All Aboard for the Best About Cruising!

Anyone that holds and uses a passport knows that it entails having the pages stamped as each border is crossed in both directions. The standard passport has a life of 10 years for adults and 5 years for holders 16 and younger and renewing passports becomes an integral part of any holder’s experiences. The passport card can be received in lieu of or along with a standard passport.

Premiering in 2008, the passport card quickly became a great alternative to those travelers that frequently crossed the border into Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or the Caribbean. This is a wallet-sized card that has no pages to stamp and is good for the same period of time a standard passport is. Current passport holders can receive the card as a renewal option for the low fee of $20.00.

Any U.S. citizen may apply for a passport card, even if they do not already have a U.S. Passport. Someone who currently or previously had a passport book may be able to apply for a passport card via mail. The eligibility criteria for renewal via mail may be found via Internet search. When applying via mail, the person would complete a passport renewal form even if he or she is applying for the passport card for the first time. Those who never had a passport book or do not meet the requirements to apply via mail must apply in person.

Processing times for a passport are similar to those for passport books. Allow four to six weeks for standard processing or order expedited processing in order to receive the passport card within two to three weeks. An independent expediting service may be used for even faster processing. Passport cards must be shipped via first-class mail; they cannot be sent via overnight delivery.

Advancements in technology have made the card one of the most efficient methods of border identification available today. The RFID chip that is built in to the card allows the border personnel to scan an individual’s card and access all the necessary information regarding that person. The radio frequency ID chip can be read by the customs and border guards, giving the access to a secure database with the information, rather than it being contain on the card itself.

The card is designed to be as secure as physically possible by using state of the art laser engraving along with anti-counterfeit measures such as special colorings. The blocking sleeve that comes with each card prevents the card from being scanned or accessed when it is not in use. It is actually amazing the state-of-the-art security that is in place on this tiny card.

The $20.00 fee for the card, in addition to any others for the passport book when applying for a renewal, is an attractive feature in and of itself. Minors and adults alike are eligible to apply for this card when renewing their passports. The minors, however, have stricter guidelines when it comes to the card although the fee for theirs is lower than the one for the adults.

People in the process of Renewing USA Passports should seriously consider the addition of the card to the order. With over one million of these cards currently in circulation, this has quickly become a preferred means of quick identification for crossing close borders. While this is not meant to replace the American passport card book, for those that cross to Mexico or Canada frequently for business or shopping, it will be a much more convenient method.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 at 2:13 pm and is filed under Cruise Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.