frenquently asked questions

THE PASSPORT CARD

Q:  What is the passport card?
A:  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.

Q:  Why can't I use the passport card to fly to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda?
A:  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.

Q:  Didn't Congress just pass a law delaying passport requirements for land border crossings and sea travel until June 2009?
A:  Questions about the implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) must be referred to the Department of Homeland Security, which is the federal agency charged with deciding and implementing the documentary requirements.  Our role in WHTI is to produce passport books and passport cards for international travel.  Please check the Department of Homeland Security website at http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/crossingborders/index.shtm for the latest information on travel document requirements.

Q:  Does the passport card contain an electronic chip?
A:  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.

Q:  Won't this chip violate Americans' privacy?
A:  There will be no personal information written on the electronic chip itself.  The chip will have only a unique number linking the card to a stored record contained in secure government databases.

Q:  How secure is the card?
A:  The Department has decided to use laser engraving and other state-of-the-art security features to mitigate against the possibility of counterfeiting and forgery.  In
addition, the card will be issued with a protective sleeve that will prevent the card from being read when not in use.

We 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.

Q:  What is RFID Technology?
A:  Radio Frequency Identification technology (RFID) has been used successfully along our land borders with Canada and Mexico since 1995 in the Department of Homeland Security's trusted traveler programs, such as NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST.  U.S. border officials are able to expedite legitimate cross-border travel and trade of those trusted travelers who carry membership cards with vicinity read RFID chips that link to government databases. Membership in these programs currently exceeds 400,000. RFID technology has been commercially available in one form or another since the 1970s.  It can be found in car keys, highway toll tags, bank cards and security access cards. The Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, who staff the ports of entry, anticipate that the passport cards will allow CBP officers, in advance of the traveler's arrival at the inspection booth, to quickly access information on the traveler from secure government databases, and allow for automated terrorist watch list checks without impeding traffic flow.  In addition, they foresee that multiple cards can be read simultaneously, and at a distance, allowing an entire car of people to be processed at once.

The RFID technology embedded in documents will not include any personally identifying information; only a unique number that can be associated with a record stored in a secure government database will be transmitted.

Q:  When will the passport card be available?
A:  We anticipate that the passport card will be available sometime in the Spring of 2008.  However, as of February 1, U.S. citizens can apply in advance for their passport cards.  At this time, we cannot give a specific date as to when production will begin on the passport card.  We will continually update our website, http://travel.state.gov, with information on the production start date.

Q:  Why are you accepting applications for the passport card before it is being produced?
A:  We are aware that some Americans, particularly along the borders, will want to have the passport card as soon as it is available.  For those customers, we want to give them the opportunity to apply for it in advance.

Q:  Where do I apply for a passport card?
A:  First-time applicants for a passport card can apply at any one of our 9,300 Passport Application Acceptance Facilities across the United States, or at any U.S.
embassy or consulate abroad.  Applicants can locate a facility nearest to them by checking our website at http://travel.state.gov.

Q:  Can I apply for the passport card and passport book at the same time using the same application?
A:  Yes, if an individual is applying in the United States.  For a temporary period, individuals applying at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad for a passport and a passport card must complete two separate applications, as we finalize computer systems adjustments overseas for the new passport card.  Individuals applying at a U.S. embassy or consulate on a form that must be executed by a consular official would pay a single execution fee.

Q:  What documents will I need in order to apply for a passport card?
A:  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 U.S. passport book.  Applicants must provide documents which attest to their U.S. citizenship and identity.  Guidance on acceptable documentation is available at travel.state.gov.

First-time adult and all minor applicants under the age of 16 will need to submit a completed Form DS-11 "Application for a U.S. Passport," 2 photos, acceptable evidence of citizenship, acceptable evidence of identity, the application fee for the passport card, and the execution fee.  These applicants must apply in person at a Passport Application Acceptance Facility in the United States, or at any U.S. embassy or consulate abroad.

Adult applicants with full-validity passports can apply for the passport card by mail by submitting Form DS-82 "Application for a U.S. Passport By Mail," 2 photos, full-validity  passport issued within the last fifteen years, and the passport card application fee.  Please check our website, http://travel.state.gov for complete details on applying for the passport card.  The valid passport will be returned to the passcard applicant uncancelled.  If it is a mail-in, the reviewing official will return the
passport after verifying it so the citizen would be without a passport for the shortest amount of time possible to complete the transaction.

