Travelling outside Canada as a permanent resident or citizen: re-entry documents, the 730-day rule, health coverage and customs
What gets you back into Canada, how time abroad affects your permanent residence and citizenship, what your provincial health plan doesn't cover outside the country, and how much you can bring back duty-free. Plus what your relatives need to visit you.
A permanent resident returning to Canada by plane, bus, train or boat needs a valid PR card and their passport. If the card expires or is lost while you're abroad, you must apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD), which costs $50 and can only be applied for from outside Canada. A citizen returns on their Canadian passport. Every day you spend outside Canada doesn't count towards the permanent residence requirement (730 days in 5 years) except in specific cases, and usually doesn't count towards citizenship (1,095 days). And your provincial health plan pays only a small part of the bill abroad.
The documents you need to return to Canada
| Your situation | Returning by air or other commercial carrier | Returning by private vehicle at a land border |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent resident with a valid card | PR card + passport | The card, or other acceptable documents |
| Permanent resident whose card expired or was lost abroad | A PRTD, applied for from outside Canada | Other acceptable documents as set by the CBSA |
| Canadian citizen | A valid Canadian passport | Check the acceptable documents with the CBSA |
| Canadian citizen with another citizenship | The Canadian passport only (except Canadian-American dual citizens) | — |
The practical rule: renew your PR card before you travel. The government doesn't mail cards outside Canada, and you can only apply for one while you're in the country. If your card will expire during your trip, start with our guide to renewing your PR card.
You apply for a PRTD online through the PR portal using Form IMM 5444; paper applications are only accepted from people who can't apply online and need accommodation. In the application you must show that you still meet the requirements to remain a permanent resident, so don't treat it as a formality.
How travel affects the 730-day rule for permanent residence
To keep your permanent residence, you must have spent at least 730 days in Canada in the last five years, and they don't have to be consecutive. So you could spend a whole year with family abroad and still meet the requirement, as long as your total adds up.
Days abroad that count as if you were in Canada
- Accompanying your spouse, common-law partner or parent who is a Canadian citizen.
- Working full time for a Canadian business, the Canadian public service or a provincial government.
- Accompanying a permanent resident spouse or partner who works full time for a Canadian business.
Each of these has detailed conditions on the official IRCC page, so don't assume one applies to you until you've read it.
What happens if you're short of days?
You don't lose permanent residence automatically: you remain a permanent resident until an official decision is made about your status. Your status doesn't end when your card expires either, because the card is a travel document, not the status itself. But your status can be examined at the border, when you apply for a PRTD, or when you renew your card. Count your days carefully before any long trip.
How travel affects your citizenship application
The citizenship requirement is stricter: at least 1,095 days physically present in Canada in the five years before you apply. The days that count are days you were actually in Canada, so every trip reduces your total by its length. Don't assume the exceptions to the permanent residence requirement, such as accompanying a citizen spouse, automatically apply to citizenship; each has its own rules.
Days you spent in Canada before becoming a permanent resident, as a temporary resident or protected person, count as half a day each, up to a maximum of 365 days. So if citizenship is your next goal, a long trip delays it by exactly as long as you're away. See the full requirements in our guide to Canadian citizenship.
Health coverage while you travel: what your province actually pays
Your provincial health card doesn't protect you abroad the way it does at home. The province reimburses a limited daily amount for emergencies, and you pay the rest. Here are the figures for the two largest provinces:
| Item (emergencies outside Canada) | Ontario (OHIP) | Quebec (RAMQ) |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital stay | Up to $400 a day for intensive care and surgery, and $200 for other levels of care | Up to $100 a day |
| Outpatient and emergency care without admission | Up to $50 a day | Up to $50 a day |
| Doctors' fees | The lower of the bill and Ontario's fee schedule | Partial reimbursement after a claim |
| Medical transport and repatriation to Canada | Not covered | Not covered |
| Prescription drugs bought abroad | Not covered | Not covered |
An example from the RAMQ's own page: three days in intensive care in Florida after a heart attack came to a bill of about $25,000, and the patient was reimbursed only $300 for hospital services. That's why Ontario and Quebec both recommend buying private travel insurance before you leave, including medical transport and repatriation. You'll find insurance brokers in our directory.
