Canadian passport

A Canadian passport is a passport issued to citizens of Canada for the purpose of international travel; allowing the bearer to travel in foreign countries in accordance with visa requirements; facilitating the process of securing assistance from Canadian consular officials abroad, if necessary; and requesting the protection of the passport holder while abroad.^[1][2] A Canadian passport is not a primary proof of Canadian citizenship within Canada and therefore cannot be used for the purpose of obtaining a citizenship certificate, an enhanced driver's licence or identification card.^[3][4]
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.^[5] Although held by individuals, all Canadian passports remain property of Her Majesty in right of Canada.^[6]
On April 7, 2010, Passport Canada announced that in 2012, Canada will begin issuing electronic passports, or ePassports, to all its citizens. The use of ePassports will allow Canada to follow international standards in the field of passport security to protect the nation's borders and maintain the ease of international travel that Canadians currently enjoy. At the same time, Passport Canada will start offering the option of a 10-year validity period as well as the current 5-year validity period.^[7]