Can you leave Canada without a passport?

For Canadian citizens, in most cases the answer is no — you cannot leave Canada for international travel without a valid Canadian passport. However, there are a few limited exceptions, such as land or sea travel to the United States with a NEXUS card or Enhanced Driver’s License, or when using an Emergency Travel Document issued abroad. If you are not a Canadian citizen but are in Canada, you must hold a valid passport from your country of citizenship

The Canadian travel document is a passport issued to all Canadian citizens. It only serves as verification of identity and citizenship, and most countries request it as a means of entry and Canada as a means to re-entry. There are some exceptions and special cases, however, are worth knowing.

1. Domestic Travel Within Canada

You are exempt from a passport when you are traveling within Canada—say, a trip from Toronto to Calgary or a train ride from Halifax to Montreal. Instead, a government-issued photo ID (e.g., driver’s license or provincial ID card) is sufficient to verify your identity for any domestic airline, domestic train, or domestic bus. Nevertheless, remember to follow up with your transportation provider to check which form of ID is acceptable.

2. Travel to the United States

If you are traveling to the United States by land or by sea (e.g., by car, boat, or on a cruise), there are certain alternatives to a passport. For example:

The NEXUS card is accepted in specified land border crossings and certain airports.
Enhanced Driver License (EDL): It is only available in certain provinces, such as Ontario and British Columbia, and permits land/sea travel to the U.S.

However, if you are flying to the United States, you must present a valid passport from your country of citizenship (for Canadian citizens, this means a valid Canadian passport), even if you hold a NEXUS card.

3. Returning to Canada Without a Passport

When a Canadian citizen is overseas and has lost his or her passport or does not have one, he/she will not be able to travel back to Canada through an international flight without an authorized travel document. In this instance, the person needs to seek an emergency travel document with the Canadian embassy or consulate closest to them. The document is temporary and is used for re-entry into Canada

This is a temporary document issued to the Canadian citizens almost exclusively with the objective of re entering Canada or simply traveling further to a country which has accepted that document. It is valid only during the shortest time, on most instances and this is the time taken to make a particular journey.

Trying to get out of Canada or to another country without a passport or correct documents will mean not being able to board or even being fined or you can run into legal troubles at the border.

4. Permanent Residents of Canada

As a permanent resident (PR) of Canada, you are not a Canadian citizen, and, therefore, you need to travel with your valid passport from your country of citizenship, and, when re-entering Canada, you have to have your valid PR card with you. A PR card alone is not sufficient for international travel. It only proves your right to return to Canada, but you must also carry a valid passport from your country of citizenship to enter other countries.

5. What Happens if You Try to Leave Without a Passport?

You may be:

Refused boarding an airplane or a cruise ship.
Detained at the border
Rejected by the foreign immigration services.
Unable to re-enter Canada without the passport (or other accepted travel document, e.g., an emergency travel document issued by a Canadian consulate).

While Canadian law does not technically prevent citizens from leaving the country without a passport, in practice you will not be able to board a flight or be admitted into another country without one (or another accepted travel document). The limited few exemptions—including travel by land to the U.S. with accepted ID—have been tightly defined. When travelling abroad, make sure that your passport will last longer than you are travelling and also inquire about entry requirements to the country you are travelling to. Travel with a passport when you are not sure of how far you will be going; a passport is the surest and most universally recognized identification when abroad.

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