page_title: Refugee travel document
section_title: Travel documents issued to refugees
hierarchical_section_title: Refugee travel document / Travel documents issued to refugees
caption_attribution_description: English: A specimen Canadian refugee travel document Français&#160;: Titre de voyage pour réfugiés
context_page_description: A refugee travel document is a travel document issued to a refugee by the state in which she or he normally resides allowing him or her to travel outside that state and to return there. Refugees are unlikely to be able to obtain passports from their state of nationality and therefore need travel documents so that they might engage in international travel.
  The 145 states which are parties to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees are obliged to issue travel documents to refugees lawfully resident in their territory.
  Refugee travel documents are passport-like booklets. Their cover bears the words "Travel Document" in English and French, as well as the date of the convention: 28 July 1951. The documents were originally grey, though some countries now issue them in other colours, with two diagonal lines in the upper left corner of the front cover. Bearers enjoy certain visa-free travel privileges extended by signatories to the convention.
  However, as a refugee travel document is not a regular national passport, some problems may be encountered by the holder from time to time, at time due to non-familiarity of airline staff with such documents.
context_section_description: New Zealand Refugee Travel Document
  Estonian travel document for refugees
  Refugee Travel Document (United States) visa not required for Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and Cyprus.
  Australian Convention Travel Document. This document by itself does not allow the bearer to return to Australia; for that, a separate visa must be obtained.
  Swiss Travel Document
caption: A specimen Canadian refugee travel document
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