Validity of a passport book is 10 years for adults, 5 years for minors under age 16 the size of a passport book is approximately 5 x 3. There are several options when it comes to forms of identification for travel. Passport is a document providing national identity and identification of an individual. You cannot use a passport card when traveling by air internationally. Applicants must provide documents which attest to their u. Passport book and passport card are two terms that are often used these days by many citizens of the united states who are applying for a passport for the first time. What are the benefits of the passport book vs passport card. Nov 20, 2017 a passport card allows significantly fewer opportunities for the holder to travel, but often its enough for some.
Your passport number is at the top right corner of the page your photo is on. The passport card is only valid for entry into the united states at land border crossings or sea ports of entry. What are the differences between a passport book vs. My travel would be amongst the us, canada, mexico and possibly the caribbean, possibly by air, and i would be thrilled to have a credit card sized thing instead of a book. 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. Us passport books and us passport cards the differences. It is more convenient and cheaper than a passport book. Wondering whats the difference between a passport book and a passport card.
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. Aside from the size, a passport book and a passport card difference is that the latter cannot be used when traveling abroad via air, the passport book is required. The passport book and passport card are both proof of your citizenship and identity while traveling outside of the us. Learn more about how a passport card differs from a passport book. All american citizens are required to present a valid passport to exit and reenter the united states. Infact for traveling abroad, one needs a passport for sure. A passport card is valid for travel to and from canada, mexico, the caribbean and bermuda at land border crossings and sea portsofentry. What is the differences between passport book vs passport. S department of state offers two versions of a passport.
Our guide to us passport books will teach you about the different types of passport books so you will understand which one you need and why. Instead, each passport book number is unique to that specific book. Here is a table showing the principal differences between a passport book and a passport card. The first version is the conventional passport book and the second one is in the form of passport card.
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. A nonexpired passport book can be used as valid proof of identity and citizenship. This service is not available for passport card applicants. 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. T here are a variety of united states passport books that are issued to travelers for specific reasons. Passport book is a globally recognized travel document while passport card is not a globally recognized document. You can apply for and obtain your new passport or id card at any passport. However, each of these items comes with certain restrictions regarding when you can use them.
The passport book vs card question is one you may have if you are a firsttime international traveler. The us passport card is less expensive to get then passport book, and is much smaller. 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. My wife and i are planning a trip to mexico in the fall of 2014, and i am trying to figure this out. Your passport book allows you to travel by land, by sea, or by air. Aug 10, 2012 passport cards and passport books are no exception. 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.
Many people do not know but power of passports vary from one country to another. Oct 16, 2017 the passport book and passport card are both proof of your citizenship and identity while traveling outside of the us. I applied to renew my passport this past summer, and i had the option of applying for a just a passport book, or b both a passport book and also a passport card, which can be used in certain intercountry travel situations cant remember what situations either, but doesnt really matter as it is irrelevant to my question. Passport cards and passport books are no exception. The irish passport card, can be used by irish citizens for travel within the european union and the european economic area. Whats the difference between a us passport book and card.
Passport book is widely used for international travel while passport card is used for united states citizens who live in border territories in the us. If you still got any questions about us passport book and card, you can always contact travel visa pro. Difference between passport book and passport card. Although, keep in mind, while both can be used as forms of id when traveling, the passport card has some restrictions. As such, the passport card is adjudicated to the exact standards as the passport book. The passport card is only valid for land and sea travel to canada, mexico, and the caribbean. The passport card is a cheaper alternative to the passport book. All american citizens are required to present a valid passport to exit and. Every time a passport a issued, a new number is associated with it. Any us citizen wishing to travel internationally via air must have a passport book.
Passport card department of foreign affairs and trade. However, overnight mail return is only available for the u. Passport books and cards are alternatives to a stateissued id. They have been available to us citizens since 2008, and are meant. 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. The us passport card is a credit cardsized identification document. There are, however, some key differences that need to be considered. However, the passport card cannot be used for travel by plane. That means you cannot use the passport card for air travel.
Under the real id act, the passport card is accepted for federal purposes such as domestic air travel or entering federal. Us passport book and passport card online application. How do these items differ in terms of travel rights, in particularly the passport card vs the edl. But the passport book that most americans are familiar with isnt the only kind of travel document available in the us theres also the. The united states passport card is an official identity and limited travel document issued by the. Nov 22, 2019 the cost between passport book vs passport card. Whats the difference between a passport book and a. Differences between a passport book and passport card. The difference between passport and passport card us. The passport book is valid for all international travel. Difference between a passport book and passport card. You must have the original copies of all required documents. A passport book may not be a massive document by any means, but having something as small as the card to fit in your wallet is definitely less of a hassle.
