All american citizens are required to present a valid passport to exit and reenter the united states. Most limited passports are valid only one or two years. You can apply by mail using form ds82 if you have a passport book or card that. The numbers dont work like a social security number, though, which is also a unique number. See below the differences between a passport book vs. Introduced in 2008, the passport card is a relatively inexpensive personal identification card that can be used in place of a passport book or drivers license at land and sea entry points to. The fee to obtain a passport card and passport book also changes. Using a us passport card on a cruise flyertalk forums. 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. A limited passport is one provided for a specific reason usually emergency travel and is valid less than the standard length of time of 10 years for adults and five years for minors 15 and younger. These documents can also hold visas and other related materials that are required for legal travel between and residence in certain nations. Most us passports have a dark blue cover, and contain 28 pages. What are the benefits of the passport book vs passport card.
Whats the difference between a us passport book and card. The passport card is smaller when compared to the size of passport book. A passport book is, most commonly, a legal document that is used to allow a citizen of one country to travel to and from another country. Due to this growth, more and more questions are sent to use about this travel document. Can be used for international travel via land, sea, or air. Do i need a passport book, passport card, or passport book. Difference between passport book and passport card. Differences between a passport book and passport card. Just a few years later, the number of passport cards issued rose to over one million. Instead, each passport book number is unique to that specific book. Visa, mastercard, diners club international and american express cards are accepted. For us citizens, the passport card is fine, and sea travel is one if its raison detre.
One is a passport book, the traditional passport with the pages that get stamped. For example, the us requires its citizens to use a passport book, not card, when flying to a foreign destination or entering by air from a foreign destination. 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 seamans book provides a travel document that can be used instead of a passport in some cases. 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. 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. In an effort to assist our visitors in obtaining the information they need as. The traditional passport book is still required for most travel purposes. The good news is a passport card is generally valid for the same time and has the same application process as a 26 or 52page passport book. Applications for a passport or passport card may be submitted at any of 9,300 passport application acceptance facilities, which typically include 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. Passport book is valid for air, land and sea travel. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air.
The card will provide a less expensive, smaller, and more convenient alternative to the passport book for those who travel frequently to these destinations by land or by sea. The form for renewing a passport or passport card is ds82. What is a us passport card, and how can you get one. American citizens can obtain a passport book or a 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. Those nine digits distinguish this individual passport from all others. Firsttime passport applicants must apply in person. Whats the difference between a passport book and a. We can send your passport book using a 12 day delivery service. So if your are filling ds160 form to apply for indian passports, then you have to select the. The passport card contains a radio frequency identification chip as well as the traditional photograph and personal information found in a passport book. Applying for a passport card by mail will take up to 8 weeks.
Its issued by the federal government, which is the only entity that can determine citizenship. What is the difference between a passport book and. The department of state is issuing this passport card in response to the needs of border resident communities for a less expensive and more portable alternative to the traditional passport book. What is the differences between passport book vs passport.
Both documents are valid for 10 years for adults 16 and older, and 5 years for those under the age of 16. March 1, 2010, canadian citizens need a passport to enter mexico, and americans need a passport if youre going beyond the border area, so i guess that means people that fly to mexico. The us passport card is a small passport card, about the size of a credit card, that contains your photo and identifying information. Passport books are too fragile, and birth certificates lack photos or expiration dates. It was designed for people who travel frequently between the u. The difference between passport and passport card us.
The passport card will match the expiry date of your passport book, if you have less than 5 years validity remaining. While an enhanced drivers license does prove citizenship, the passport card is better because its more authoritative. Unlike a regular passport, a passport card can only be used to reenter the united states at land bordercrossings and sea portsofentry from. 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 department of foreign affairs and trade. Here is a table showing the principal differences between a passport book and a passport card. However, the passport card cannot be used for travel by plane. If you are flying by plane, a cape, a giant eagle, or anything for that matter, you have to get the passport book. How to find passport book number in indian passport.
If you are traveling to canada or mexico or bermuda or the caribbean or within the united states, it can come in handy, especially if you dont want to carry around your actual passport. So, if they are trying to find a passport book number in an indian passport, they are not going to find one. The passport book provides identification and citizenship information about the passport holder. I called the passport agency at 8774872778 to confirm thistwice. The card has the same period of validity as a passport book. Of the internal pages, 17 are blank pages marked visas. See spanishenglish translations with audio pronunciations, examples, and wordbyword explanations. Passport books are likely what you think of when you imagine a passport a bookletstyle identification and travel document. Since we all know how to acquire passport booklets, lets learn how to get hold of a passport card. But if youre flying to mexico you need a passport to get back in the us, so it just makes things confusing. Like the passport book, the passport card is issued only to u. Internationally issued limited passports are often provided when a passport is lost or stolen during travel or residence abroad. 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.
To apply for or renew both the book and card, check the appropriate box at the top of the form to. The us passport card is a credit card sized identification document. What you need to know about passport cards fastport passport. In order to be used as a passport, the situation must be appropriate i. Passport and visa fraud united states department of state. A passport book and a passport card serve the same purpose of attesting to your u. Us passports, also called american passports, are issued by the u. Passport definition is a formal document issued by an authorized official of a country to one of its citizens that is usually necessary for exit from and reentry into the country, that allows the citizen to travel in a foreign country in accordance with visa requirements, and that requests protection for the citizen while abroad. Both forms are available for download on the state departments passport website.
Every time a passport a issued, a new number is associated with it. Apply for a passport at a certified location, such as the post office or passport office. 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. Please contact the national passport information center npic if you do not receive a second mailing within 10 business days of receiving the first. You may receive your newlyissued passport and your citizenship documents e. Passport card faq get answers to your passport card. The other is the passport card, which is just like a drivers license. There are very important differences between the passport card and the passport book. Well, to be completely honest, indian passports do not have the passport book number and most of the countries are not aware of this fact. A us passport is a travel document issued to citizens and nationals of the united states. If you are traveling by air or to most countries, you will need a traditional passport book. The passport card is a walletsized card that can only be used for land and sea travel between the united states and canada, mexico, the caribbean, and bermuda.
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