A TikToker Showed The Differences Of The US & Canadian Passports & One Is Way More Patriotic

Ever wondered how Canada's passport compares to that of our southern neighbours? A TikToker has helped answer that question.

TikToker @josephdebenedictis compared Canada's passport to that of the U.S., and one is definitely more patriotic.

"Did you know these differences between the U.S. and Canadian passports,?" DeBenedictis captioned a video on his page, where he compares Canadian things to their U.S. counterparts.

"Visually, similar," he says, before noting that "there's a war being fought on the front page," of the U.S. passport.

Indeed, the first page of the U.S. passport shows an image from the Battle of Baltimore, accompanied by the words "O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

The battle inspired the creation of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” aka the U.S. national anthem.

The opposite page in the passport has a quote from Abraham Lincoln reading "...and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth."

It also contains a message from the U.S. Secretary of State requesting that the holder be permitted to "pass without delay or hindrance."

The first two pages of the U.S. passport. Alexmillos | Dreamstime

In comparison, the first page of the Canadian passport is much less patriotic, as DeBenedictis shows.

"Your first page is about yourselves, which is nice," DeBenedictis said of U.S. passport holders. "Your second page is [Canadians'] first page."

Unlike its U.S. counterpart, the Canadian passport doesn't feature any patriotic elements or images on the first pages.

Instead, it simply 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."

The first two pages of the Canadian passport. Meisterphotos | Dreamstime

The video next looked at the page opposite the data page, or where you'd find your passport photo.

On the U.S. passport, opposite the data page is a picture of an eagle with the American flag, along with "We the People," the preamble of the U.S. Constitution.

The eagle on the U.S. passport. David Burke | Dreamstime

The TikTok also looked at the last page of the U.S. passport, which contains an image of Earth and the moon from space.

DeBenedictis then showed the Canadian passport in comparison.

"What do we got?" he said, flipping to the back. "Nothing," he said, showing the last page of the passport.

"Now you know the differences," he continued. "You got a lot more preamble," he said of Americans' passport.

While Canada's passport may not feature as many patriotic elements right from the start, the 36-page book does contain artwork celebrating Canada, such as symbols of Aboriginal peoples, the Bluenose ship and the RCMP.

Still, its celebration of national elements may not be as in-your-face as the U.S. passport.

Many in the comments on the video, which has more than 24,000 likes, came to the defence of the Canadian passport, calling it "better" than its American counterpart and "more aesthetically pleasing."

Others wanted to know how they compare in terms of travel power.

According to the most recent ranking of the world's passports, Canada's falls at spot number eight, one spot lower than the U.S. passport, which is in seventh place for 2023.

The reason for this is that the U.S. passport allows for access to more countries visa-free, for a total of 187 — exactly one country more than Canada's 186.

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

It's featured alongside the passports of Australia and Greece, which tied with Canada in eighth place, as well as Belgium and Norway (seventh), Italy (fourth), and Singapore (second), with Japan ranking as the country with the world's most powerful passport.