If you have the book, you dont need the card unless youd like to have it as a walletsized id or you plan to travel frequently by car to canada andor mexicothe card gets you through quicker in those situations. To be considered as an adult you must be 16 or older, and to be considered a minor, you must be 15 or less. A passport card can be used to enter the us states at land border crossing or seaportsofentry from canada, mexico, the caribbean and bermuda. What is a us passport card, and how can you get one. Effective march 24, 2020, the issuance of passport books and cards has been suspended until further notice. Us passport book and passport card online application.
If you are thinking about applying for or renewing a u. You must have the original copies of all required documents. Passport books are valid for travel by united states citizens anywhere in the world, although travel to certain countries andor for certain purposes may require a visa. The passport card is cheaper to obtain than the passport book. See the chart below to decide which is best for you. We can send your passport book via a 12 day delivery service. Most us passports have a dark blue cover, and contain 28 pages. It may often be used as an identity card for purposes other than international travel, such as domestic air travel. Passport cards and citizenship documents such as birth certificates and previous passports are returned to you separately via usps first class mail. Applying for passport card wo giving up passport book. Passport fees 2020 for routine and expedited services. We only send the passport card via first class mail. You can load multiple currencies on a single card, locking in your exchange rates at the time of booking your reload via the website, so you know.
The other is the passport card, which is just like a drivers license. Passport books are valid for travel by united states citizens. Visa, mastercard, diners club international and american express cards are accepted. Use the 2020 passport fees table to help you calculate the cost of getting your passport. If you lose your passport book you still have your passport card and vice versa. Any us citizen wishing to travel internationally via air must have a passport book. How to apply for a us passport 2020 get a us passport in five easy steps duration.
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. You are not limited to how or where you travel if you obtain a passport book. Valid only for travel by land and by sea to canada. You may receive your newlyissued passport card and your citizenship documents in two separate mailings. Save yourself hassle with expedited passport services if you dont have the time or patience for applying for your u. If you would like to receive your passport before the passport card, please provide two courier envelopes at the time you submit your application. Weigh the cost of a passport versus a passport card. Carry both the card and the passport book in case of an emergency and you need to fly home. It provides a less expensive, smaller and more convenient alternative for those who travel to these destinations. The difference between a passport book and passport card. The walletsized passport card is designed to be more convenient and less cumbersome than regular passports. The passport card will match the expiry date of your passport book, if you have less than 5 years validity remaining. The passport card is only good for land and sea travel to canada, mexico and approximately 17 islands in the caribbean. A passport book commonly called a passport, is used for travel anywhere in the world by air, land sea.
The adult and minor passport card fees are about the same. A passport card can only be used to travel by land or sea. If you are traveling by air or to most countries, you will need a traditional passport book, with pages for your various visas. Your supporting documents may be returned by first class mail. Youll use the same form that you would use to apply for a passport bookeither a ds11 or ds82. Passport card has the same period of validity as the u. One is a passport book, the traditional passport with the pages that get stamped.
Passport books are likely what you think of when you imagine a passport a bookletstyle identification and travel document. Both documents are valid for 10 years for adults 16 and older, and 5 years for those under the age of 16. The us passport card is a small passport card, about the size of a credit card, that contains your photo and identifying information. A previous passport book holder, eligible to use form ds82, may apply for a passport card as a renewal. If youre leaving for an international trip, your passport is. Difference between passport book and passport card.
Only the passport book will returned to you by trackable delivery. Can only be used in land and sea travels, not by air. In this case, you would apply for a passport renewal by mail. 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. Passport card department of foreign affairs and trade. This is the base fee and does not include any fees to expedite. The passport card has one fee for us citizens when you apply for the first time, and another fee when you already have a passport. Please contact npic if you do not receive a second mailing within 10 business days of receiving the first. I have a passport card but need a passport book to travel. However, the passport card cannot be used for travel by plane. The difference between passport and passport card us. Passport card faq get answers to your passport card. A passport card may not be widely accepted as a form of identification outside the united states.
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. The passport card is smaller when compared to the size of passport book. Passport, and those not eligible to use the form ds82, should apply for a passport card using form ds11. Department of state, performs the same function of identifying the holder as a u.
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. Passport card faq get answers to your passport card questions. What is the difference between a passport book and. You can use cash passport to pay for goods and services, online and instore, at millions of locations worldwide anywhere that mastercard is accepted. The us passport card is a credit cardsized identification document. Your best bet is to go to the passport office, pay the expedite fees and just apply for the passport and passport card at the same time, then go back to pick it up, being unable to move around the country freely for the 46 days they have your stuff.
You can just slip it in your wallet, right behind your drivers license. 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. However, it has a great number of limitations, so clients requesting a passport card should give serious consideration to applying for a passport book as well. The passport card contains a radio frequency identification chip as well as the traditional photograph and personal information found in a passport book. 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. The passport card may only be used for land and sea travel between the united states and canada, mexico, bermuda and the caribbean. It is intended to be used in place of the standard u. Yes, you can use your passport card in order to apply for a passport book. Because of public health measures to prevent the spread of covid19. It was designed for people who travel frequently between the u. What are the benefits of the passport book vs passport card. A passport book application will take approximately 10 working days to process and a passport card, six to eight weeks.
A passport book functions in all ways a passport card is used and there is no need to obtain a passport card if you already have a passport book. No passport or passport card is required to travel to overseas u. You will be completing the process as a new passport application. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air. Apply for a passport card residents of england and wales. The total amount will depend on the service you require and any additional services you might need or want. The passport card is intended as a more portable, less expensive alternative to the standard passport book, primarily for u. Just a few years later, the number of passport cards issued rose to over one million.
There is a mandatory passport application fee for most services. Only available for passport book applicants in the u. If you have never had a passport book, you can apply for a passport card by completing the ds11 new passport form. The fee to obtain a passport card and passport book also changes. This service is not available for passport card applicants. There are two options to select when applying for a passport. Of the internal pages, 17 are blank pages marked visas. Department of state expedite fee paid per application, in addition to.
Select both and you will pay additional fees for the passport book and passport card. Only available for passport book applicants in the united states not canada. Do i have to pay separate processing fees for my passport. The most obvious difference between passport books and passport cards is the design, of course. The traditional passport book is still required for most travel purposes. You only need a passport book if you travel by air. Passport options and fees san diego county, california. You cannot use a passport card when traveling by air internationally. Applying for a passport card by mail will take up to 8 weeks. You can also apply for the passport book and the passport card at the same time when youre utilizing the ds11 new passport application for new passport. On the form, you indicate that youre applying for a passport card by checking the appropriate box. Passport card can be used to enter 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.
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