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The U.S. Department of State issues two types of international identification for travelers: the passport book and a more economical version without visa pages, known as the passport card.
Although these options can be applied for together or separately, each is used for a specific purpose, and they are not equivalent in scope.
Passport card: the international identification that does not accept visas and fits in a wallet
According to the details provided by the official information, the card is a version of the U.S. passport that, as its name indicates, is the size of a plastic card and has no space for visas.
This document serves as proof of U.S. citizenship and identification for many procedures (for example, to fly within the country without a Real ID driver’s license) and is mainly intended for Americans who travel by land or sea to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and some Caribbean countries.
What is the main difference between the passport card and the passport book?
It is essential to consider that the passport card will never be accepted for international flights, and for this purpose, you must choose the passport book.
In addition, it is much cheaper: the card costs 65 dollars for those over 18, considering the two types of payment that must be made, while the passport book for the same age has a total cost of 165 dollars.
How to apply for the passport card
To obtain this document, the same forms and procedures are used as for the passport book; only the applicant must select during the process whether they want a book, a card, or both documents. If applying for the first time, it will be necessary to:
- Fill out all the fields of Form DS-11
- Print it
- Have proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate (it can only be presented in physical form)
- Have a valid photo ID
- Make a photocopy of the proof of citizenship and the ID
- Have an acceptable photograph for the application
- Submit the application to an authorized center
Like the passport book, the passport card is valid for up to 10 years for adults and 5 years for those under 16.