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Regulation 52 — Documents — temporary residents

Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations r 52 Canada Compilation: 2026-03-17 Verified: 2026-05-23

Text of provision

(1) In addition to the other requirements of these Regulations, a foreign national seeking to become a temporary resident must hold one of the following documents that is valid for the period authorized for their stay:

(a) a passport that was issued by the country of which the foreign national is a citizen or national, that does not prohibit travel to Canada and that the foreign national may use to enter the country of issue;

(b) a travel document that was issued by the country of which the foreign national is a citizen or national, that does not prohibit travel to Canada and that the foreign national may use to enter the country of issue;

(c) an identity or travel document that was issued by a country, that does not prohibit travel to Canada, that the foreign national may use to enter the country of issue and that is of the type issued by that country to non-national residents, refugees or stateless persons who are unable to obtain a passport or other travel document from their country of citizenship or nationality or who have no country of citizenship or nationality;

(d) a laissez-passer that was issued by the United Nations;

(e) a passport or travel document that was issued by the Palestinian Authority;

(f) a document that was issued by the Organization of American States and is entitled “Official Travel Document”;

(g) a passport issued by the United Kingdom to a British Overseas Citizen;

(h) a passport issued by the United Kingdom to a British National (Overseas), as a person born, naturalized or registered in Hong Kong;

(i) a passport issued by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China;

(j) a passport issued by the United Kingdom to a British Subject; or

(k) a laissez-passer that was issued by the European Union.

(1.1) [Repealed, SOR/2003-260, s. 1]

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to

(a) citizens of the United States;

(b) persons seeking to enter Canada from the United States or St. Pierre and Miquelon who have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence;

(c) residents of Greenland seeking to enter Canada from Greenland;

(d) persons seeking to enter Canada from St. Pierre and Miquelon who are citizens of France and residents of St. Pierre and Miquelon;

(e) members of the armed forces of a country that is a designated state for the purposes of the Visiting Forces Act who are seeking entry in order to carry out official duties, other than persons who have been designated as a civilian component of those armed forces;

(f) persons who are seeking to enter Canada as, or in order to become, members of a crew of a means of air transportation and who hold an airline flight crew licence or crew member certificate issued in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization specifications; or

(g) persons seeking to enter Canada as members of a crew who hold a seafarer’s identity document issued under International Labour Organization conventions and are members of the crew of the vessel that carries them to Canada.

(3) [Repealed, SOR/2010-54, s. 3]

Plain English

Practical effect

Information only. Nothing on this page is immigration advice or legal advice. Only an authorised representative (RCIC or immigration lawyer) may give immigration advice in Canada.

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