If you already have a passport book or passport card, you can renew by mail using. 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. For these adults with existing passports, consider whether you travel internationally frequently. It can also be used for domestic air travel in the usa. Applying for passport card wo giving up passport book. Passport cards are valid for land and sea travel to and from canada, mexico and the countries of the caribbean. If you are applying for a passport, youll need to consider whether to get a passport book or a passport card. A passport card is the same size as a drivers license, and is official proof of your identity and us citizenship. Youll need to submit both documents when you do your next renewal. A passport card is cheaper than a passport book, but cant be used for air travel and is only valid in canada, mexico, bermuda, and the caribbean. I believe getting the passport card is the same price as getting a passport book renewal. Select both and you will pay additional fees for the passport book and passport card. 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.
I have a passport book for about five years now, but i wanted to obtain a passport card. If you already have a passport book or passport card, you can renew by mail using form ds82. Is a question frequently asked by our readers if you are traveling to mexico, canada, and the caribbean as a u. Of the internal pages, 17 are blank pages marked visas that are meant for travel visas and country entry and exit stamps. It may often be used as an identity card for purposes other than international travel, such as domestic air travel. Passport cards for under 18s will be valid for the same period as the passport book. Aside from that, you can hold onto tickets for sentimental value.
You can use your passport card in order to apply for a passport book. Which one you must get completely depends on how you are going to travel and how much you. Card will match the expiry date of your passport book, if you have. If you apply or renew now, you will experience significant delays of several. When the book comes, resume my normal travel pattern. 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. Find out where and how to get a us passport card and decide whether a. They are particularly useful as identification for children who are too young to get a drivers license. Should americans have both a passport book and a passport card. You can use this creditcardsized document to reenter the united states from mexico, canada, bermuda and the caribbean when traveling by land or sea. The adult passport bundle, which includes a 10year passport book and 5year passport card for people aged over 18, costs 100. 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.
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. Unfortunately, you cannot upgrade your passport card to a passport book. However, before you apply for a new passport card, consider carefully whether or not you might be better off getting a us passport book. Second, a good argument can be made that the passport card is more useful than the passport book for the limited circumstances in which it can be used. 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. Consider using a passport card for your next border crossing by land or by sea. How to get a passport card if i already have a passport book. This option means getting both a passport book and passport card with just one application. When you get ready to renew your passport, make sure you have the actual physical book or card. Passport the application process is the same for either the passport book or card, even if you want both at the same time.
Please contact npic if you do not receive a second mailing within 10 business days of receiving the first. A us passport card can only be used for land and sea travel to canada, mexico or the caribbean. How to apply for us passport card when i already have. If you plan to travel by air, then you will need a passport book. We only send the passport card via first class mail. United states citizens can get either a passport book or a passport card for their travels abroad. Ds11 only has options under have you ever had either a passport cardbook for no, loststolen, or submitted with application. Yes, if you have a passport card, you can obtain a passport book at any time. In order to apply for a passport book by mail, your current passport must meet the following requirements. If your travel plans take you to a country bordering the u. Find out if the passport book or passport card is right for you. 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.
Adults who already have a valid passport may use form ds82 to apply by mail or form ds11 to apply in person. If you get a passport book and card at the same time, they will expire at the same time. A passport card is a smaller version of a passport book and fits inside a wallet. Differences between a 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. Passport book allows you to travel by land, sea and air. If you have a passport book and you are eligible to use form ds82, you may apply for a passport card as a renewal by mail even if it is your first passport card. Find out where and how to get a us passport card and decide whether a passport. Whether you get the passport bookcard both are valid for 10 years. 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. The passport book has plenty of pages for visas and arrivaldeparture stamps, while the passport card is a onepiece creditcardsized id card. Note, passport cards can only be used for travel by land and sea.
