Renewing a Canadian permanent resident (PR) card costs CAD $50 per person, and you pay it again every time you renew or replace the card. As of November 3, 2026, the fee is unchanged on the IRCC fee list (updated September 21, 2026). You apply online in the Permanent Residence Portal with form IMM 5444, pay on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's (IRCC) fee site because the portal does not take payment, and upload the receipt. Apply when the card expires in less than nine months. An expired card does not cancel PR status.
TL;DR
PR card renewal costs $50 per person, and a PR travel document is a separate $50 | Pay on IRCC's fee site, then upload the receipt in the Permanent Residence Portal | Apply when the card expires in less than nine months, and not earlier unless your name or gender has changed | IRCC does not auto-renew the card | You do not lose PR status when the card expires | Urgent PR card processing cannot finish in less than 3 weeks
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IRCC's help answer How much does a permanent resident card cost? and the fee list both give $50 per person, and say you pay the fee each time you renew or replace the card. Guide 5445 adds that the fee is not refunded once processing starts or if the application is refused. Photo studio and courier fees, if you use them, are extra and are not IRCC charges.
Item
IRCC fee (CAD), as of November 3, 2026
PR card (renew or replace)
50.00
Permanent resident travel document (PRTD)
50.00
Biometrics, only if IRCC asks for them (individual)
85.00
Source: IRCC fee list, updated September 21, 2026. A first PR card costs nothing if you send IRCC your photo and Canadian address within 180 days of becoming a permanent resident, according to IRCC's PR card page. Most renewals do not involve biometrics. IRCC asks for them only if you were exempt because of your age when you applied for PR, as our biometrics guide explains.
How do I pay the PR card fee and apply online?
IRCC's get, renew or replace page tells you to start IMM 5444 in the Permanent Residence Portal. Fees are not paid inside the portal. Pay on IRCC's pay page, save the receipt, and upload it under Fee Payment. Complete the document checklist (IMM 5644) and upload it too.
a copy of your passport or travel document showing the document number, issue and expiry dates, your name, photo and date of birth
two pieces of evidence showing you lived in Canada in the five years before you applied
one digital photo taken within 12 months that meets the PR card photo rules
You must be in Canada. IRCC does not mail PR cards outside Canada. If you are abroad without a valid card, apply for a permanent resident travel document instead, which costs $50 and is normally valid for one entry. For field-by-field help with the form, including Appendix A, see our IMM 5444 guide.
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When should I renew my PR card?
You renew the card, not the status. PR status has no five-year expiry date. The plastic card does. IRCC's help answer When should I apply for a permanent resident card? says to apply if the card expires in less than nine months, if you will return to Canada on a commercial carrier, if you need proof of status, if the card was lost, stolen or destroyed, or if you changed your name.
The nine-month rule works in both directions. IRCC's IMM 5444 page and Guide 5445 say a renewal is not accepted if your current card is still valid for more than nine months (270 days), unless your legal name has changed (Guide 5445 adds gender), and the IMM 5444 page says a paper form is returned if it is dated more than 90 days before IRCC receives it. Who can apply requires PR status, being in Canada, and not having lost status through a removal order, citizenship or failing the residence requirements.
Residency is a separate test: at least 730 days in Canada in the last five years, which do not have to be continuous. IRCC explains that on Understand PR status. Meeting 730 days is about keeping status. It is not a reason IRCC mails a new card by itself.
How long does PR card renewal take?
IRCC does not print a fixed number of days on the renew page. Use the check current processing times tool, choose permanent resident cards, then renewing or replacing, and read the figure there. It reflects how long most complete files took recently and is not a promise for your file. Our PR card renewal processing time page tracks the figure and what slows files down, so this guide does not repeat it.
Urgent processing is available in some circumstances. IRCC's Guide 5445 asks for proof of travel within three months and a reason such as serious illness, a family member's death, work or a crisis. Even then, a PR card cannot be processed in less than three weeks, and IRCC says it cannot guarantee the card on time. Do not send a second application because the first one feels slow.
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After you submit a complete application, IRCC sends an acknowledgement of receipt by letter or email. It usually mails the card to a Canadian address only, and it cannot be sent to a third party. If you are moving within three weeks of applying, or have already moved, update your address with IRCC. Check what happens after you apply and your application status.
If the card does not arrive:
Up to 6 weeks past the normal processing time: keep waiting. IRCC says it can take that long.
At 6 weeks but less than 180 days: complete a solemn declaration, and IRCC will reissue the card.
At 180 days or more: submit a new application, pay the fee again and explain what happened.
Your current card stops being valid 60 days after the new one is issued, according to Guide 5445. Destroy the old card once the new one arrives.
Does PR renew automatically?
No. The card does not renew itself. After the first card, you file IMM 5444 when the card is close to expiry or when you need a replacement. IRCC will not notice the expiry date and ship a new card. If you do nothing, you still have status, but you may not be able to board a commercial flight back to Canada.
Do I lose my PR status if my PR card expires?
No. IRCC's status page is direct: you will not lose PR status when the PR card expires. You lose status only if an officer decides you are no longer a PR after an inquiry or a PRTD appeal, you renounce status, a removal order comes into force, or you become a Canadian citizen. Even if you are short of the 730-day residency obligation, you remain a PR until an official decision is made. Travel is the practical risk: as a PR you still need a valid card or a PRTD to board a plane, bus, train or boat to Canada. See IRCC's travel outside Canada page. If the card is already expired and you are inside Canada, renew it before you book a flight.
Lost, stolen or damaged card
A lost or stolen card goes through the same IMM 5444 application and the same $50 fee, with a police report or incident number if you have one. For the steps, see our lost PR card replacement guide. If the card expires or is lost while you are still abroad, the route is a PRTD.
If the card is inside nine months of expiry and you also have a residency-obligation question, Go Far Global is a licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) firm in Toronto, and you can book a consultation.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. Immigration laws and policies change frequently. Each case is unique and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) before making immigration decisions.
Rami Mamar is an RCIC-IRB licensed immigration consultant and Commissioner of Oaths with over a decade of experience helping clients from Iran, UAE, Syria, Armenia, and worldwide immigrate to Canada. He has overseen 10,000+ immigration cases including Express Entry, work permits, study permits, and family sponsorship applications.
