Our guide will show you the uses and advantages of each document, and will help you figure out which one is best for you, or if you should have both. Passport requirements for visiting popular countries. The us passport card allows you to enter the united states from canada, mexico, the caribbean, and bermuda at sea ports of entry, land border crossings and is more convenient and cheaper than a passport book. A us passport card to use for travel to mexico can be obtained in person at us post offices and by mail from the us passport agency. Passport requirements costa rica forum tripadvisor.
Aug 10, 2012 passport cards and passport books are no exception. Passport book is valid for air, land and sea travel. The card provides a smaller, more convenient, and less expensive alternative to the passport book for those who travel frequently to these destinations by land or sea. For the love of physics walter lewin may 16, 2011 duration. I hear easter time holy week is a busy time in costa rica. A passport card is a walletsized, real idcompliant identification card. The costa rica embassy and us state department sites say that passports only need to be valid presumably unexpired for one day after arrival in costa rica provided you have a return ticket to the u. Yes, if you have a passport card, you can obtain a passport book at any time.
A passport book commonly called a passport, is used for travel anywhere in the world by air, land sea. Most us passports have a dark blue cover, and contain 28 pages. The passport book vs card question is one you may have if you are a firsttime international traveler. Of the internal pages, 17 are blank pages marked visas. A now my boyfriend and his mother travel to costa rica a and the two of them just have passports. Difference between passport book and passport card can be a new subject to you if you are not a citizen of the united states of america. It was designed for people who travel frequently between the u. Passport book is valid for international travel by air, sea, or land. The passport card is a cheaper alternative to the passport book.
May 15, 2014 i am trying to apply for a passport to go to costa rica, but when i read over the application it states that i need a passport card if i am traveling outside the u. What to look for and consider when choosing a travel provider or tourist service. For canadians reading this posting, i received the following two emails in august 20 from different staff members located in the costa rica embassy in ottawa, canada 1. The passport card is only for land and sea travel, which means there is no way travelers can use the passport card to board a plane. If you invest in the card, instead of the book, be prepared to live with that decision for that period. Here is a table showing the principal differences between a passport book and a passport card. Can only be used in land and sea travels, not by air. You are not limited to how or where you travel if you obtain a passport book. A passport book and a passport card serve the same purpose of attesting to your u.
Differences between a passport book and passport card. If for any reason you decide to travel outside the covered countries, you will still need a regular passport. May 10, 2010 on the other hand, the us passport card is only accepted as a u. Click the link below for a complete list of requirements.
If you mean a mexican passport card for use by mexican citizens. Any us citizen wishing to travel internationally via air must have a passport book. Of the internal pages, 17 are blank pages marked visas that are meant for travel visas and country entry and exit stamps. Passports in costa rica of mexico and central america. Carry or not your passport around once in costa rica tripadvisor. Travelers in costa rica are not required to carry their original documents with them at all times, although you must. Passport card is wallet sized document while passport book size is 5. The united states passport card is an official identity and limited travel document issued by the united states federal government in the size of a credit card. The information submitted must match the identity of the applicant. On the other hand, the us passport card is only accepted as a u. What about a permanent resident looking to go to costa rica in a few months from now, what would i need. The passport book and the passport card have the same validity which is 10 years for children 15 years old or younger, the validity is only 5 years. All american citizens are required to present a valid passport to exit and reenter the united states. The passport card shares the same validity period as the passport book.
Visa not required for those of turkish origin holding foreign passport and a national id card issued by turkey. With my well over 60 years living in costa ricaeven as a former police many years ago during oscar arias time in office i have had never. Yes, a passport book is required to enter costa rica. Can you upgrade from a passport card to a passport book. The passport booklet may be the widelyused choice, but u. Whats the difference between a passport book and a passport. The passport card is the size of a drivers license and is used for convenience as it is smaller and cheaper than the passport book. North korea kuwait holders of confirmation from the transporting carrier that visa is available upon. Children under 18 may travel with a joint passport with their parents, legal guardians or travel companion. Passport book vs passport card difference and comparison.
Embassies and tourist offices british embassy in costa rica telephone. Just because you thing your passport is valid and the u. Generally speaking, when someone is thinking about a passport, chances are good that they are thinking about a passport book. For your convenience, you have several options to choose from to track the location of your passport. There are very important differences between the passport card and the passport book. Where is my us passport book number located on my passport. I mean when i askedhim the other day he didnt even know what a passport card was. Here is a table showing the principal differences between a. For entry into costa rica, you must present a valid passport that will not expire for at least the duration of your stay and a roundtripoutbound ticket.
The passport card is smaller when compared to the size of passport book. My question is, wouldwill a passport card be equally acceptable to present as a passport book in any type of type of situation where id is required by the authorities once already in the country. Passport card vs passport book americas central america. How a passport card differs from a passport book dmv.
The passport card is a walletsize travel document that can only be used to reenter the united states at land bordercrossings or portsofentry by sea from canada, mexico, the caribbean, and bermuda. The us passport card is a credit cardsized identification document. Aside from the size, a passport book and a passport card difference is that the latter cannot be used when traveling abroad via air, the passport book is required. Passport book and passport card are two terms that are often used these days by many citizens of the united states who are applying for a passport for the first time. In other words, just show up and theyll let you in unless interpol or the fbi is after you or there are other extenuating circumstances. The passport card is good for 10 years, just like a regular passport.
