This article was last updated on April 2, 2026

Overview  

This guide provides an overview of who qualifies for a Refugee Travel Document (RTD), how to apply for one, and information about your rights as you travel.

An RTD is a travel document issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to:

• Refugees resettled to the United States.
• People with approved asylum status in the United States.
• Lawful Permanent Residents who obtained their green card based on their refugee or asylum status. 

An RTD allows you to re-enter the U.S. after you travel outside the U.S. Visit USCIS’ guide about RTDs for more information.

RTDs are not available to people who:

• Have applied for asylum in the United States but do not have approved asylum status yet. People in that situation should apply for advance parole. Information from USCIS on applying for advance parole is here. 
• People who have green cards based on another status. 

Do I need a Refugee Travel Document?

People with refugee and approved asylum status might need an RTD for two reasons.

International travel 

Many people in the U.S. with refugee or asylum status do not have a passport from their country. A refugee travel document is like a passport. It is a document for international travel. 

Note that if you travel to your home country, your refugee or asylum status may be terminated. People get refugee status or asylum status because they would be in danger to return to their home country. If you go back to your home country, the U.S. government might think that you are not in danger. This could cause problems for you later, including when you apply for a green card or to be a U.S. citizen.

Return to the United States

An RTD is also essential for people with refugee or asylum status to return to the United States after they travel. If you have refugee or asylum status and travel outside the U.S. without getting an RTD, you may not be able to re-enter the U.S. You can apply for an RTD outside the U.S. However, it is strongly recommended that people with refugee and asylum status get an RTD before traveling outside the U.S.

This means that an RTD is important even if you have a passport. This changes after getting a green card. A legal permanent resident can re-enter the United States with a green card, without the need for a visa. But even legal permanent residents must not stay outside the United States for too long. For more information, read USCIS’ guide on international travel as a permanent resident.

How do I apply for a Refugee Travel Document?

To obtain an RTD, you must file Form I-131 Application for Travel Document. Include the required fee and all supportive evidence for your application. You should file this at least 60 days before you will travel outside of the United States. 

After you file the Form I-131, USCIS will send you a letter that tells you where to go for USCIS to take your fingerprints. USCIS calls this taking your biometrics. Biometrics are identifying physical traits. 

If you apply in the United States and leave before you complete your biometrics, your application will likely be denied. If you complete your biometrics while in the United States, but plan to leave the United States before your application is approved, you can request in your application that USCIS send your RTD abroad for you to pick up at an official U.S. office outside the U.S.

The RTD is valid for a year from the date it was issued.  

I traveled outside the U.S. without an RTD

USCIS strongly recommends that you apply for an RTD in the United States. You may still be able to obtain an RTD while abroad if you apply to the USCIS Refugee and International Operations office within a year of departure. Their address is available here. However, USCIS has the discretion to accept or deny your application. You will need to explain why you were not able to file for an RTD before you departed the U.S. in your application. 

If it has been over a year since your departure, you are not eligible for an RTD. In some situations, you can consider applying for Humanitarian Parole. IRAP’s guide on humanitarian parole is here.

Important information about your rights as you travel by air

Under the Trump administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) are working closely together and sharing information with each other. ICE agents are also being sent to work at U.S. airports. These changes might make air travel risky for some people. 

People with valid refugee and asylee status should not normally need to worry about having problems with air travel inside the United States. However, if you are not sure if it is safe for you to travel, you should talk to an immigration lawyer first. Also, when you are traveling by air, you can take the following steps to help prepare yourself:

• Bring physical copies of important documents that explain your immigration status, like proof of your refugee status 
• Remove Face ID on your cellphone and use a strong password instead
• Memorize phone numbers for your loved ones and/or an attorney if you have one
• Consider printing out and signing this form and giving it to a loved one. This form will allow ICE to share information about your case with someone. If you do not sign this, then they will not share information about your case with anyone. 

You can find more information about protections while you travel from the National Law Immigration Center here and the ACLU here.