Passport Card

[Condor]

Sometiome this spring the State Dept. will be issuing a passport card that can be used for land and sea travel when intering back into the US. I though for those going to VR II it might be something to think about getting. It might be easier to pull out a card than rummage around for a book. They haven't set an exact date yet as to when they'll be producing the plastic card, just that it'll be spring 2008, and you might want to wait until they actually do as you have to submit your current passport along with the app, and I wouldn't want to be without something. I called to get varification and you will get both a card and a new book. The cost is $20 bucks..... Here's the site to download and print up the app.

[nkbjones]

They are available now, they started on Feb 1. I will going to go get my sons next week so he'll be ready come July.

[Mariner Fan]

I don't get it. You have to submit your passport to get a passport?

[86er]

Somebody posted about this a few weeks ago with this site link. Do you have to have the passport first or will this be available as a stand alone? Can I get it without renewing my old passport? Spend 20 bucks instead of $100?

 

OOPS, Guess I should have read that more closely first!

 

[nkbjones]

I don't get it. You have to submit your passport to get a passport?

 

You don't have to have a passport to get the new passport card. You can get the card in place of a regular passport for a lot cheaper. You can also get a card if you already have a passport if you want to use it instead.

[Condor]

I don't get it. You have to submit your passport to get a passport?

 

Yeah. i guess they want you to prove you actually have one before issuing another, as in the case of the card, a duplicate. If you don't have a passport you can apply for a card and book at the same time.... just costs more.

The cards are not available at this time. You can apply for one now, but it'll be a while before you actually get it as they haven't even decided when to print them up yet. That's why I suggested if you already have a passport to hold on to it until they are actually available, or you could be stuck if you need to fly out of the country any time soon. If you don't have a passport, go for it now, but it'll be a while before you get it. Same goes for an expired passport. Apply now....

[Condor]

Somebody posted about this a few weeks ago with this site link. Do you have to have the passport first or will this be available as a stand alone? Can I get it without renewing my old passport? Spend 20 bucks instead of $100?

 

OOPS, Guess I should have read that more closely first!

 

 

The only way they're doing it is issuing them both at the same time. The bad news is if your's is expired you're gonna have to pay the piper. The good news is that a birth cert. and picture ID will still be good until the end of the year.

[Vance]

We just renewed our passports, and it took about 5 weeks to get the new ones. They even returned the old ones, but they have holes punched in them so the cannot be used any more.

My understanding with the passport cards is that they are NOT good for air travel. So if you are flying to the Caribbean or elsewhere, you will need a passport.

[Mariner Fan]

Yea, we just renewed ours as well. We don't need a card.

[nkbjones]

The only way they're doing it is issuing them both at the same time. The bad news is if your's is expired you're gonna have to pay the piper. The good news is that a birth cert. and picture ID will still be good until the end of the year.

 

I was just checking the State Dept and CBP websites and it appears that we will not need passports for the trip this summer.

 

If I can get away with it, I will just my sons birth certificate and save the money on the passport. Kids passports are only good for 5 years anyway.

[Condor]

Kids passports are only good for 5 years anyway.

 

I didn't know that.... Just checked the girls and...yep they're only good for 5 years. I guess they do that because of the facial and body changes over a short period of time.....

[nkbjones]

I spoke with an ICE agent at work today and he reaffirmed that the land travel requirements for a passport have been pushed back until 2009 sometime. That means that we can still use a DL and birth certificate for the Int'l rally.

[mraf]

Sure hope this is right because I for one will never get a passport. We're not sure if we are going to make the Int'l rally or not, we are planning another trip west about that time, but we'll see. If this is the answer to "secure" our borders and make travel between our borders mandatory. I guess thats it for me ever leaving the U.S.A.. Call it what you want but personally this is a ridiculous way to protect our borders. This requirement should be done at all entry points to "North America".

Passports were the norm years ago for travel between borders in Europe. But, correct me if I'm wrong, are not in use today. I fail to feel safe just because of a passport. To me just another tax. Paid enough. I know,I know "death and taxes" two things that never go away. There is more than enough of the USA for me to see yet.