How to apply for a new passport card rush my passport. Your information is in the passport itself, so anything you want to put in with it is up to you. Can you upgrade from a passport card to a passport book. A passport card is also available for certain travel situations. The passport book can be obtained as a new passport or if you currently have a passport book you will be eligible for renewal to make sure your passport book has six months of validity. If you are applying from outside ireland, there is an additional delivery cost of 5. The passport book is the traditional multipage document that border agents stamp as you travel through. Enhanced drivers license many people may not know but depending on the.
Should americans have both a passport book and a passport. The card comes in very handy because it is much easier to handle. Use the passport book to get the passport card, keeping the book in my possession. You must have the original copies of all required documents. Can i renew my passport book to get a passport card and a. How to get a passport card if you already have a us passport.
In part, this is because the passport card is the size of a standard id card, meaning that it can be carried with the same convenience as any other. It is good to hold onto customs papers and anything else related to the trip youre on as well, since. 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. I currently have a passport card that was issued in june 2009. Try 2 to 3 monthsthere is currently no way to expedite a passport card, only a passport book. However, depending on where youre travelling, you might be ok with just the card. I want a card so i can frequently travel to mexico while my passport book is on hold for getting a visa to travel to china. You can get a passport card and passport book at the same time online as part of a bundle.
Basically, i would say passport card is simply designed for those people who plan to cross the land border or enter a sea port, for example, there are many americans who only travelled to canada in their whole life. If im remembering correctly, you can use your passport card when travelling by land or sea. If you have a passport card and you are eligible to use form 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. Get a passport card with your passport renewal g3passports. If youll be crossing the border after june 1st and you havent applied for a passport yet, youll need to apply for a passport book to make sure you have the appropriate documentation by the deadline. The irish passport card, can be used by irish citizens for travel within the. You cannot use a passport card when traveling by air internationally. Passport books are likely what you think of when you imagine a passport a bookletstyle identification and travel document. Yes, passport cards can be renewed just like passport books. 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.
If you have a passport card, you can also use it to drive across the canadian border and to. A passport card is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book, but it cannot be used for international travel by air. Will i have to apply for the book as a first time applicant or can i renew by mail an send in my passport card. Most us passports have a dark blue cover, and contain 28 pages. You can get a us passport card, whether or not you currently hold a passport book.
If youre a citizen of the united states, and youre 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. Passport card department of foreign affairs and trade. If you lose your passport book you still have your passport card and vice versa. If you have not made travel plans and dont have a proof of itinerary, dont worry, we. How a passport card differs from a passport book dmv. To apply for or renew both the book and card, check the appropriate box at the top of the form to.
I recently got my very first united states passport, and i got a passport card at the same time. If i already have a passport book, can i use the ds82 to get a passport card. It is smaller and more convenient to carry than a passport book, and it is less expensive to obtain. I have a passport card but need a passport book to travel. If you already have a passport book, you do not need a passport card to travel internationally. 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. There is a place on the application to check whether you want to apply for a passport card, passport book or both. For,these people, it is just a wasting of money to get a passport book. You will also need a new passport photo, a completed ds82 if. If you already have a passport book, you might be able to apply for your very first passport card by mail. Although, keep in mind, while both can be used as forms of id when traveling, the passport card has some restrictions. I will be needing to get a passport book within the next couple of years so i can travel to barbados.
It fits in most wallets, and is more resistant to damage as it does not have any pages. A us passport allows you to travel anywhere in the world by plane, car, or boat. However, if youd like to get a passport card still, you can apply by completing the ds82 passport renewal form. You may receive your newlyissued passport card and your citizenship documents in two separate mailings. It was designed for people who travel frequently between the u. Your old passport card will be marked cancelled by having one corner clipped off. Your passport book would need to be surrendered if the application is made by mail. The primary justification i had for doing so was tha. I have a passport card, but also need a passport book for overseas. What is a us passport card, and how can you get one. I have a passport card but need a passport book to travel to barbados. I suggest you get the card since you are going on a cruise. First of all, the passport book contains many pages designated for visa stickers and stamps, while the passport card, on the other hand, is a credit cardlike id.