I would like to read some experiences of people who have travelled abroad with the refugee travel document. Come on! Share your experience. Thanks in advance.
Experiences of people travelling abroad with the refugee travel document.
- Thread starter daviddock
- Start date
Hi David,
Great question. I too am looking to see what the experiences are. I have a travel document while I am awaiting my PR card and want to go on a 1 week vacation but am unsure about where it will be accepted and if there will be issues. I emailed the Dominican Republic embassy and was told that I could travel there.
I really want to visit Mexico but the embassy has not replied to determine if a Visa is required. ANy info is appreciated! I just want to go on a vacation!
Cheers
Great question. I too am looking to see what the experiences are. I have a travel document while I am awaiting my PR card and want to go on a 1 week vacation but am unsure about where it will be accepted and if there will be issues. I emailed the Dominican Republic embassy and was told that I could travel there.
I really want to visit Mexico but the embassy has not replied to determine if a Visa is required. ANy info is appreciated! I just want to go on a vacation!
Cheers
Well, actually I already booked a flight to cuba to see my gf. She is from my country of birth and i already booked a flight for her as well. I have the refugee travel document. It is my first time travelling abroad without the passport of my country, it is a little bit weird. I don't know if i could have any problem landing cuba with this document. As i know, i just need a tourist card to visit cuba which is provided after arriving cuba. That is what i know until now. I hope more people talk about their experiencies.
Good luck prissy4ever.
Good luck prissy4ever.
just make sure you have visa for the country you are going that's all. when you travel make sure you have your pr card or im5591 from cic. then you would have any problem.daviddock said:
I don't know what is that form (5591). I don't have my pr yet. i just have the refugee travel document and the PPSD. I read this on pp04 guide.
Refugee travel document
Protected persons can use a RTD, which is issued by the Passport Office at Foreign Affairs
Canada (FAC), in order to exit and re-enter Canada. A protected person who is not a permanent
resident and who intends to travel outside Canada must obtain a RTD from the Passport Office
before leaving Canada by submitting an Adult Travel Document Application (PPTC 190) or a
Child Travel Document Application (PPTC 192). The application must be accompanied by a
protected person status document issued by CPC-Vegreville, on application, under A31(1). The RTD is valid for travel to all countries except the country of persecution. Travellers must return to
Canada prior to the expiry date indicated on the RTD and, at that time, they should have in their
possession both the RTD and the protected person status document.
According to R39(c), an officer shall allow persons to enter Canada following an examination if
they are in possession of refugee travel papers issued to them by the Minister of Foreign Affairs
that are valid for return to Canada. R259(b) states that, for the purpose of A148(1), a person
entering Canada requires refugee travel papers issued by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
RTDs are issued by FAC according to specific guidelines established by the Passport Office. For
reasons of security and practicality, stocks of Canada's two travel documents, the certificate of
identity and the refugee travel document, are stored centrally in Canada and are not granted or
re-issued at visa offices abroad.
If a traveller is unable to produce a RTD due to the loss or theft of the document while outside
Canada, the officer may issue a temporary resident permit in order to allow re-entry into Canada.
Prior to issuing a permit, officers should question the applicant regarding the loss or theft of the
RTD and be satisfied that the circumstances are genuine.
Refugee travel document
Protected persons can use a RTD, which is issued by the Passport Office at Foreign Affairs
Canada (FAC), in order to exit and re-enter Canada. A protected person who is not a permanent
resident and who intends to travel outside Canada must obtain a RTD from the Passport Office
before leaving Canada by submitting an Adult Travel Document Application (PPTC 190) or a
Child Travel Document Application (PPTC 192). The application must be accompanied by a
protected person status document issued by CPC-Vegreville, on application, under A31(1). The RTD is valid for travel to all countries except the country of persecution. Travellers must return to
Canada prior to the expiry date indicated on the RTD and, at that time, they should have in their
possession both the RTD and the protected person status document.
According to R39(c), an officer shall allow persons to enter Canada following an examination if
they are in possession of refugee travel papers issued to them by the Minister of Foreign Affairs
that are valid for return to Canada. R259(b) states that, for the purpose of A148(1), a person
entering Canada requires refugee travel papers issued by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
RTDs are issued by FAC according to specific guidelines established by the Passport Office. For
reasons of security and practicality, stocks of Canada's two travel documents, the certificate of
identity and the refugee travel document, are stored centrally in Canada and are not granted or
re-issued at visa offices abroad.
If a traveller is unable to produce a RTD due to the loss or theft of the document while outside
Canada, the officer may issue a temporary resident permit in order to allow re-entry into Canada.
Prior to issuing a permit, officers should question the applicant regarding the loss or theft of the
RTD and be satisfied that the circumstances are genuine.
