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CSA TRAVEL INFORMATION GUIDE
If you will be travelling out of the province or country, do not forget to give these copies to a trusted
friend or relative for safekeeping (or at least hidden in a place that a trusted person can access)
should you require them. They will be of no benefit if locked in a bank safe deposit box that only you
have a key or permission to access.
Secondly, when leaving the country, do not carry any documents in your wallet or purse that you
will not require on a day-to-day basis at your final destination. This would include such items as your
wallet-size birth certificate, social insurance (SIN) card and credit cards that will not be accepted by
merchants where you are travelling. These should be left at home.
If you have lost your wallet or purse that contains identification and/or credit cards, take the follow-
ing steps:
•
•
Contact your bank(s) or other financial institution in the U.S. and Canada, report your missing
bank and/or credit cards, and cancel the bank or credit card(s).
•
•
Contact the local police and report that your wallet or purse has been lost, and report the loss
in case your wallet or purse is turned in.
•
•
Contact the Canadian government office abroad (embassy or consulate) and report that your
passport has been lost, if you are outside Canada.
•
•
Contact stores, offices and facilities that you may have visited on the day you lost your wallet
or purse.
•
•
Contact the customer service or credit card department of any retail company who has issued
you a retail credit card and report the credit card as lost.
If you have lost your keys, you are strongly advised to change your locks.
If you have lost your Canadian passport, report it immediately to a Passport Canada office (if in
Canada) or to the Canadian embassy or consulate in the country you are visiting. Remember to
also file a report with the local police. Please note that once a passport has been reported as lost
or stolen, it is no longer valid and cannot be used for travel. This is to ensure that it is not used for
fraudulent purposes. If you regain possession of your passport after reporting it lost or stolen, it
must be immediately returned to a Passport Canada office (if in Canada) or to the closest Canadian
government office abroad (embassy or consulate).
When replacing identity documents, proof of identification is required, but that is difficult if all your
documentation has been lost. The Government of Canada suggests that you begin replacing your
documentation in the following order:
1. Driver’s Licence
– In many provinces/territories, a replacement driver’s licence may be
issued immediately.
2. Birth Certificate
– Identification is required to pick up your birth certificate. A driver’s
licence is an acceptable form of identification to pick up your certificate.
3. Citizenship Card
– You will need the same personal documents that were required
to apply for your original citizenship card. Clear and legible photocopies are acceptable
when applying for a replacement card.
4. Health Card
– Two or three pieces of personal identification are required to apply
for your replacement health insurance card. A driver’s licence and birth certificate are
acceptable in most provinces/territories. However, you should contact the provincial or
territorial government department responsible for health cards directly to confirm which
forms of identification are acceptable.