Q:  How much will the passport card cost?
A:  For first time applicants, the passport card will cost $45 for adults and $35 for children under the age of 16.  These prices include the execution fee of $25.  Adults
with full-validity passports issued within the last fifteen years can apply for the card by mail using Form DS-82, at a cost of $20.

Q:  Why is there an execution fee for the passport book?
A:  First-time applicants, applicants under the age of 16, and those seeking to replace a lost or stolen passport must appear in person before a person authorized by the Secretary of State to give oaths to verify their passport applications.   The execution fee is collected in order to cover the costs of providing this service.  In order to offer American citizens convenient locations to apply for a passport, the Department of State authorizes Passport Acceptance Agents to accept passport applications on its behalf.  The execution fee is to reimburse the acceptance
facilities for the cost of the service, which provides an incentive for them to act on behalf of the Department of State.  Effective February 1, 2008, the execution fee per application was reduced from $30 to $25.  Applicants applying for both the passport book and card simultaneously will pay only one execution fee.

Q:   How did the Department of State decide on the cost of the passport card?
A:  Our fees reflect the cost of providing passport services to the American public.  The Department of State employs an independent consultant to conduct periodic and regular cost of service studies to determine the cost of providing consular services.  The most recent cost of service study indicated that the Department could issue a passport card at $20 for an adult and $10 for a child.  With the execution fee of $25, the total cost for an adult is $45 for an adult, $35 for a child.  This fee amount for an adult translates to 37.5 cents per month over a ten year period.

Q:  Will diplomatic, official, or no-fee cards be issued?
A:  No.

Q:  How long will it take to receive a passport card?
A:  Once the passport card is being produced, the processing and issuance time will be the same as for the passport book.  For instance, the current turnaround time for routine service passports is 4 to 6 weeks.  Up-to-date processing times are available at http://travel.state.gov.

Q:  For applicants who apply for the card before it is in production, will the issuance date list the date of adjudication or the date of printing?
A:  The earliest issuance date printed on a card will be the first day of actual card production.  Cards adjudicated after the first day of card production will list the date of adjudication as the issuance date, as is current practice with the passport book.

Q:  Will the payment of one $60 expedite fee serve to expedite both the passport book and passport card, if applied for at the same time in the United States?
A:  Currently the passport card is not in production.  Once the passport card is in production then only one $60 expedite fee for the passport card and passport book will be collected if applied for at the same time in the United States.  If the passport card and passport book are applied for at different times, and the applicant wants
expedited service for both, he or she would need to pay separate $60 expedite fees.

Q:  If an applicant already has a full-validity adult passport book issued within the last fifteen years, what form should be used to apply for a passport card?
A:  The applicant can apply for the passport card using either Form DS-82 or Form DS-11.  If the applicant chooses to apply using a DS-82, he/she must submit, along with the application, the full-validity passport issued within the last fifteen years, 2 passport photos, and payment to the Department of State in the amount of $20.

If the applicant chooses to apply using a DS-11, he or she must submit a completed Form DS-11 "Application for a U.S. Passport", 2 photos, evidence of citizenship and identity, the application fee for the passport card and the execution fee.  These applicants must apply in person at a Passport Application Acceptance Facility or at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad.  Personal appearance may be preferable if the applicant has frequent international
travel and needs to have his or her passport book returned immediately while waiting for the passcard to be issued.

Q:  Will limited validity passport cards be issued?

Q:  Can Forms DS-64, "Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport," and DS-86 "Statement of Non-Receipt of a Passport," be used for the passport card?
A:  Yes.

Q:  How should an applicant completing Form DS-64 indicate what was lost or stolen, i.e., passport book, passport card, or both?
A:  The applicant should indicate what was lost or stolen (i.e., passport book, passport card or both) in Section 2 "Lost or Stolen Passport Information" where it asks how, where and on what date did the loss or theft take place.

Q:  Will reporting a lost or stolen passport book or card invalidate both the book and the card?
A:   No.  Only the lost or stolen item(s) (book, card or both) reported on the DS-64 will be invalid for travel.

