The Canadian ePassport chip

The chip in Canada’s ePassport contains only the same personal information that is already on page 2 of your passport.

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Transcript: “The Canadian ePassport chip”

Video length: 1:42 minutes

Narrator: The Canadian ePassport is secure and considered the gold standard of travel documents.

Picture showing the front of the Canadian ePassport and the microchip on the back. Image of microchip is replaced by the information listed on the passport: name, nationality, date of birth, sex, passport number and your photo.

Narrator: The chip in Canada’s ePassport contains only the same personal information that is already on page 2 of your passport—your name, nationality, date of birth, sex, passport number and your photo.

Image of a passport being stamped with customs stamps from various countries.

Narrator: No other information about you or your travels is stored on the chip of the ePassport.

Stamped passport is towed away by an animated airplane.

Animation of a building flying a Canadian flag and several passports leaving the building. One of the passports is flipped around to show its back side revealing its microchip and a lock.

Narrator: What’s more, when the passport is first created, the chip is locked so that your information cannot be tampered with.

A picture of a Canadian passport with arrows going to and coming from an ePassport reader.

Narrator: For it to be read, the passport must be held within 10 centimetres of an ePassport reader.

The passport is now inserted into the ePassport reader and an animation shows the information being read from the passport. Once all the information is revealed, a picture of the microchip is shown.

Narrator: Specific information such as your date of birth, date of expiry of the passport and the passport number must be provided to the ePassport reader to access the chip.

The ePassport reader now shows a green, blinking light. The image becomes blurry and bounces vertically on the screen, all the data contained on the ePassport flashes on the screen and the green light on the ePassport reader turns red.

Narrator: In other words, if this information is not first entered, the reader will not be able to access any data on the chip. This process is known as basic access control.

An animation of a traveller handing their passport to a customs officer then receiving it back and walking away.

Narrator: These features and more help ensure Canada’s ePassport remains a secure and respected travel and identity document.

Graphic showing a passport number, a lock, a Canadian passport, a microchip and a woman’s passport photo.

All images are removed from the frame except for the passport. An animated customs officer emerges from the passport and gives a thumbs up signal. The officer then disappears and all that is shown is a photo of a Canadian Passport.

Fade to black, copyright message and Canada wordmark.