Difference between passport book and passport card compare. The passport card can be used only to reenter the u. I am trying to apply for a passport to go to costa rica, but when i read over the application it states that i need a passport card if i am traveling outside the u. Passport and citizenship in costa rica costa rica is one of the oldest democracies in the americas. Some people are confused with the differences between a passport book and a passport card. You must have the original copies of all required documents. This is because a passport book is the booklet containing information about the person to whom it has been issued, which is in addition to a number of blank pages that can be used for travel visas as well as the stamps when said individuals enters and exits a country. Holding an old iraqi passport, residence card or identity card are considered sufficient proof of iraqi origin. The difference between a passport book or card getaway usa. The united states passport card is an official identity and limited travel document issued by the.
It may often be used as an identity card for purposes other than international travel, such as domestic air travel. What is the differences between passport book vs passport. Citizenship by investment get second passport in costa rica. To apply for or renew both the book and card, check the appropriate box at the top of the form to. Both documents are valid for 10 years for adults 16 and older, and 5 years for those under the age of 16. The passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your stay. Both of these documents give you the ability to travel outside of the country. To make sure, check for a number that was preprinted, when the blank document was created, at the foot of the inside back cover. Your passport must be valid at least 1 calendar day beyond the date that you enter costa rica. One is a passport book, the traditional passport with the pages that get stamped. A passport book provides valid identification for any national or international travel. Whats the difference between a passport book and a. Passport book vs passport card i f youve wondered what the difference is between a passport book and a passport card, youve come to the right place.
A passport book functions in all ways a passport card is used and there is no need to obtain a passport card if you already have a passport book. If you are entering jamaica by sea, you may use a passport card or a passport book, but passport books are preferred because entry officials may not be familiar with the us passport card. You cannot use a passport card when traveling by air internationally. Renting a car and have read that you need to carry your passport at all times. Your passport book allows you to travel by land, by sea, or by air.
As passport books allows more activities as compare to passport card so they tend to cost more as well. However, the passport book is valid for all forms of travel. I am baffled by the ambiguous information on passport requirements for entry into costa rica. What is the difference between a passport book and. A passport card is cheaper than a passport book, but cant be used for air travel and is only valid in canada, mexico, bermuda, and the. The fee to obtain a passport card and passport book also changes. In order to visit costa rica, you need a valid passport from your country of citizenship. It is a country proud of its heritage and tradition of negotiation over confrontation, social development over military spending and tolerance over hostility. However, each of these items comes with certain restrictions regarding when you can use them. See below the differences between a passport book vs. Because of possible fines levied by costa rican immigration, many airlines will not permit passengers without proof of onward travel to board flights to costa rica unless they have. Your documents will be delivered to the address you provided when you scheduled your interview appointment.
Our visa and passport information is updated regularly and is correct at the time of publishing, we strongly recommend that you verify critical information unique to your trip with the relevant embassy before travel. As of 1 october 2019, costa rican citizens had visafree or visa on arrival access to 150 countries and territories, ranking the costa rican passport 27th overall and first among central american countries, in terms of travel freedom according to the henley passport index. Do i need a passport and passport card to travel to costa. Costa rica plans to begin issuing biometric passports by 2020.
However, the passport card cannot be used for travel by plane. The passport card contains a radio frequency identification chip as well as the traditional photograph and personal information found in a passport book. What are the benefits of the passport book vs passport card. Feb 12, 2019 the passport card is the size of a drivers license and is used for convenience as it is smaller and cheaper than the passport book. Passport holders from all of the countries listed below are allowed entry into costa rica for a maximum of 90 days nonrenewable without obtaining a consular visa in advance. If you are flying to jamaica, you must have a passport book with one blank page marked visas. The passport must be valid for at least thirty days from the date of arrival in costa rica. Passport books are likely what you think of when you imagine a passport a bookletstyle identification and travel document. You should carry a photocopy of your passport and of the costa rican immigration entry stamp at all times. Would prefer to leave the passport safely back in our room. Can be used for international travel via land, sea, or air. The other is the passport card, which is just like a drivers license. To apply for or renew both the book and card, check the appropriate box at the top of the form to indicate that you would like to apply for both products. You can apply for both a passport book and passport card at the same time using either form ds11 apply in person or form ds82 renew by mail must be eligible.
Canada, mexico, bermuda, and 17 island nations of the caribbean. A valid canadian passport is required for canadians intending to visit costa rica. Passport card is also valid for international travel but by land or sea only. As for the context of my question, i am a recent us college graduate who will be going to costa rica in january for a yearlong esl contract. Is a passport card valid for travel to costa rica, or is a book required. Both passport books and cards are valid for 10 years, so if it fits your travel plans, the passport card can be a cheaper alternative. Also, you may not be able to board to a plane, with a oneway flight to costa rica, due to onward travel requirements for cr, and the airline enforces the rules, so unless you produce a flight out of cr, within the 90 days of a. Your us passport must be valid at the time of entry. Learn more about how a passport card differs from a passport book.
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