How Passport Canada is funded

Although Passport Canada is a government organization, it is more like a private-sector company. It operates on a cost-recovery basis, which means that your tax dollars are not used to fund Passport Canada. So if you don't apply for a passport, you don't pay for passport services.

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Transcript: “How Passport Canada is funded”

Video length: 2:14 minutes

A blue sky background with clouds. A train appears followed by a boat, an automobile and an airplane. They are then replaced by several illustrated people with question marks over their heads.

Narrator : Like most people, you may not know how Passport Canada is funded.

A illustration of a building appears with Passport Canada written above it A mail truck, clerk and client, a computer and a printer encircle the building The building is replaced by a dollar sign, an equal to sign and a Canadian passport.

Narrator : Although Passport Canada is a government organization, it is more like a private-sector company.
In fact, it operates on a cost-recovery basis.

A passport appears beside the word « taxes ». The word « taxes » is then swept away and replaced by many illustrated people holding passports and paper money. People without money and passports have a dollar sign inside a circle with a red line through it over their heads.

Narrator : In other words, your tax dollars are not used to fund Passport Canada.

So if you don't apply for a passport, you don't pay for passport services.
The fees paid by applicants cover the passport itself, as well as staff and the infrastructure needed for producing and issuing passports.

An illustration of a passport appears as an airplane, a train, a boat and an automobile pass by. The passport is then surrounded by a clerk and a client, a computer, a building and a printer. These are replaced by a pie chart illustrating the how the fees are used.

Narrator : In real terms, passport fees are used as follows:
First, the portion of the fee that goes to consular services is subtracted.
The remaining funds go to Passport Canada and are used to pay for:

• customer service;
• security and identity authentication;
• and of course, producing and distributing passports.

Illustration of a family with suitcases holding hands. A dollar sign appears above an adult and a larger dollar sign appears above the child in a stroller. The dollar sign above the child then shrinks to a size smaller than the one above the adult.

Narrator : What's more, did you know that extra verifications are needed for children's applications, which means that a child's passport costs more to produce than an adult passport?

Despite this fact, children's passport fees are lower than fees for adults.

A plane and car pass by. A passport appears and dollar signs fall into it. A circled thumbs up gesture appears above the passport circled by a plane, a train, a boat and a car. The word affordable then appears.

Narrator : Even though Passport Canada is self-funded, the Canadian passport remains an affordable travel document.
Passport Canada's cost-recovery funding model provides you with high-quality service.

A passport appears along with an equal to sign and an illustrated woman holding paper money. She and the equals sign are replaced by illustrations of various people and a clerk serving a client. This is replaced by an illustration of a customs agent accepting Canadian passports as they pass through a circle producing a green check mark.

Narrator : The Canadian passport is a secure and respected document that allows you to visit many countries without a travel visa.

A globe then appears with an airplane circling it. The words many countries and without a visa appear. This is replaced by a picture of a Canadian passport.

Background fades to black, the copyright message Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by Passport Canada, 2011 is displayed and is then followed by the Canada wordmark.