Information for law enforcement: What to do with a lost, stolen or found Canadian travel document

Stolen travel documents in Canada

You should

• accept the report of theft
• advise the person reporting the theft to immediately call us at 1-800-567-6868 or go in person to their nearest passport office

Once a travel document is reported as stolen, it’s no longer valid and can’t be used for travel.

If a passport that was reported stolen is later found, you must

• never return it to the bearer

• return the document directly to us at this address:

  Centralized Network – Passport Protection, 3rd floor
  Gatineau, QC K1A 1L1
  Canada
  
  See Appendix III-5-D of the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) manual for the address for traceable mail.

How we handle lost or stolen travel documents

When we get your report of a lost or stolen travel document, we

• cancel it
• enter the information about it into the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC)
  • INTERPOL gets this information from CPIC and enters it into their Lost, Stolen and Fraudulent Document (LSFD) database, where member countries and border officials can access it.
• provide information about it to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) directly
  • CBSA enters this information into their systems to make it accessible to their front-line officers.

Lost travel documents inside Canada

You should advise the person reporting it to

• immediately call us at 1 800 567 6868 or
• go to the nearest passport office

Once a travel document is reported lost, it’s no longer valid and can’t be used for travel. You must never return it to the bearer after it’s been reported lost.

If it’s found later, you must

• never return it to the bearer

• return the document directly to us at this address:

  Centralized Network – Passport Protection, 3rd floor
  Gatineau, QC K1A 1L1
  Canada
  
  See Appendix III-5-D of the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) manual for the address for traceable mail.

How we handle lost or stolen travel documents

When we get your report of a lost or stolen travel document, we

• cancel it
• enter the information about it into the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC)
  • INTERPOL gets this information from CPIC and enters it into their Lost, Stolen and Fraudulent Document (LSFD) database, where member countries and border officials can access it.
• provide information about it to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) directly
  • CBSA enters this information into their systems to make it accessible to their front-line officers.

Found travel documents

You must

• obtain a written statement from the person who found the travel document of where, when and how they found it
• never return the found passport to the bearer
• return the document directly to us
  • with your full contact details or business card as the law enforcement officer
  • with a copy of the police occurrence report or a note detailing the circumstances (how, who, where and when) it was recovered

  • at this mailing address:

    Centralized Network – Passport Protection, 3rd floor
    Gatineau, QC K1A 1L1
    Canada
    
    See Appendix III-5-D of the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) manual for the address for traceable mail.

Seized or surrendered travel documents

All Canadian-issued passports and travel documents are the property of the Government of Canada.

All travel documents are the property of the Government of Canada

Our legal authority and mandate derive in part from the Canadian Passport Order. Section 3(c) says that Canadian passports “remain the property of Her Majesty in right of Canada”. This also applies to other travel documents.

For ease of communication, we referred to these documents as “your” passport or “your” travel documents. Although you may be the holder of a travel document, they remain the property of the Government of Canada.

This is why it’s important that you tell us immediately when

• a law enforcement agency seizes a travel document
• a court orders an accused to surrender their travel document

Our procedure for seized or surrendered travel documents and what you need to do

Once we’re told a travel document has been seized or surrendered, we reassess the person’s entitlement and access to travel document services. This could result in their travel document being revoked. In some cases, there may even be a period where they are refused service.

You should return seized and surrendered travel documents to us as soon as possible

• with your full contact details and
• with a copy of the recognizance, undertaking, bail document, interim release document, court order or seizure notice

• at this mailing address:

  Centralized Network – Passport Protection, 3rd floor
  Gatineau, QC K1A 1L1
  Canada
  
  See Appendix III-5-D of the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) manual for the address for traceable mail.

We notify the relevant law enforcement agency using a CPIC message that the travel document must be returned to us as soon as possible. You may also tell the bearer

• the document has been or will be returned to us and
• to contact us once their legal issues are resolved
  • You can ask us for a template letter if individuals have questions about the location of the travel document.

Stolen travel documents outside Canada

You should advise the person who’s travel document was stolen to

• file a report at the nearest Government of Canada office abroad
• find out what to do about lost, stolen, inaccessible, damaged or found passports

How we handle lost or stolen travel documents

When we get your report of a lost or stolen travel document, we

• cancel it
• enter the information about it into the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC)
  • INTERPOL gets this information from CPIC and enters it into their Lost, Stolen and Fraudulent Document (LSFD) database, where member countries and border officials can access it.
• provide information about it to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) directly
  • CBSA enters this information into their systems to make it accessible to their front-line officers.

Lost travel documents outside Canada

You should advise the person who’s travel document was lost to

• file a report at the nearest Government of Canada office abroad
• find out what to do about lost, stolen, inaccessible, damaged or found passports

How we handle lost or stolen travel documents

When we get your report of a lost or stolen travel document, we

• cancel it
• enter the information about it into the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC)
  • INTERPOL gets this information from CPIC and enters it into their Lost, Stolen and Fraudulent Document (LSFD) database, where member countries and border officials can access it.
• provide information about it to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) directly
  • CBSA enters this information into their systems to make it accessible to their front-line officers.