To apply directly online, please visit covingtons cibt visas partner portal and automatically get a 20% discount. Passport card department of foreign affairs and trade. There is no reason to ever get a passport card, unless you only travel to canada, mexico or caribbean. Applying for passport card wo giving up passport book. When the book comes, resume my normal travel pattern. The passport card is the size of a drivers license and is used for convenience as it is smaller and cheaper than the passport book. Us passport card faq passport and visa expeditor get. Passport books or passport cards are both valid for 10 years after issue for adults, and five years for travelers under age 16. Reasons to get a passport book or card a passport card and book are both considered us passports. Us passport card faq get your passport in 24 hours. With paper copies, they need to spend some time verifying the information, all the while replacement passport books based on pasposrt card are being processed. You dont need to present a passport or the card when entering and exiting the ship.
You only need a passport book if you travel by air. State department offers an alternative to using a passport to travel between the u. Apr 06, 2016 its easy to get a passport card for your child when you apply for their minor passport book. The other is the passport card, which is just like a drivers license. One is a passport book, the traditional passport with the pages that get stamped. Passport cards are particularly useful for some people.
A passport card is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book, but it cannot be used for international travel by air. All the information an embassy needs is coded on the card, they just swipe it and a replacement is issued. This option means getting both a passport book and passport card with just one application. The passport card is a wallet side document that will be used to expedite document processing from the u. Apr 21, 2016 a passport card only applies to land or sea travel to certain locations internationally, which is noted on the back of the card. Save yourself hassle with expedited passport services if you dont have the time or patience for applying for your u. Currently, all citizens of the united states need a one or the other for international travel, even to neighboring countries such as mexico and canada. Its easy to get a passport card for your child when you apply for their minor passport book. Start today by applying for or renewing your passport. If you ever do lose your passport book during a trip which thankfully i havent i suspect that having a passport card is going to make it easier to get to the nearest us embassy or. How a passport card differs from a passport book dmv. Should i get a passport card to go along with my passport. Carry both the card and the passport book in case of an emergency and you need to fly home. All you have to do is mark the passport application to show you are requesting both the passport book and passport card.
You can apply for both a passport book and passport card at the same time using either form ds11 apply in person or form ds82 renew by mail must be eligible. The united states passport card is an official identity and limited travel document issued by the united states federal government in the size of a credit card. May 17, 2011 i would get the passport book or nothing the birth certificate and the passport card seem equal in value to me you cant fly home with either, and that would be the point of getting the passport book if there is an emergency and you are in a foreign country, you cannot get on an airplane without a passport book, period, so it seems like a. There is a place on the application to check whether you want to apply for a passport card, passport book or both. Applying for a passport card by mail will take up to 8 weeks. The only reason youd most likely need a passport is if you got missed he ship for whatever reason. On the top of the ds82 application for passport renewal, you can select both. 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. Passport card can be used to reenter the united states at land borders or sea portsofentry from canada, mexico, the caribbean, and bermuda, according to the u. I will be needing to get a passport book within the next couple of years so i can travel to barbados.
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. You can use form ds82 to renew your passport book at the same time you apply for your first passport card. You are not limited to how or where you travel if you obtain a passport book. It may often be used as an identity card for purposes other than international travel, such as domestic air travel. Should americans have both a passport book and a passport card. Passport cards requested by mail are always shipped back. Us passport book and passport card online application. Department of state since 2008, and can be used to enter and exit the united states from canada, mexico, the caribbean, and bermuda at land border crossings or sea portsofentry, and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book. The good news is a passport card is valid for the same time and has the same application process as a standard passport book. If you already only have the passport book, you can get the passport card as well when you apply for your next passport renewal. Passport book vs passport card i f youve wondered what the difference is between a passport book and a passport card, youve come to the right place. Visa, mastercard, diners club international and american express cards are accepted. If you have a valid passport book, you do not have to get a passport card as well.
More specifically, it can be used when entering the u. To apply for or renew both the book and card, check the appropriate box at the top of the form to indicate that you would like to apply for both products. Most people who use the card prefer it for the convenience of carrying and storing it. Yes, you can use your passport card in order to apply for a passport book. It is valid for 10 years for adults and 5 years for minors under 16. Should americans have both a passport book and a passport. You did not indicate where your cruise is going to so i would check the locations in which the passport card is good for as from what i read they are only good for 34 places. However, if you go to canada, mexico, and the caribbean and would prefer a passport card, then you should apply for one. If you plan to travel by air, then you will need a passport book. If you are also applying for a renewal of your passport book and you opt for expedited service by mail, your passport book will arrive in 23 weeks, but your passport card may arrive in a separate envelope several weeks later. The passport card facilitates entry and expedites document processing at u. I would get the passport book or nothing the birth certificate and the passport card seem equal in value to me you cant fly home with either, and that would be the point of getting the passport book if there is an emergency and you are in a foreign country, you cannot get on an airplane without a passport book, period, so it seems like a.
