If you are outside Canada and your PR card has expired, or was lost, stolen or damaged, this is the document that gets you on a plane, train, bus or boat home.
Verified Sep 18, 2026 on canada.caIRCC fee: $50Free guide; the renewal pack does not cover PRTDs
What a PRTD is
A permanent resident travel document (PRTD) is what IRCC issues to a permanent resident who is outside Canada without a valid PR card. You need one to enter Canada by commercial vehicle: an airplane, bus, boat or train.
A PRTD is normally valid for one single entry. IRCC says to apply for a new PR card as soon as you are back in Canada.
A PR card itself cannot be renewed from abroad. If you are in Canada, you renew the card; if you are outside Canada and need to travel home, you apply for a PRTD.1
Driving back? Guide 5529 says that if you travel in a private vehicle you own, borrow or rent (a car, truck, motorcycle or RV), you can use your PR card, PRTD or other documents to return to Canada. The PRTD rule is about airlines and other commercial carriers.
A permanent resident outside Canada without a valid PR card, returning by airplane, boat, train or bus
Form
IMM 5444, filled in inside the Permanent Residence PortalThe same form number as the PR card application. IRCC titles it "Application for a Permanent Resident Card (PR card) or Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD)".
Checklist
IMM 5644, the same checklist the PR card uses, with a PRTD section of its own
Instruction guide
IMM 5529
IRCC fee
$50Paid online. IRCC cannot refund it once it starts processing your application.
Processing time
VariesIRCC says all PRTD applications are processed on a priority basis.
One per person
A complete application for each family member who needs one
1
Check the residency obligation first
IRCC says
You must have been physically present in Canada for a minimum of 730 days within the five years immediately before you apply for a PRTD. If you have been a permanent resident for less than five years, you must show that you will be able to meet the 730 days within five years.3
You do
Count every day you were in Canada in the five years before today. The calculator on this site does it from your trips.
Days outside Canada can still count in three situations Guide 5529 lists: working full time abroad for a Canadian business, accompanying a Canadian-citizen spouse, partner or parent, or accompanying a permanent resident who works abroad for a Canadian business.
If you are short of days, Guide 5529 describes humanitarian and compassionate considerations; get advice from a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer before you write anything.
Residency days calculator
Free. Your trips in, your days in Canada out. Nothing is uploaded.
Don't assume an expired card has ended your status. IRCC says you stay a permanent resident until an official decision is made on your status, even if you do not meet the residency obligation.
2
Gather the forms and documents
IRCC says
Include IMM 5444, proof that you met the residency obligation in the past five years, the fee receipt, and the completed document checklist (IMM 5644). For a PRTD, add copies of all pages of the passports or travel documents you used in the past five years, including your valid one. Do not submit original documents.4
You do
Passports: copy every page of each passport or travel document you used in the last five years, including the one you hold now.
If they apply to you: supporting documents for country-specific requirements, and for a minor, the parent or guardian's authorization to travel.
From China with a Chinese passport: IRCC requires an "Inquiry of Exit & Entry Record" covering five years, from the local Public Security Bureau, translated into English or French.
Representative: IMM 5476 or IMM 5475 only if someone is helping you; most people send neither.
Don't send the application without the checklist. IRCC returns applications that are missing information or documents.
You need to pay the $50 fee when you apply. Include your receipt (proof of payment) with your application. IRCC can't refund the fee once it starts processing your application.2
You do
Pay the permanent resident travel document fee ($50) on IRCC's online payment page.
Save the receipt as a PDF. It goes into the application as proof of payment.
4
Submit in the Permanent Residence Portal
IRCC says
If you apply online, fill out IMM 5444 in the permanent residence portal and submit your application and all supporting documents there. You can apply on paper only if you can't apply online and require accommodations, including for accessibility reasons; contact your nearest visa application centre before you apply.2
You do
Sign in to the Permanent Residence Portal and fill in IMM 5444 there, online.
Upload every document on the IMM 5644 list, and the fee receipt as proof of payment.
Urgent reasons, such as serious illness or a lost or stolen card, have their own route: IRCC's how-to-apply page links to it.
5
After you apply
IRCC says
IRCC checks that the application is complete and assesses it to confirm you met your residency obligation and are still a permanent resident. It may ask you for an interview. If it approves the application, it emails you instructions on how and where to submit your passport, and returns your passport with the PRTD.5
You do
Watch your email and the portal for requests. Answering quickly is one of the things IRCC says affects processing time.
IRCC gives no fixed processing time for PRTDs; its page says "Varies". Plan travel with that in mind.
Once you are back in Canada, apply for a new PR card.
IRCC sends a refusal letter that explains the reasons and your appeal rights. Guide 5529 says to follow the instructions in the "Notice of Appeal" form and letter sent with the refusal.
The law gives a permanent resident the right to appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division against a decision made outside Canada on the residency obligation. Permanent resident status is lost only on a final determination of that decision.6
Talk to a licensed immigration consultant or a lawyer as soon as you receive a refusal letter. This page is general information, not advice on your case.
What prcard.ca does not do here
The renewal pack on this site is built for PR card applications made from inside Canada. It does not prepare PRTD applications: its answer sheet follows the PR card screens, and it never ticks the PRTD items on IMM 5644.
This guide is free, and every rule on it links to its source on canada.ca.
Common questions
What is a PRTD?
A permanent resident travel document. IRCC issues it to a permanent resident who is outside Canada without a valid PR card, so they can return by airplane, bus, boat or train. It is normally valid for one entry.
Can I apply for a PRTD online?
Yes. You fill in IMM 5444 and upload your documents in the Permanent Residence Portal. Paper applications are for people who cannot apply online and need accommodations; contact your nearest visa application centre first.
How much does a PRTD cost?
The IRCC fee is $50, paid online when you apply. Include the receipt with your application. IRCC cannot refund it once processing starts.
Do I need a PRTD to drive back across the border?
Guide 5529 says that in a private vehicle you own, borrow or rent, you can use your PR card, PRTD or other documents to return. The PRTD requirement is for commercial carriers.
What happens if my PRTD is refused?
IRCC sends a letter with the reasons and your appeal rights, and the law lets a permanent resident appeal a residency decision made outside Canada to the Immigration Appeal Division. Speak to a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer before you act.
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