David thanks for sharing your experience. And what you said is good news. I was stressed out because I wrote a mail to the Cuba consulate in Toronto asking them if Cuba accept Travel Document for tourism purposes (I even included a scan of all pages of the travel document). They replied telling me that I can only travel with this document if I am a Permanent Resident to Canada (or if I have my Permanent Resident Card), and of course I do not have it yet. However, reading your answer confirms what I was thinking.
Cuba consulate might said that because the consulate employee is not familiar with Refugee Travel document. The fact that you were able to travel and enter to Cuba and come back to Canada confirm this. I also have checked IATA (google iatatravelcentre) to see what are the requirements of passport to go to Cuba (flying by Air Canada - option "others" carrier can give you a different outcome) and the database reported as follows:
01/12/12 IATA - Cuba Passport, Visa and Health Adv ice
/CU-Cuba-passport-v isa-health-trav el-document-requirements.htm 1/1
Passport, Visa & Health results for your trip to Cuba
Type: Notice
Summary
Conditional, You will need to hold travel documents as detailed below.
Type: Notice
Passport
Passport required.
Passport Exemptions
Holders of travel documents issued to stateless persons and refugees, provided these documents guarantee return to country
of origin.
Type: Ok
Health
This information is for guide purposes only. Other health organisations may recommend alternative precautions.
Vaccinations not required.
I share those details to help other beginners in solving doubts about traveling with Refugee Travel Document. It is also important to signal that every country where you are travelling has its own regulations and can or cannot accept you with your refugee travel document.
I would like to invite to others readers to share their experience as David did. I will post my experience after my trip.
Cuba consulate might said that because the consulate employee is not familiar with Refugee Travel document. The fact that you were able to travel and enter to Cuba and come back to Canada confirm this. I also have checked IATA (google iatatravelcentre) to see what are the requirements of passport to go to Cuba (flying by Air Canada - option "others" carrier can give you a different outcome) and the database reported as follows:
01/12/12 IATA - Cuba Passport, Visa and Health Adv ice
/CU-Cuba-passport-v isa-health-trav el-document-requirements.htm 1/1
Passport, Visa & Health results for your trip to Cuba
Type: Notice
Summary
Conditional, You will need to hold travel documents as detailed below.
Type: Notice
Passport
Passport required.
Passport Exemptions
Holders of travel documents issued to stateless persons and refugees, provided these documents guarantee return to country
of origin.
Type: Ok
Health
This information is for guide purposes only. Other health organisations may recommend alternative precautions.
Vaccinations not required.
I share those details to help other beginners in solving doubts about traveling with Refugee Travel Document. It is also important to signal that every country where you are travelling has its own regulations and can or cannot accept you with your refugee travel document.
I would like to invite to others readers to share their experience as David did. I will post my experience after my trip.
David
Who was your carrier? Sunwing? Air Canada?. People on the checking counter in Canada before arriving your plain to Cuba had any issues when you show the travel document? I have read in a internet forum from a guy from Laos (holding a Refugee Canadian Travel document) who was not allowed to boarding his flight by the airline counter agent on Toronto because he was traveling with this document. Can you share how was your boarding?
Who was your carrier? Sunwing? Air Canada?. People on the checking counter in Canada before arriving your plain to Cuba had any issues when you show the travel document? I have read in a internet forum from a guy from Laos (holding a Refugee Canadian Travel document) who was not allowed to boarding his flight by the airline counter agent on Toronto because he was traveling with this document. Can you share how was your boarding?
well, my carrier was Sunwing, (it was a really good choice). when i showed the girl who was doing the checking she was like surprised and she started to call other people to see if that document works to travel abroad haha.. it was funny, she spent like 10 minutes verifying that. I said, any problem with the passport? and she said, no everything is OK.
When I landed Cuba, immigration people asked too many questions, some of them were about why i chose Cuba to travel, why I was refugee in Canada... blah blah blah... they realized that I spoke Spanish so it was easy to me explain as quick as possible, I think they were routine questions, but everything was fine. don't worry about the guy who lost that flight. believe me I also tried to look up information on the internet and the only case was that one. I was hesitating about travelling but I went there, I enjoyed, I hope you too.. Bye
When I landed Cuba, immigration people asked too many questions, some of them were about why i chose Cuba to travel, why I was refugee in Canada... blah blah blah... they realized that I spoke Spanish so it was easy to me explain as quick as possible, I think they were routine questions, but everything was fine. don't worry about the guy who lost that flight. believe me I also tried to look up information on the internet and the only case was that one. I was hesitating about travelling but I went there, I enjoyed, I hope you too.. Bye