Don't lose your coverage by staying away too long
- Ontario: if you'll be away for more than 7 months in a 12-month period, you can keep your OHIP coverage for up to two years under certain conditions, including having spent at least 153 days in Ontario in each of the two 12-month periods before you leave. You must visit a ServiceOntario centre before you go.
- Quebec: you must be present in Quebec for at least 183 days a year to remain eligible, and you must notify the RAMQ before any absence that breaks this rule.
- Other provinces: each plan has its own rules, so check them in our guide to health coverage by province.
Customs on your return: personal exemptions
A resident of Canada returning from a trip, whether a citizen, a permanent resident or even a temporary resident, can bring in goods duty-free depending on how long they were away:
| Time away | Exemption | Alcohol and tobacco | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 24 hours | No exemption | — | You pay on everything you bring |
| 24 hours or more | Up to $200 | Not included | If the value is over $200, you pay on the full amount |
| 48 hours or more | Up to $800 | Included, within the limits | The goods must be with you |
| 7 days or more | Up to $800 | Included, within the limits | Other goods can follow later by mail or courier |
- You can't combine two exemptions: a 9-day trip doesn't give you $1,600.
- Alcohol limits: one type only, either 1.5 litres of wine, 1.14 litres of spirits, or 8.5 litres of beer.
- Tobacco limits: 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, or 200 grams of manufactured tobacco.
- You must declare cash or monetary instruments worth $10,000 or more.
- You must declare all food, plants, animals and their products, including spices, dates and cheeses from your home country. Failing to declare them can lead to seizure or a fine.
The exemption is for personal or household use and gifts, not for commercial goods.
Relatives visiting you in Canada: eTA or visa?
The document your relative needs depends on their citizenship, not on your status:
- An electronic travel authorization (eTA), costing $7, for citizens of visa-exempt countries arriving by air, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
- A visitor visa, costing $100 per person, up to a maximum of $500 for a family of 5 or more, plus biometrics at $85 per person, up to a $170 maximum per family. It's required, for example, for citizens of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and Palestine.
- Morocco is one of the countries whose citizens may be able to use an eTA if they meet certain conditions; otherwise they need a visa. Your relative should check using the official "Find out if you need a visa or eTA" tool.
For longer visits from parents and grandparents, there's the super visa; the details are in our guide to the super visa for parents and grandparents.
What this guide doesn't do
This guide is general information, not legal or immigration advice. It can't assess your file, or determine whether days you spent abroad will be accepted towards the 730-day requirement. If you're close to the limit or have received a notice about your status, consult a licensed immigration lawyer before you respond.
Frequently asked questions
Do I lose my permanent residence if my card expires while I'm outside Canada?
No. An expired card doesn't end your status, but you won't be able to board a flight home without a valid card or a PRTD.
Do short trips count towards the 730 days?
Days spent outside Canada don't count, however short the trip, except in cases such as accompanying a citizen spouse or working for a Canadian employer. As long as your total days in Canada over 5 years are at least 730, you meet the requirement.
Is my credit card's insurance enough instead of travel insurance?
Some cards include travel insurance that's limited by trip length or age. Read the coverage document and its limits before you travel, and make sure it includes medical transport and repatriation to Canada, because your provincial plan doesn't cover them.
I brought back gifts from my family. Do they count towards the exemption?
Yes. Gifts you received from relatives or friends living outside Canada count as personal exemption goods, within the same limits. But any food among them must always be declared.
I'm a dual citizen. Can I fly to Canada on my other passport?
You can't fly to Canada on a non-Canadian passport, except with a temporary special authorization for urgent travel. The only exception is Canadian-American dual citizens. The details and conditions of this authorization are on IRCC's official page for dual citizens, listed in the sources below.