Canadian passport carries great power, great responsibility

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/05/2015 (3804 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For a long time, I have spoken out on the value of the Canadian passport.

Not only does it allow Canadians to travel freely to most countries of the world, but it is a symbol reflecting the way the rest of the world views Canada.

For people of other countries who wish to become citizens of Canada, it represents a path to freedom and an opportunity to build a better future for their children.

It is one of our most valuable documents, which informs others of the values we hold as a nation. With it we are welcomed as visitors to almost any nation we choose to visit.

In most instances we can visit those countries without the need of applying for an entry visa weeks or months in advance. But how do we rank against other counties around the world?

Are we really the best-received holders of passports, or do we rank far behind?

Henley & Partners is an international residence- and citizenship-planning consulting firm that measures such criteria annually. The goal, one of its executives said, is to “provide an indication of the relationship between individual nations and the status of a country within the international community of nations.”

This information is valuable because it leads to policies, as the company spokesperson underscored, “to establish visa restrictions that are an important tool for governments to control the movement of foreign nationals across borders.”

The most recent report, which reflected information gathered on behalf of the International Air Transport Association, had Canada ranked reasonably high in the measurement criteria — but not the best of the best.

Citizens of Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom can freely enter 173 countries without the need of applying for what are usually costly visas.

The United States has a score of 172, tied with Denmark, Germany, and Luxembourg. (The report suggests the acceptance of the American passport has increased from the previous year.)

Tied for third with a score of 171 visa-free-entry countries are Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands.

Canada, along with France, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Portugal and Spain, comes in at 170.

Only three points back of the top score, Canadians need not feel humbled by this report. But it does show how well European passports are accepted around the world and makes one wonder why the countries that accept those above us on the list don’t hold us in the same light.

As a person who likes to travel, where would you not want to live? Which nations’ citizens have to jump through the most hoops to enter Canada or other countries around the globe?

Perhaps it is understandable Afghanistan sits at the bottom of this long list of countries. Its citizens are only able to visit 28 nations without having to go through the sometimes long process of obtaining visas and other approvals to enter.

Iraq is only marginally above it, as are Pakistan and Somalia. Other countries whose residents’ freedom to travel is seriously curtailed are Eritrea, the Palestinian Territory, as well as Nepal and Lebanon.

It is noteworthy it is residents of the European Union who have the fewest barriers in travel. It’s equally telling those who are part of the EU do not require member nations to have passports to travel from country to country.

It was the kind of relationship Canada once had with the United States, our closest and arguably most friendly neighbor.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S., cross-border fears arose, legislation changed and for a period of time passport offices were plugged with people lining up for new documents. However, it now does not take long to get a passport and the new 10-year option is sure to keep the process flowing smoothly long into the future.

A cautionary note:

The power of a passport such as Canada’s, as well as those others near the top of visa-free list, brings with it the need to care and protect the document at all times. The Canadian passport is in high demand by thieves who try to find ways to modify and sell such documents at high prices.

It is always advisable to keep a passport in a safe or, while travelling, hidden in any of the myriad of undercover waist or neck safes readily available on the market.

A missing passport in a foreign country can lead to costly delays and expense as Canadian officials verify and reissue documents that may have be stolen or lost. A citizen will not be able to re-enter Canada until a passport is replaced.

People tend to wait to near the expiry date to renew passports. Remember many countries require passports to be valid up to six months beyond the planned return date of the traveller. For example, Canadians who visit Croatia must hold a passport valid for at least three months beyond the date of their expected departure from that country.

 

Forward your travel questions to askjourneys@journeystravel.com. Ron Pradinuk is president of Journeys Travel & Leisure SuperCentre, and can be heard Sundays at noon on CJOB. Previous columns and tips can be found at www.journeystravelgear.com. Read Ron’s travel blog at www.thattravelguy.ca.