So as not to get confused anymore, here a few points to remember on how to distinguish use of each. A passport card provides valid identification for national travel, but only provides valid identification for certain types of international travel. The passport card can be used only to reenter the u. North korea kuwait holders of confirmation from the transporting carrier that visa is available upon. 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. 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. Holding an old iraqi passport, residence card or identity card are considered sufficient proof of iraqi origin. Your canadian passport just has to be valid for the period of time you are planning to stay in costa rica, therefore, if you are planning to leave on february 2014 and it expires in july 2014 you wont have any problems. The passport booklet may be the widelyused choice, but u. 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.
The passport card contains a radio frequency identification chip as well as the traditional photograph and personal information found in a passport book. Learn more about how a passport card differs from a 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. You are not limited to how or where you travel if you obtain a passport book. However, each of these items comes with certain restrictions regarding when you can use them. If you are flying to jamaica, you must have a passport book with one blank page marked visas.
Passport card is also valid for international travel but by land or sea only. What is the difference between a passport book and. Just because you thing your passport is valid and the u. Passport book is valid for international travel by air, sea, or land. Both of these documents give you the ability to travel outside of the country. 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. To make sure, check for a number that was preprinted, when the blank document was created, at the foot of the inside back cover. However, the passport card cannot be used for travel by plane. Passport requirements costa rica forum tripadvisor. Whats the difference between a passport book and 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. Passport requirements for visiting popular countries.
Difference between passport book and passport card. Passport and citizenship in costa rica costa rica is one of the oldest democracies in the americas. Any us citizen wishing to travel internationally via air must have a passport book. Yes, if you have a passport card, you can obtain a passport book at any time. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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. A valid canadian passport is required for canadians intending to visit costa rica. The difference between a passport book or card getaway usa. The passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your stay. It is a country proud of its heritage and tradition of negotiation over confrontation, social development over military spending and tolerance over hostility. 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.
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. How a passport card differs from a passport book dmv. The us passport card is a credit cardsized identification document. 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. I mean when i askedhim the other day he didnt even know what a passport card was.
Your passport book allows you to travel by land, by sea, or by air. Click the link below for a complete list of requirements. If for any reason you decide to travel outside the covered countries, you will still need a regular passport. Here is a table showing the principal differences between a.
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. Passports in costa rica of mexico and central america. What to look for and consider when choosing a travel provider or tourist service. 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. A passport book provides valid identification for any national or international travel. Whats the difference between a passport book and a passport. Your us passport must be valid at the time of entry. Is a passport card valid for travel to costa rica, or is a book required. Carry or not your passport around once in costa rica tripadvisor. See below the differences between a passport book vs. 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.
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. For the love of physics walter lewin may 16, 2011 duration. Most us passports have a dark blue cover, and contain 28 pages. You should carry a photocopy of your passport and of the costa rican immigration entry stamp at all times. What about a permanent resident looking to go to costa rica in a few months from now, what would i need. Where is my us passport book number located on my passport.
I hear easter time holy week is a busy time in costa rica. 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. 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. Passport books are likely what you think of when you imagine a passport a bookletstyle identification and travel document.
A now my boyfriend and his mother travel to costa rica a and the two of them just have passports. Of the internal pages, 17 are blank pages marked visas. Passport book is valid for air, land and sea travel. The passport must be valid for at least thirty days from the date of arrival in costa rica.
If you invest in the card, instead of the book, be prepared to live with that decision for that period. Can you upgrade from a passport card to a passport book. Passport card vs passport book americas central america. In order to visit costa rica, you need a valid passport from your country of citizenship. Can only be used in land and sea travels, not by air. Travelers in costa rica are not required to carry their original documents with them at all times, although you must. The fee to obtain a passport card and passport book also changes. As passport books allows more activities as compare to passport card so they tend to cost more as well. Both documents are valid for 10 years for adults 16 and older, and 5 years for those under the age of 16. One is a passport book, the traditional passport with the pages that get stamped.
What is the differences between passport book vs passport. Renting a car and have read that you need to carry your passport at all times. May 10, 2010 on the other hand, the us passport card is only accepted as a u. Your passport must be valid at least 1 calendar day beyond the date that you enter costa rica.
However, the passport book is valid for all forms of travel. If you mean a mexican passport card for use by mexican citizens. 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. Passport card is wallet sized document while passport book size is 5. It was designed for people who travel frequently between the u. A passport card is a walletsized, real idcompliant identification card. You must have the original copies of all required documents. 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. The other is the passport card, which is just like a drivers license. The united states passport card is an official identity and limited travel document issued by the. 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. Yes, a passport book is required to enter costa rica.
Differences between a passport book and passport card. Your documents will be delivered to the address you provided when you scheduled your interview appointment. Passport book vs passport card difference and comparison. There are very important differences between the passport card and the passport book. I am baffled by the ambiguous information on passport requirements for entry into costa rica. Canada, mexico, bermuda, and 17 island nations of the caribbean. You cannot use a passport card when traveling by air internationally. Difference between passport book and passport card compare. 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. 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 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. Aug 10, 2012 passport cards and passport books are no exception. What are the benefits of the passport book vs passport card. The passport book vs card question is one you may have if you are a firsttime international traveler.
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 is a us passport card, and how can you get one. Would prefer to leave the passport safely back in our room. Of the internal pages, 17 are blank pages marked visas that are meant for travel visas and country entry and exit stamps. Here is a table showing the principal differences between a passport book and a passport card.
Costa rica plans to begin issuing biometric passports by 2020. All american citizens are required to present a valid passport to exit and reenter the united states. On the other hand, the us passport card is only accepted as a u. 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. The passport card is good for 10 years, just like a regular passport.
Visa not required for those of turkish origin holding foreign passport and a national id card issued by turkey. Some people are confused with the differences between a passport book and a passport card. 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. 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. 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. A passport book and a passport card serve the same purpose of attesting to your u. The information submitted must match the identity of the applicant. Jun 20, 2019 passport book is valid for international travel by air, sea, or land. Citizenship by investment get second passport in costa rica. The passport card shares the same validity period as the passport book. It may often be used as an identity card for purposes other than international travel, such as domestic air travel. 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.
A passport book commonly called a passport, is used for travel anywhere in the world by air, land sea. 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. Generally speaking, when someone is thinking about a passport, chances are good that they are thinking about a passport book. Do i need a passport and passport card to travel to costa. The passport card is a cheaper alternative to the passport book. Can be used for international travel via land, sea, or air. 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. The passport card is smaller when compared to the size of passport book. Place of birth in iraq or having iraqi parents does not prove being of iraqi origin.
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