Women in Quebec shouldn’t have to worry about a frustrating naming mismatch when travelling abroad.
Last week, the National Association of Federal Retirees contacted four federal ministries and the Quebec health minister to advocate for members in Quebec who are concerned their ability to travel outside Canada could be impacted by a mismatch in names on their passport and vaccine documentation.
Quebec requires women to use their birth name in exercising their civil rights, including on government-issued documents such as proof of vaccination. Federally issued passports, on the other hand, permit the use of a married family name. When the documents are presented together to officials upon entry to another country, the surnames do not match. Some women have been denied otherwise legitimate entry to other countries due to this discrepancy, and there have been reports that requests made by women to the Quebec government to add their married surname to their vaccine documentation have been refused.
While the COVID-19 pandemic is by no means over, many Canadians are looking forward to a safe return to travel abroad in compliance with applicable travel advisories and entry requirements. Increasingly, entry requirements stipulate proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
“The problem of mismatching family names on vaccine and passport documents may seriously curtail some women’s freedom of movement internationally,” said Anthony Pizzino, CEO of Federal Retirees. “We are asking federal and provincial authorities to come together to find a solution so that women are not denied access to some countries and can travel in full confidence.”