If you have lost your passport, you may have to show some additional documentation such as a copy of your official birth certificate or other. Both documents are valid for 10 years for adults 16 and older, and 5 years for those under the age of 16. When the book comes, resume my normal travel pattern. If you get a passport book and card at the same time, they will expire at the same time. In a short period of time, passport services received over 350,000 applications for the passport card. I have a passport card but need a passport book to travel. One is a passport book, the traditional passport with the pages that get stamped. A single 2by2inch passport photo must be submitted with each application. A us passport card can only be used for land and sea travel to canada, mexico or the caribbean. To get a passport card for a minor, you must pay two fees. A passport card is cheaper than a passport book, but cant be used for air travel and is only valid in. Find a period of time when im not going to be traveling internationally and apply for the renewal book, using the card as id for domestic trips in the interim. Passports are not required of passengers on a closedloop cruise.
Both the passport book and passport card serve as proof of your u. Yes, passport cards can be renewed just like passport books. On the top of the ds82 application for passport renewal, you can select both. Get a passport card with your passport renewal g3passports. Passport cards for under 18s will be valid for the same period as the passport book. In this case, you would apply for a passport renewal by mail.
Passport books or passport cards are both valid for 10 years after issue for adults, and five years for travelers under age 16. If you re thinking of going on a cruise, the passport card might be nice when you need a from of identification to get on and off the ship. It is intended to be used in place of the standard u. The passport book and the passport card have the same validity which is 10 years for children 15 years old or younger, the validity is only 5 years. If you make infrequent trips between the us and canada andor mexico by land and are not a frequent cruise passenger to the caribbean and you live in a state that provides a real id compliant drivers license yet you travel internationally by plane, it would make sense to get a passport book and not pay the extra money for a passport card. How to apply for a new passport card rush my passport. The card provides a smaller, more convenient, and less expensive alternative to the passport book for those who travel frequently to these destinations by land or sea. What is the difference between a passport book and. When you get ready to renew your passport, make sure you have the actual physical book or card. In this video we explore should you use a passport book or a passport card when you travel. The us passport card allows you to enter the united states from canada, mexico, the caribbean, and bermuda at sea ports of entry, land border crossings and is more convenient and cheaper than a passport book. Complete your passport card application in order to apply for your first passport card, youll need the same documentation you need to apply for a passport book. Differences between a passport book and passport card.
Do i need a passport book, passport card, or passport book. Your passport book can be used in any situation where a passport card could be used, but you may find that it is convenient for you to also have a passport card. Passport photos must be in color and taken within the past six months in front of a white or off. The passport card s usefulness as an international travel identification document is so limited, its not adequate for most of its intended use. The passport card is a walletsize travel document that can only be used to reenter the united states at land bordercrossings or portsofentry by sea from canada, mexico, the caribbean, and bermuda. Reasons to get a passport book or card a passport card and book are both considered us passports. United states citizens can get either a passport book or a passport card for their. If none of these apply to you, then you must apply for a passport in person. All you have to do is mark the passport application to show you are requesting both the passport book and passport card.
You have the freedom to choose which one you wish to have to depend on the country you are planning to travel to. If you plan to travel by air, then you will need a passport book. They are valid for five years from the date of issue, just like a minor passport book. You may request a larger passport book with 52 pages, at no additional cost, by checking the 52 page box at the top of the ds11. Whats the difference between a passport book and a passport card. All passport cards will be mailed using first class mail only. A passport book is required for all international travel by air.
You can use form ds82 to renew your passport book at the same time you apply for your first passport card. If you already have a passport book, you might be able to apply for your very first passport card by mail. You can imagine my surprise when i found myself putting an x in the checkbox on my u. The other is the passport card, which is just like a drivers license. You will also need a new passport photo, a completed ds82 if submitting by mail and the application fee. Passport cards are wallet sized while the passport book is larger and thicker. The card is for people who frequently drive across the border but dont intend to fly. If you already only have the passport book, you can get the passport card as well when you apply for your next passport renewal. The passport book is the traditional multipage document that border agents stamp as you travel through. Passport cards are a simplified passport book but operate in many of the same ways and go through similar processes. However, you cant apply for a card if you do not already have an active, current passport book.
