Information for law enforcement: What to do with a lost, stolen or found Canadian travel document
If you’re a law enforcement officer or agency, in Canada or abroad, you can find information on this page to know what to do with a seized, surrendered or found Canadian travel document. By following the guidelines, you can help protect the security, integrity and value of Canadian travel documents.
This page is written for law enforcement agencies and officers. If you’re not an officer, find out what to do to replace your Canadian travel document.
The term “travel documents” includes all of the following:
- passports
- refugee travel documents
- certificates of identity
Canadian travel documents
- facilitate international travel
- demonstrate identity and citizenship
Returning seized, surrendered or found Canadian travel documents to us
- safeguards their security, value and integrity
- protects the personal information in them and prevents their misuse
- makes it harder for people to falsely report them as lost or stolen and apply for a replacement
- reduces the chances of people trying to cross the border using cancelled documents
- allows us to reassess a person’s entitlement to travel document services
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Once a travel document is reported as stolen, it’s no longer valid and can’t be used for travel.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.
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
You must send us a notice through the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) to notify us. See Appendix III-5-D of the CPIC manual for additional information.
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.
If you can’t return the travel document to us due to legal proceedings
We ask that you forward us a copy of all the relevant pages.
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.
Page details
- Date modified: