Part of: PR card renewal and residency guides
In most cases, a lost PR card or an expired one does not by itself end your permanent resident status. IRCC says “You won’t lose your PR status when your PR card expires”, and a lost card is not on its list of the ways status ends. What you do next depends on where you are. In Canada, you replace the card online in the Permanent Residence Portal. Outside Canada, IRCC cannot mail you a card, so to come home by plane, bus, boat or train you need a permanent resident travel document (PRTD) first, and a new card once you are back.
Lost or expired card: which step comes first?
Start with two facts: what happened to the card, and whether you are in Canada right now. The table sets out IRCC’s route for each case, read on 11 November 2026.
| What happened to your card | Where you are | IRCC’s route |
|---|---|---|
| Lost or stolen | In Canada | Apply for a new card in the Permanent Residence Portal (form IMM 5444). Add a police report or incident number if you have one. Only want to report it? A solemn declaration is enough. |
| Split, bent, worn or otherwise damaged | In Canada | Apply in the portal; destroy the card and upload a photo of it. On paper, you send the damaged card with the application. |
| Chip damaged | In Canada | Not the portal: IRCC asks you to send a web form with photos so it can review the damage first. |
| Expired | In Canada | Renew it; see our PR card renewal guide for the steps and fee. |
| Lost, stolen, damaged or expired | Outside Canada | To fly home, apply for a PRTD; apply for a new card once you are back. Steps below. |
Does a lost or expired PR card end my permanent resident status?
Not by itself. IRCC’s status page says status is lost only if an officer decides you are no longer a PR after an inquiry or a PRTD appeal following a refusal, you renounce it, a removal order against you comes into force, or you become a citizen.
“The first thing people panic about is losing their PR status. I always explain that an expired PR card doesn’t automatically mean you’ve lost your permanent residence. The card and your immigration status are two different things.”
Usman Khalil, RCIC R709592
The card is not what protects your status; the 730 days in Canada in the last five years is. One timing rule matters if a travel document is ever refused: IRCC says that if you do not appeal, you lose your PR status after the 60-day appeal period is over, and if you appeal, you keep it until the appeal is decided, which matches section 46(1)(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (“final determination”). Appeal steps are in our PRTD guide.
How do I replace a lost or stolen PR card in Canada?
Apply for a new card online in the Permanent Residence Portal, starting with the PR card application (IMM 5444). If the card was lost, IRCC asks you to include a copy of a police report or incident number, if you have one.
If you only want to report a lost or stolen card and do not need a new one, IRCC says you can submit a solemn declaration instead. You must be in Canada to get a card, because IRCC does not mail PR cards outside Canada. The fee and the document checklist are in our PR card renewal guide.
What do I do if my PR card is damaged?
It depends on the damage. For a card that is split, bent or warped, worn or scratched, or damaged in another way, you apply for a new card in the portal and, applying online, destroy the card immediately and upload a photo of it; applying on paper, IRCC’s guide says to send the damaged card with your application.
A damaged chip has its own route. IRCC asks you to send a web form that describes how the card was damaged and how you usually store it, ends the description with the keyword “PRCard-triage”, and attaches a clear photo of the card, front and back. After its review, IRCC says it may send you a new card for free with the same expiry date as your current one.
What should I do first if I lose my PR card outside Canada?
Plan your return on a travel document, not a new card. IRCC says that if your card has been lost, stolen or damaged while you are outside Canada, you need a PRTD to return to Canada.
- Check your passport. You need a valid passport or travel document as well (IRCC).
- If the card was stolen, ask for a police report or incident number. IRCC asks for one, if you have one, when you later apply for the new card.
- Count your days in Canada before you file. The PRTD officer checks the 730-day residency obligation; our Appendix A guide shows how days are counted. If you may be short, get advice quickly.
- Apply for the PRTD. Apply online in the Permanent Residence Portal; paper through a visa application centre is possible only where that centre accepts paper applications. Forms, fee and processing time are in our PRTD guide.
- Travelling within 5 days? A lost or stolen card on temporary travel is one of IRCC’s urgent-processing reasons, with proof.
- Once you are back, apply for a new card. IRCC’s guide says to apply for a PR card right away.
Can IRCC mail a new PR card to me abroad?
No. IRCC says it cannot mail a card to a third party or outside Canada, and its guide says a card cannot be issued and delivered overseas to let a permanent resident come back.
Asking someone in Canada to receive the card for you does not help, for the same reason. The PRTD is the document IRCC built for this gap.
Can I fly to Canada with an expired PR card?
No. For an airplane, bus, boat or train, IRCC says you need a valid PR card along with a valid passport or travel document, so without a valid card you need a PRTD.
Your Record of Landing (IMM 1000) and Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 or IMM 5688) are not valid for travel to Canada either. In a private vehicle, IRCC says you can use your PR card or other documents, but an officer at the land border can still examine your residency days; our PRTD guide explains that crossing.
What do our RCICs see when a card is lost or expired abroad?
Our RCICs look at the time spent outside Canada before anything is filed. In the words of Usman Khalil, RCIC R709592:
“I would first look at how long they’ve been outside Canada. If they need to fly back without a valid PR card, they’ll generally need a travel document. But before applying, I want to make sure we understand their residency situation.”
On what causes delays or problems with a travel document application:
“I would say incomplete travel history and not having enough documents to support the time spent in Canada can cause delays. The bigger concern is when someone hasn’t met the residency obligation. That’s when we need to look carefully at their circumstances before filing anything.”
When is it worth getting help?
A lost card in Canada, with nothing else wrong, is usually a straightforward replacement. If you are abroad and may be short of the 730 days, or your travel history has gaps, a licensed RCIC can review your days and evidence before you file, because the travel document is one of the points where IRCC tests the residency obligation.
Book a consultation with MAK Canadian Immigration Services, in Mississauga, in Scarborough or online. Call +1 647 832 8531 or +1 905 518 4539. Every case depends on its own facts, and no consultant can guarantee an outcome.
- PR card renewal: renewing or replacing your card in Canada, the fee and the steps
- Permanent resident travel document (PRTD): returning to Canada without a valid card
- Appendix A residency obligation (IMM 5444): how the 730 days are counted and proved
- Working for a Canadian company outside Canada: when time abroad counts toward your days
- Lost or expired PR card (this guide): lost, stolen, damaged or expired cards, in Canada and abroad
Last checked against official sources: 11 November 2026 (IRCC’s PR status pages, the get, renew or replace a PR card page, the PR card eligibility page, the travelling outside Canada page, the PRTD page, guides IMM 5445 and IMM 5529, and section 46 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act on Justice Laws). This page is general information, not advice for your case. Procedures change, so check IRCC’s pages before you apply. IRCC makes all final decisions.
