After I lost my passport (embarrassing, given my job as a travel editor), I’ve learned lots about travel IDs—including the differences between a passport book vs. card—in my quest to replace it and hopefully stop myself from losing it again. Allow me to share my hard-won wisdom.
In many situations, the right travel advice or recommendation is different for every traveler, depending on trip, taste, and other factors. But for travelers in the United States, the matter of passport books and passport cards is much more straightforward: Passport books are best for all types of international (and domestic) travel, while passport cards are best for travel to the Caribbean and land travel within North America.
Both require you to pay an application fee, so to get the best value for your money, I recommend picking up a passport book, first and foremost. It’s valid for all travel situations, wherever you’re going. Plus, with the change to Real ID rules for domestic travel fast approaching, it’s better to be covered in all ways possible. Domestically, passport cards are also compliant with Real ID rules, but they meet only certain international travel conditions and cannot cover you outside of those specific scenarios, which makes it less reliable for when those unpredictable travel snafus arise.
Read on for more intel on the pros and cons of a passport book vs. card, what you should get and why, and how to apply for one.
What is a passport book?
Passport books are the required form of identification for international travel by land, sea, or air. Issued by the US Department of State, they’re little booklets, five inches by about three inches, and blue in the US. (Check out the Passport Index to see what passports issued by other countries look like.) Passports are valid for 10 years if the holder is an adult; for 5 years if the holder is under 16 years old.
The ID page of a passport contains key information about the holder: their legal name, nationality, birth date, gender, place of birth, and photo, as well as the passport number and its dates of issue and expiration. While you’re abroad, it’s always handy to keep a printed photocopy of your passport’s ID page in case you happen to lose the passport book itself. (A lesson learned the hard way, for my part.)
Also, the most notable feature that separates passport books from cards: Passport books have blank pages (about 20 for standard booklets; more for larger-format passports) for the holder’s visas, the stamps and stickers a traveler receives from immigration offers when crossing borders.
Currently, applying for a new or replacement passport costs $165 for adults; and $135 for applicants under the age of 16.
What is a passport card?
Passport cards are similar in a few ways to passport books: They’re issued by the Department of State and valid for 10 years if the holder is an adult; for 5 years if the holder is under 16 years old. It also bears important information about the holder: their legal name, nationality, birth date, gender, place of birth, and photo, as well as the card’s number, and dates of issue and expiration.
The main difference between a passport card and a passport book is that a passport card does not grant the same travel mobility as a passport book. “The card is for U.S. citizens who travel by land and sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and Caribbean countries,” declares the State Department website. “The card is not valid for international travel by air and is cheaper than the passport book.”
A passport card is more portable (it fits in most wallets) and more affordable (fees are $65 for adults; $50 for travelers 16 years old or younger), but the advantages of a passport card stop there. Anywhere that accepts a passport card as travel documentation—say, Bermuda via cruise ship or Canada via car—also accepts passport books as a valid ID. Other destinations—Tokyo via plane, for example—will not accept a passport card.
Which is better: passport book vs. card?
Let’s start with the pros of both. Passport books and passport cards are similarly good for domestic travel because they are both compliant with Real ID rules. Both let you experience the joy of travel—but your leash, as it were, is shorter with a passport card because it lets you access some destinations, but not all.
A passport card might be right for you if its limitations do not inhibit your travel plans or desires. Maybe you constantly take road trips from upstate New York to Canada; a passport card will work just fine for you. If you’re going on a cruise in the Caribbean and would rather save the $100 difference in passport application fees, then a passport card will suffice.
That said, a passport book can do all that and more. It is valid in all possible travel situations, and would be a lifesaver if your passport card-related travel plans go belly-up and you have to, say, cut your cruise short and fly back from Jamaica early due to an emergency. The extra cost for a passport book is a worthy investment in being a ready-for-anything traveler.
And besides, once you have a passport book, you can request a passport card for free. You just have to go through the application process again. In a way, getting a passport book is like getting two forms of travel ID for the price of one.
How to apply for a passport book or a passport card
Through the US Department of State website, the application process for a passport book and a passport card are the same—you just have to check off on the form which one you want. If you’re applying for your first-ever passport, you’ll need some documents, a passport-appropriate photo, and a visit to a passport acceptance facility.
For renewals, the process can be done by mail. To replace a lost or stolen passport, you’ll need to make an appointment to visit a passport office. It can take up to eight weeks or more for a routine passport application process. For a fee, you can expedite the process; for urgent and life-or-death situations, you can get your passport much more quickly but you’ll need to make an appointment.
It can take a long time to get a passport—especially after backlogs of applications—so always plan ahead, regardless of whether you get a passport book or a passport card. Getting a passport is a really cool milestone in the lives of many travelers, so no matter your choice, your world is sure to open up and your horizons will broaden. Just remember to double-check you have your passport before you get off the plane.
