is at all times – Keep it in your hand luggage or in a zipped pocket. Know where it is at all times so that it can be produced promptly when asked for.
- Be wary if are asked to surrender your passport – While some foreign officials may ask for your passport, as may some hotels, check with your travel operator, or the Canadian consulate whether or not this is standard procedure.
- Should your passport be stolen or lost while abroad report it to the local police and get in touch with the nearest Canadian consulate or embassy for further advice – Do not more then a day looking for it, if it is lost you should immediately contact your consulate as the process of sorting out your legal options can be quite lengthy.
(4) Types of Canadian Passports Available
As of 2020, there are six (6) types of Canadian passports in circulation:
1.Standard Passport (navy cover): This is the most common type of passport used as it is issued to citizens for both leisure and business orientated travels. The maximum validity period for this document varies with the age of the passport holder. Passports for children under the age of three (3) can only be valid for up to 10 years while older children and adults can obtain ten (10) year passports.
2.Frequent Traveller Passport (navy cover): This is a slightly more expensive passport which contains 48 pages and is normally aimed at those that travel frequently because of work. The validity date is the same as for a standard passport and other than the additional pages there is no notable difference.
3.Temporary Passport (white cover): These are issued by Passport Canada to Canadians with an urgent and proven need for an interim passport.
4.Emergency Passport (1 page): An emergency passport is a one-time use document issued to Canadians for direct return to Canada or to another Canadian mission where full passport services may be available
5.Special Passport (green cover): These are issued to people representing the Canadian government on official business.
6.Diplomatic Passport (maroon cover): These are issued to Canadian diplomats and top-ranking government officials including lieutenant governors, diplomatic couriers, and private citizens nominated as official diplomatic delegates.