For those of you who are about to get a us passport renewed or getting one for the first time, there is something called a passport card its biometric and usually only good between rail, boat and car in canadamexicobermuda etc but it is proof that you do own a us passport. It is smaller and more convenient to carry than a passport book, and it is less expensive to obtain. Passport cardbasically a limiteduse passport enhanced drivers licenseacts both as a driver license and a travel document, but also with limits well walk you through the basic differences of each of these documents, and help you determine which one is right for you. A passport card can be used to enter the us states at land border crossing or seaportsofentry from canada, mexico, the caribbean and bermuda. Whats the difference between a passport book and a passport. Although, keep in mind, while both can be used as forms of id. The passport card is valid for up to 10 years if you are an adult, and allows you virtually unlimited travel to the caribbean, bermuda, mexico, and.
If issued for the full validity, they are both proof of your 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. It can be used for travel to 31 countries in the european union eu and european economic area eea plus switzerland. 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. Regardless, the passport card that is issued in the united states still has select uses under select circumstances. The police passport offices issue passports and national id cards to swedish citizens. The number of americans who traveled without passports is unknown. The passport card contains a radio frequency identification chip as well as the traditional photograph and personal information found in a passport book. This is perhaps unsurprising, seeing as how a passport card lacks the blank pages of the passport book because it is nothing more than the size of a standard id card. Oct 07, 2017 wondering whats the difference between a passport book and a passport card. 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. Your personal details must be an exact match of the details that appear in your passport book.
Here are the countries and territories where a us passport card is valid. A passport card is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book, but it cannot be used for international travel by air. Passport cards are also only valid in mexico, bermuda, canada and the caribbean. Difference between passport book and passport card compare. How a passport card differs from a passport book dmv. The most obvious difference between passport books and passport cards is the design, of course. In general, everyone must have a passport book or a regular passport to travel from one country to another. United states passports are passports issued to citizens and nationals of the united states of.
It may often be used as an identity card for purposes other than international travel, such as domestic air travel. To begin with, passport cards can not be used for air travel. Find uses and advantages of a passport book and a passport card and figure out which one is best for you, or if you should have both documents. What is the differences between passport book vs passport card.
Passport card the standard passport book covers all the bases. The walletsized passport card is designed to be more convenient and less cumbersome than regular passports. A passport book provides valid identification for any national or international travel. It was designed for people who travel frequently between the u.
Whats the difference between a passport book and a passport card. A passport book is required for all international travel by air. United states citizens can get either a passport book or a passport card for their travels abroad. It is valid for 10 years for adults and 5 years for minors under 16. The passport card is only for land and sea travel, which means there is no way travelers can use the passport card to board a plane.
You are not limited to how or where you travel if you obtain a passport book. The passport book is your typical passport, a bound, paged booklet that is issued by the us department of state verifying your identity and nationality, usually for the purpose of traveling internationally all international air travel for us passport holders, regardless of origin or destination airport, must be accompanied by a valid us passport book. A passport book commonly called a passport, is used for travel anywhere in the world by air, land sea. Passport books can be accepted in any country unless theyve barred us citizens from entry, like north korea, and are valid for visa applications, while a passport card can only be used to enter countries by land or sea. You can just slip it in your wallet, right behind your drivers license. Us passport book vs us passport card us visa connection. You can use this creditcardsized document to reenter the united states from mexico, canada, bermuda and the caribbean when traveling by land or sea. However, people find a passport card more convenient and accessible when carrying.
A passport card is also available for certain travel situations. 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. Passport book booklet style id travel document standard passport book has 28 pages. The passport card can be used only to reenter the 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. Passport cards are a form of us passport that are the size of a credit card or drivers license. May, 2019 in this video we explore should you use a passport book or a passport card when you travel.
If you need to travel internationally, you must have a passport book. See the chart below to decide which is best for you. The passport card is about the size of any credit card, and fits easily into your wallet for frequent travel. Just beware that not all caribbean locations will accept this as a valid id per wikipedia. I f youve wondered what the difference is between a passport book and a passport card, youve come to the right place. A passport book and a passport card serve the same purpose of attesting to your u. A passport book can also be used as your id for domestic air travel. Passport book vs passport card difference and comparison diffen. Can be used for international travel via land, sea, or air. A passport card is cheaper to get but is only valid for travel to canada, mexico and the caribbean islands. The passport card is a fully valid passport that attests to the u. What is a us passport card, and how can you get one.
So, given the differences between a passport book vs passport card, which one is right for you. A passport card can be used to enter the us states at land border crossing or seaportsof. Passport and national id card the swedish police authority polisen. Only available for passport book applicants in the united states not canada. The passport card is available to all irish citizens who hold a valid irish passport book. However, if youre considering a passport book vs passport card, just get both.
Jun 20, 2019 passport book is a globally recognized travel document while passport card is not a globally recognized document. Types of us passport books get your passport book today. In addition to a regular passport, the passport book, u. This number will tell the story of the passport, including the years in which it was valid and where in the country it was issued. As with a passport book, a nonexpired passport card can serve as your proof of identity and citizenship. Passport book vs passport card difference and comparison. The difference between a passport book or card getaway usa.
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