- What is a passport card?
- Why can't I use the passport card to fly to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda?
- Does the passport card contain and electronic chip?
- How secure is the passport card?
- Where can I apply for a passport card?
- What documents will I need to get a passport card?
- How much does a passport card cost?
- Can a passport card be used to apply for the passport book?
The passport card is a wallet-size card that can only be used for land and sea travel between the United States and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. 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.
Why can't I use the passport card to fly to Canada, Mexico , the Caribbean or Bermuda?
The passport card is designed for the specific needs of the northern and southern border resident communities and is not a globally interoperable travel document as is the traditional passport book. While the passport card has limited use, the passport book will remain the premier internationally accepted travel document.
Does the passport card contain an electronic chip?
To facilitate the frequent travel of Americans living in border communities, and to meet the Department of Homeland Security’s operational needs along the land borders, the passport card will have a vicinity-read radio frequency identification (RFID) chip. With this technology, Customs and Border Protection inspectors will be able to access photographs and other biographical information stored in secure government databases before the traveler reaches the inspection station.
How secure is the passport card?
The Department of State has decided to use laser engraving and will include state-of-the-art security features to mitigate against the possibility of counterfeiting and forgery. In addition, to mitigate any possibility that the card could be tracked, it will be issued with a protective sleeve that will prevent the card from being read when not in use.
They are taking every care to ensure that this passport card is as secure as current technology permits. There will be no personal information written to the RFID chip.
Where can I apply for a passport card?
First time applicants can apply at any one of our 9,300 Passport Application Acceptance Facilities across the country. Additionally, you can use our passport card expediting service.
What documents will I need in order to apply for a passport card?
The passport card is a fully valid passport that attests to the U.S. citizenship and identity of the bearer. As such, the passport card is adjudicated to the exact standards as the passport book. Applicants must provide documents which attest to their U.S. citizenship and identity such as birth and naturalization certificates.
First time adult and minor applicants under the age of 16 will need to submit a completed Form DS-11 "Application for a U.S. Passport", 2 photos, evidence of citizenship, the application fee for the passport card and the execution fee. These applicants must apply in person at a Passport Application Acceptance Facility.
More details can be found on our standard passport card processing instructions page..
How much will the passport card cost?
For first time applicants, the passport card will cost $45 for adults and $35 for children under the age of 16, which includes the execution fee of $25. Adults with fully-valid passports issued within the last fifteen years can apply for the card by mail using Form DS-82, at a cost of $20. Our expedite fees are extra to the government fees.
Can the passport card be used to apply for the passport book?
Yes.