But, the passport card can only be used for international travel by land and sea. If you have a passport card, you can also use it to drive across the canadian border and to. You can apply for both the book and card with the same application but it is not. Can i renew my passport book to get a passport card and a. Not so fastfor many travelers, passport cards have a fatal flaw in that they. If you are traveling outside the united states via air travel, you will still need a traditional passport book as a passport card is not valid for air travel.
The best way to cover all bases is to get both a passport card and standard passport, which you can easily do the next time you renew your passport. Should i get a passport card to go along with my passport. It will otherwise carry the rights and privileges of the u. If you have a valid passport book, you do not have to get a passport card as well. Adult passports are valid for 10 years and may be renewed by mail. The passport card is a wallet side document that will be used to expedite document processing from the u. Please note if you have a passport that is valid for 10 years, you do not need to renew your. It is a credit card sized, laminated document that is less expensive than the passport book, and discounted further if the traveler also holds a valid passport book, but it is not necessary to have a passport book to get the passport card. Firsttime passport card applicants who do not have a passport book traditional passport must go in person to a passport application facility, such as a post office or courthouse, and submit a completed passport application form, proof of us citizenship, one passport photo and the required fee. The time it takes to get a passport card can vary depending on the method that you choose to apply for it. Yes, you can use your passport card in order to apply for a passport book. Many people arent very familiar with passport cards and their uses.
Use the passport book to get the passport card, keeping the book in my possession. Youll need to submit both documents when you do your next renewal. You cannot use a passport card when traveling by air internationally. You ll need to submit the same documentation for getting a passport card as you do for a passport book, so. Should americans have both a passport book and a passport card. You can only get a passport card with a passport book as part of a bundle which is an option you can select when renewing your childs passport online. If so, you ve probably noticed the option for a passport card. Passport cards are only valid for canada, mexico, and the caribbean. You only need a passport book if you travel by air. You should know that the passport card is only valid for travel by land and sea within mexico, canada, bermuda, and the caribbean, and you can not use it for air travel or for travel to other.
In addition, the card does not contain any pages for visas or immigration stamps. Department of state passport services recently began issuing the passport card as an alternative to the traditional passport book. What is a us passport card, and how can you get one. You must have the original copies of all required documents. The passport card will facilitate entry and expedite document processing at u.
I recently got my very first united states passport, and i got a passport card at the same time. Below, weve summarized the differences between a passport card and the standard passport book. The passport book has plenty of pages for visas and arrivaldeparture. The primary justification i had for doing so was tha. It can also be used for domestic air travel in the usa. Passport card department of foreign affairs and trade.
You can mail your renewal application directly to the state department yourself. Ds11 only has options under have you ever had either a passport card book for no, loststolen, or submitted with application. I lost my passport card, and i would like to apply for a new one to make use of the expedited rfid lanes at the mexican border. If you are inquiring about an application currently in process through passport. However, before you apply for a new passport card, consider carefully whether or not you might be better off getting a us passport book. Applying for passport card wo giving up passport book. The difference between a passport book and a passport card. Not only do they look different, they serve slightly different purposes. Passport books or passport cards are both valid for 10 years after issue for adults. To get a passport more quickly, you need to make an appointment at a regional. The card may not be used to travel by air outside the united states. If you re a citizen of the united states, and you re thinking about traveling to mexico, but you dont yet have a passport, you might consider getting a passport card instead of a regular passport book. Should americans have both a passport book and a passport. You can now apply for a passport book and a passport card.
Passport book and passport card depending on where you are traveling outside of the u. If youve never had a us passport before, this article outlines how you go about getting a passport book not passport card for the first time if youre living in the us and are an adult. The passport book is a real passport, and allows you to fly internationally. You can apply by mail using form ds82 if you have a passport book or card that. There is no reason to ever get a passport card, unless you only travel to canada, mexico or caribbean. You are not limited to how or where you travel if you obtain a passport book. If you miss your ship or have an emergency and need to fly home, the card will do you no good. There are several options when it comes to forms of identification for travel. Passport cards cannot be used for international air travel, even within the 19 mostly caribbean countries that accept the cards at land or sea ports.
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