7 Things You Didn't Know About Your Canadian Passport That'll Impress Your American Friends

It features iconic Canadian images that also act as security

Ever flipped through your Canadian passport and wondered about the imagery inside?

The passport contains several iconic images from Canadian history, featuring things like landmarks, important buildings, statues and people.

For instance, there are depictions of Niagara Falls, the Parliament buildings, people playing hockey, the Canadian prairies, and Terry Fox.

The passport also features quotes from former prime ministers Sir John A. Macdonald and Wilfrid Laurier.

According to the Passport Office, per CBC News, the pictures are for more than just decoration, as the complexity of the images makes it more difficult to produce counterfeit copies of the passport.

It allows you to travel to over 100 countries without a visa

Canada's passport is the eighth most powerful in the world in 2023, allowing holders to travel to 186 countries visa-free.

It was ranked in eighth place alongside Greece, Hungary, Malta and Poland in the most recent edition of the Henley Passport Index, which ranked 199 different passports from around the world and their access to 227 different destinations.

Canada's passport was, however, beaten by the U.S., whose passport placed in seventh thanks to its ability to give holders access to 187 countries without a visa.

Still, Canada is considered to have one of the world's most powerful passports thanks to its spot in the top 10.

It has colour-changing ink 

Canada's passport has been called one of the most beautiful in the world, and for good reason.

The passport contains colour-changing ink that looks different under certain lighting. It's also an added security feature that helps to prevent forgery.

When held under UV light, the pages of the passport explode with neon colours like some kind of Canadian rave and reveal hidden artwork that can't be seen with the naked eye.

For instance, under UV light, the Parliament buildings light up with fireworks, while an image of Niagara Falls becomes illuminated by a bright glowing moon.

So if you've ever thought the Canadian passport was kind of bland, think again!

There's a white version that's super pretty

On the topic of pretty passports, did you know there's a luxe all-white version of Canada's passport?

The document is actually a Canadian temporary passport, which is a shorter version of the passport (8 pages, rather than 36) that's used short-term, like for urgent travel situations or residency requirements.

It could be issued to Canadians who are studying on a one-year exchange program or living and working in the U.S. or abroad on a one-year contract basis, for instance.

The passport has a striking white cover and only four visa pages, versus the usual 29.

There's four different types of Canadian passports

The white temporary passport is actually one of the four different passports available in Canada. For example, ever seen a red Canadian passport? Unless you're a diplomat, there's a good chance you've probably never come across one.

The four variations include the blue, standard Canadian passport (which is issued to citizens) and the white temporary passport.

There's also the red diplomatic passport, which is for diplomats, high-ranking Government of Canada officials and delegates of the Government of Canada; and the green special passport, which is issued to senators and members of parliament.

It's granted by the queen

The Canadian passport is technically granted by the "Queen of Canada," which is a different title than the queen of Britain and Northern Ireland, even though she was the same person.

The first page of the passport also has a message from the minister of foreign affairs requesting, "in the name of Her Majesty the Queen," that the bearer of the passport be allowed to "pass freely without delay or hindrance."

However, after the queen's death and the coronation of King Charles, this will be tweaked to replace "queen" with "king," according to the National Post

It's a favourite for spies

The Canadian passport isn't just a favourite for its beauty and strength — it's also said to be popular among spies and assassins.

In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassin, James Earl Ray, secured a Canadian passport to escape the FBI, and many other famous spies and assassins also favoured the document as a way to get around.

For instance, as CBC News reports, in 1961, Russian spy Gordon Lonsdale used a fake Canadian passport for "espionage activities" in England.

And in 1962, three American narcotics fugitives used Canadian passports to escape to Spain.