Both the passport book and passport card serve as proof of your U.S. citizenship and identity.
All Rights Reserved.Perkins was founding editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, one of the country's most influential travel publications, from which he retired in 1998. The passport book has plenty of pages for visas and arrival/departure stamps, while the passport card is a one-piece credit-card-sized ID card. First-time application fees total $145. You cannot use the passport card for international air travel, even when you re-enter the U.S. by land. Your passport book can be used in any situation where a passport card could be used, but you may find that it is convenient for you to also have a passport card. However, if you go to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean and would prefer a passport card, then you should apply for one. Overall. All Rights Reserved.PASSPORTINFO.COM is not operated, maintained by, or affiliated with any passport offices or government agencies. The U.S. State Department issues two versions of a passport: a traditional passport book and a passport card. “Why would you want both passport book and passport card when traveling overseas?” Many countries require you to keep your passport on your person at all times. The passport card can be used only to re-enter the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at a land border crossing or sea port-of-entry, although these areas generally accept it as valid ID for entry as well. You can get both a passport book and a passport card for $175. If you already only have the passport book, you can get the passport card as well when you apply for your next passport renewal. Continue Reading.
If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Passport Tips: Carry both the passport card and the passport book in case of an emergency and you need to fly home. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. This is a problem due to theft, or loss (as it is a funny size to easily carry, and can be damaged due to sweat or humidity or moisture), and more. Which you should get, passport book vs. passport card, depends on how you plan to travel and how much you want to pay for your travel documents.Be the first to discover secret destinations, travel hacks, and more.Obviously, it’s far more useful to have a passport book vs. passport card in most cases where you plan to travel internationally.
Both documents serve the same purpose of attesting to your U.S. citizenship and identity. Answer: A passport book and a passport card serve the same purpose of attesting to your U.S. citizenship and identity. However if you do a lot of traveling, which would include traveling to the countries that the card is valid for and also using the passport book to travel to countries which the card is not valid for, it may just be easier to keep the card i.
Your passport book can be used in any situation where a passport card could be used, but you may find that it is convenient for you to also have a passport card. If any of the following apply to you, you may want to obtain a passport card. But if your international travel consists entirely of surface trips in the limited areas covered by the passport card, the card is both cheaper and a tad more convenient to carry and use versus the passport book.A nationally recognized reporter, writer, and consumer advocate, Ed Perkins focuses on how travelers can find the best deals and avoid scams.Before editing Consumer Reports Travel Letter, Perkins spent 25 years in travel research and consulting with assignments ranging from national tourism development strategies to the design of computer-based tourism models.You can get both a passport book and a passport card for $175.The standard passport book covers all the bases: It’s all the U.S. government requires for you to enter a foreign country and re-enter the United States on your return trip. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. You're all signed up.Get Daily Travel Tips & Deals!Perkins' travel expertise has led to frequent television appearances, including ABC's "Good Morning America" and "This Week with David Brinkley," "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather," CNN, and numerous local TV and radio stations.We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews.
The passport card is not valid for air travel.
Passport cards are particularly useful for some people. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products.