Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD): Returning to Canada Without a Valid PR Card

Airlines, trains, buses, and ships must check that passengers traveling to Canada have the right documents. For a permanent resident, that means a valid PR card or a permanent resident travel document.

You may need a PRTD if you are outside Canada and:

• Your PR card has expired
• Your card was lost, stolen, or damaged
• You never received your card, for example because you left Canada soon after landing

A PRTD is usually issued for a single entry. Once you are back in Canada, apply for a new PR card. See PR card renewal.

A PRTD application is more than a travel request. The officer checks whether you meet the residency obligation: at least 730 days of physical presence in Canada in the last 5 years (or since you became a permanent resident, if that was less than 5 years ago). The days don't need to be continuous.

Some days outside Canada count as days in Canada, for example:

• Time spent accompanying a spouse, common-law partner, or parent who is a Canadian citizen
• Time spent working full time for a Canadian business or the Canadian public service outside Canada, under certain conditions
• Time spent accompanying a permanent resident spouse or parent who is themselves in one of these situations

Count your days carefully with our residency obligation calculator and read the full residency obligation guide.

If you don't meet the requirement, you can explain humanitarian and compassionate reasons, such as caring for a sick relative, a medical condition that stopped you from traveling, or the best interests of a child. The officer can issue a PRTD on those grounds.

Apply online to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) from outside Canada. Include:

• A copy of your passport
• A copy of your PR card if you have one, or your COPR or record of landing
• Photos meeting IRCC's specifications
• Your travel history for the last 5 years, with the dates of every absence from Canada
• Proof of your time in Canada, such as employment records, tax assessments, leases, school records, or bank statements
• Proof of any exception, such as your spouse's Canadian citizenship certificate or an employer letter
• A letter explaining humanitarian and compassionate factors, if you are short of 730 days
• Payment of the CAD $50 fee (as of September 2026)

Answer every question honestly. Hiding trips or inventing time in Canada is misrepresentation and can lead to a 5-year ban.

Processing times depend on the visa office. Check our processing times tool and apply well before you need to travel.

If the officer decides you don't meet the residency obligation and there are not enough humanitarian reasons, the PRTD is refused. This is a formal decision that you have not met the residency obligation.

You have the right to appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) of the Immigration and Refugee Board, usually within 60 days of receiving the decision. You keep your permanent resident status while the appeal is pending, and in some cases you can ask to return to Canada for the hearing. The IAD can consider humanitarian and compassionate factors, as well as whether the decision was legally correct.

Appeals are complex and deadlines are strict. Talk to a lawyer or a licensed consultant (RCIC) immediately if your PRTD is refused.

Permanent residents have the right to enter Canada at a port of entry. If you can travel to the United States, you can present yourself at a land border by private vehicle without a PR card or PRTD, because the carrier document rules apply to commercial transport.

This does not avoid the residency check. The border officer can examine whether you meet the residency obligation and can write a report that leads to a formal review of your status. If you are well short of 730 days, get advice before choosing this route.

You must also be able to enter the US legally, which means holding a US visa or ESTA if needed.

If you don't plan to live in Canada, you can voluntarily renounce your permanent resident status instead of applying for a PRTD. This can make it easier to visit Canada later as a visitor, because officers won't need to decide on your PR status at the border. Renouncing is permanent, so think carefully, and consider whether you could qualify for citizenship first if you have enough days.