The Veteran’s Service Card is now available upon request to all eligible former and releasing Canadian Armed Forces members. Veterans who have completed basic training and have been honourably released can now apply for the new Veteran’s Service Card at the following website.

The first stage of the Veteran’s Service Card was announced in September 2018. The Department of National Defence, Veterans Affairs Canada, and Library and Archives Canada are working together to ensure that the necessary resources are in place to verify, produce, and distribute the Veteran’s Service Cards in a timely manner.

“The women and men who have served in the Canadian Armed Forces deserve our full support as they transition to post-military life,” Vice-Admiral Haydn Edmundson, Commander Military Personnel Command said. “We introduced the Veteran’s Service Card in September of 2018, rolled out the stage two distribution last December and, as promised, the stage three distribution now begins. We have a sacred obligation to our women and men in uniform, and the Veteran’s Service Card acknowledges and recognizes their devoted service to Canada.”

In stage three, cards will be produced and issued upon request to all eligible Veterans who released prior to February 2016. Eligible Veterans in the stage two group—those who released between February 2016 and September 2018—who have not yet requested the card may also apply.

Moving forward, all Canadian Armed Forces members who are eligible receive the card automatically upon their release.

The Veteran’s Service Card provides a tangible symbol of recognition for former members, and encourages an enduring affiliation with the Canadian Armed Forces. It has no expiry date and it is not intended for use as an ID card, pursuant to Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and other guidelines on official identification cards.

All serving Canadian Armed Forces members and Veterans are encouraged to register for a MY VAC Account with Veterans Affairs Canada.

For more information on the Veteran’s Service Card, or to apply, visit www.canada.ca/veterans-service-card.