When you travel out of the United States, you need to bring a US
passport with you, especially when visiting counties that require this
document. Typically, you'll bring your passport book, however, there are
destinations that allow you to use the passport card. These
destinations are part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
(WHTI), which includes Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Mexico. In
this article, we'll show you how to get a passport going to these
destinations.
First, though, what is a passport card? It is the
more convenient and more affordable alternative to the passport book.
This is a wallet-sized card that is significantly smaller than the
passport book.
If you're after convenience when traveling, then
you'll love the passport card. It has an embedded radio frequency
identification (RFID) chip that allows Customs officials to scan your
card without you needing to put it out. They will then be able to see
all the relevant information about you, all while the card stays in your
pocket or wallet.
This is also a cheaper alternative to the
typical passport book. The fee for applying for a passport card is only
about half of the passport book's price. However, the use of these cards
are only allowed for travel to the WHTI destinations by land or sea. If
you are going to travel to these destinations by air, you will then be
required to submit your passport book.
Now, how do you apply for
your card? Doing this depends if you already have a passport or not. If
you are already a passport holder, or if you already had a passport
before, then you can fill in Form DS-82, and submit it along with other
requirements you need to fulfill. Filling in the DS-82 allows you to
send your application for a passport card by mail.
However, if you
haven't had any passport before, then you will need to submit the Form
DS-11. Unlike the DS-82, you will have to submit this form in person to
the passport office. That's why it's important that you already
familiarize yourself with the requirements you need to submit even
before applying, so as to save you valuable time.
Since you can
only use passport cards to limited destinations, then chances are you're
also looking for the flexibility in travel that a passport book
provides you. The good thing is that you can apply for both a passport
card and a passport book. That way, you'll always have an option in
which of the two you'll use depending on where you're traveling. This is
best for those who regularly travel to various destinations, including
the members of the WHTI.
So if you're meaning to travel to the WHTI countries, then you'll benefit from having a passport card. It offers you convenience and a cheaper alternative to a regular US passport
book, which is a good thing if you're not going to do very heavy
traveling to varied destinations. Now you know how to get a passport
card.