Q:  How many photos are required when applying for the passport card?
A:  Two photos are required, the same as for a passport book.

Q:   How many photos are required when applying for both the passport book and passport card?
A:  Two photos are required for each passport application form.

Q:  Can the passport card be used as evidence of identity and citizenship to apply for passport book?
A:   Yes.

Q:  Where will the passport cards be printed?
A:  Initially, passport cards will be printed only at the Arkansas Passport Center (CA/PPT/APC).  Card printers will be rolled out to passport agencies/centers at a future time, enabling them to print the card.

Q:  Can an applicant pay a $60 file search fee to apply for the passport card?
A:  Yes.  The same procedures apply as for a passport book.

Q:  Will requests for the reissuance of a passport card (e.g., to correct an error or change a name) require additional photos?
A:   Yes, the procedure is the same as for a passport book.  Two photographs will be required.

Q:  If an applicant applies for a passport card using a passport book and owes child support, do we retain the passport book for both DS-11 and DS-82 applications?
A:  Yes, until the applicant resolves the child support issues and we are notified of that by the Department of Health and Human Services.  See 7 FAM 1387.

Q:  Can an applicant who initially applied for just a passport card subsequently upgrade the application and also request a passport book, or vice versa?
A:  Yes.   This procedure is similar to an upgrade request for expedited service.  The passport agency/center or U.S. embassy/consulate abroad will need to collect the additional appropriate fees.

Q:  Does an applicant need to pay for the passport book and passport card separately?
A:  No.  An applicant may make one payment for a passport book and passport card if applying for both at the same time on one application.

Q:  Will the passport book and passport card have the same number?
A:  No.

Q:   Does an acceptance facility need to make separate entries on the transmittal for a customer who is applying?
A:  No.

Q:  How will the passport card be delivered to applicants living in Mexico or Canada?
A:  Select Mexican and Canadian posts are in the process of downloading the Travel Document Issuance System (TDIS) and learning how to use it for data entry of applications for passport cards.  This workaround will allow high-volume posts to keep up with the anticipated passport card demand by entering data directly into TDIS (instead of the overseas ACS system).

Canadian posts will enter all the passport application data with a return address allowing First Class Mail to the applicants' U.S. or Canadian home address.

Posts in Mexico will enter the US-based post address for return of the card to post by First Class Mail.  Mexican posts will then arrange for delivery of the cards to the applicants when they receive them from CA/PPT/APC.  This process is a temporary work around.

Q:  What are the renewal requirements for the passport card?
A:  Adult applicants with passport cards can renew the passport card by mail by submitting Form DS-82 "Application for a U.S. Passport By Mail," 2 photos, full-validity passport card issued within the last fifteen years, and the passport card application fee.  Please check our website, http://travel.state.gov, for complete details on applying for the passport card.

PASSPORT FORMS AND PASSPORT BOOK FEES

Q:  When will the new passport forms be posted on the website?
A:  February 1, 2008.

Q:  What are the new fees for the passport book?
A:  First time adult applicants must pay the $55 passport book application fee, the $20 security surcharge, and a $25 execution fee, for a total of $100.

Minor applicants under the age of 16 must pay the $40 passport book application fee, the $20 security surcharge, and a $25 execution fee, for a total of $85.

Adult applicants applying to renew their passport must pay the $55 passport book application fee and the $20 security surcharge, for a total of $75.00.  No execution fee is collected for renewal applications.

Q:  Will the change in passport fees affect applications already in process prior to February 1?
A:  No.

Q:  Can an applicant submit an old form if applying for a passport card?
A:  No.

TWO PARENT CONSENT

Q:   When are minors required to execute and sign the DS-11?
A:  Effective on February 1, 2008, two-parent consent is required for minors under the age of 16.  Minors age 16 to 18 are required to execute and sign the DS-11.  Minors under the age of 16 will no longer be required to execute the DS-11.

Q:  Will there be a "grace" period for applications from minors over the age of 14 and under the age of 16 who have not submitted consent from both parents?
A:  No.  Applications executed prior to February 1 but adjudicated after February 1 will be accepted under the regulations in effect on the date of execution of the application.  However all applications executed on or after February 1 are required to comply with the new regulations effective February 1.