Our guide will show you the uses and advantages of each document, and will help you figure out which one is best for you, or if you should have both. Use the passport book to get the passport card, keeping the book in my possession. In this case, you would apply for a passport renewal by mail. Differences between a passport book and passport card. An adult applying for a us passport renewal or firsttime passport can receive a card valid for ten years, while a child under the age of 16 would have one valid for five years. What is the difference between a passport book and. What is a us passport card, and how can you get one. A passport book commonly called a passport, is used for travel anywhere in the world by air, land sea.
A passport card can be used to enter the us states at land border crossing or seaportsofentry from canada, mexico, the caribbean and bermuda. With standard processing, you should submit your application no later than 8 weeks before your travel date. The passport card is designed to be a less expensive and more portable alternative to the passport book. Although a passport card is invalid for international air travel it can be used at sea portsofentry or land border crossings and is valid up to 10. Oct 16, 2017 the passport book and passport card are both proof of your citizenship and identity while traveling outside of the us. A passport card only applies to land or sea travel to certain locations internationally, which is noted on the back of the card. A passport card is valid for travel to and from canada, mexico, the caribbean and bermuda at land border crossings and sea portsofentry. Standard processing takes 46 weeks, not including the time it takes for your new passport book to get to you. Many travelers will still want to apply for a full passport, however, since the. Nov 28, 2017 how long does it take to get a passport card.
Both documents are valid for 10 years for adults 16 and older, and 5 years for those under the age of 16. I recently got my very first united states passport, and i got a passport card at the same time. Can i renew my passport book to get a passport card and a. 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. S passport card began on july 14, 2008 and as of march 2010 according to the u. Both forms are available for download on the state departments passport website. The card is billed as a cheaper, smaller and more convenient alternative to carrying a passport when traveling to these destinations by land or sea. It was designed for people who travel frequently between the u.
To enter the united states at land border crossings or sea portsofentry from canada, mexico, the caribbean, and bermuda, you can use a passport book or a passport card. A us passport card is used as a federal id and is only good for travel to canada, mexico, the caribbean, and bermuda at land border crossings or sea portsofentry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book. A passport book is valid for any international travel by air, sea or land. The passport services information card is different from another walletsized card, called a u. Feb 12, 2019 the passport card is the size of a drivers license and is used for convenience as it is smaller and cheaper than the passport book. I have a passport card but need a passport book to travel. Oct 03, 2012 this month the government began to produce u. However, if you get a passport card, it cannot be used for travel by air.
The us passport card is a credit card sized identification document. Passport book vs passport card for kids the dis disney. Passport cards passport info guide how to get a passport. Jun 30, 2015 if you ever do lose your passport book during a trip which thankfully i havent i suspect that having a passport card is going to make it easier to get to the nearest us embassy or. However, since passport cards arent valid for flying, again i dont see how theyre helpful in that region. The us passport card is a credit cardsized identification document. The passport book and passport card are both proof of your citizenship and identity while traveling outside of the us. Also you can not use the passport card to fly into the us.
A passport card fits in your wallet, making it a more convenient form of id to carry on certain trips. All passport cards will be mailed using first class mail only. Passport books are the ultimate travel document for visiting any foreign countries, american citizens can use this to travel everywhere outside of the us. If none of these apply to you, then you must apply for a passport in person. I have a passport card but need a passport book to travel to barbados. So, if you are a frequent flyer or will travel internationally, a passport book is the best choice. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air. Since you are going to japan, you need to apply for a passport book, thus not necessary to get a card too. Yes, it is much easier to get a new passport book with a pasport card over copies. Or if you visit canada, you can get a nexus frequent traveller card, which is good anywhere a passport card is and also works for air travel to and from canada and gets you tsa precheck and other goodies. I currently have a passport card that was issued in june 2009. Applications for a passport or passport card may be submitted at any of 9,300 passport application acceptance facilities, which typically include u. Otherwise, it carries the rights and privileges of the u.
For example, if youre traveling on april 24, 2015, you should submit your application no later than february 27. The passport card contains a radio frequency identification chip as well as the traditional photograph and personal information found in a passport book. What you need to know about passport cards fastport passport. However, the passport card cannot be used for travel by plane. The form for renewing a passport or passport card is ds82. 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.