Travelling with a Permanent Resident Card

The Permanent Resident Card is the official proof of your status as a permanent resident in Canada.

This wallet-sized plastic card is used by all permanent residents of Canada seeking to re-enter Canada on a commercial carrier (airplane, boat, train or bus). If you leave the country, you are expected to have this card when you return to Canada.

Check the expiry date of your Permanent Resident Card before you plan to travel outside Canada.

The Permanent Resident Card expires every five years. Check the expiry date and apply for a new one well before you plan to travel outside Canada.

Applying

Who can apply

You can apply for a Permanent Resident Card if you:

If you become a Canadian citizen, you do not need a Permanent Resident Card.

How to apply

You will need to gather certain documents to obtain your first Permanent Resident Card, or replace one that is expired, lost or stolen. Collect these documents as early as possible, especially if you plan to travel soon.

The information on this page is for you if:

If you are outside of Canada without a valid Permanent Resident Card, you will need a Travel Document to return to Canada.

Arriving

If you are immigrating to Canada, you will receive your Permanent Resident Card by mail.

If you did not provide a mailing address when you were granted permanent resident status or you have since moved, please update your mailing address using this web tool.

You have 180 days to provide this address.

If you do not provide a mailing address within the 180 days, you will not receive the Permanent Resident Card. You will then need to send CIC an application for a Permanent Resident Card and pay a fee of C$50.

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