What is the difference between a passport book and card

But the passport book that most Americans are familiar with isn't the only kind of travel document available in the US — there's also the passport card, which is made of plastic and is about the size of a credit card.

The biggest difference between a passport book and passport card is that passport cards are only valid to enter Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and Caribbean countries and territories see the full list below and can only be used at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry. If you're traveling by airplane, you'll need to use a passport book no matter what.

Check out the differences between the two types of passport using the graphic below, and scroll down for the full list of countries and territories that will accept your US passport card. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options.

Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money. Countries around the world are reopening their borders to qualified international travelers. For example, Canada is now welcoming visitors if they meet the fully-vaccinated traveler exemption. For international travel, the U. Department of State issues two types of official governmental documents: the passport book and the passport card. A passport book is a small booklet available to U.

For travelers age 16 or older at the date of issue, the books are valid for 10 years. Younger travelers are given passports that are valid for five years.

Each passport book is assigned a unique number. The first page of a passport contains your photo and personal information, including your full name, nationality, date of birth, place of birth, sex, the passport issue date and passport expiration date.

The rest of the book is filled with blank pages for immigration stamps and visas. Since , only electronic passports have been issued. These books contain an electronic chip that stores the information on the first page, a biometric identifier of your passport photo, a chip identification number and a digital signature. The passport card is also available to U. Passport cards are valid for the same durations as passport books.

The passport card fits a standard wallet card slot and contains your photo, full name, nationality, date of birth, place of birth, issue and expiration dates, plus your unique passport card number. The card also has built-in Radio Frequency Identification which can be used in Ready Lanes at Canadian and Mexican land borders for faster entry.

We compare the two to help you decide which type of ID is best for you. Like a driver's license, a U. Passport books are larger and filled with blank pages used for visas and stamps anytime you enter and exit a country.

The most important difference between U. You cannot use a passport card on cruises from international homeports. Even on a closed-loop sailing out of the U. To protect yourself against emergency situations, go with a passport book, which covers all international travel -- by air, sea or land. There's also a price difference. Both passport books and cards are valid for 10 years. Although not required on "closed loop" sailings, which call at foreign ports but sail roundtrip from the U.

Both passport cards and books are also acceptable on shore excursions -- such as the White Pass and Yukon Route train ride from Skagway, Alaska, and day trips to Anguilla from St. Maarten -- that require you to show ID because you will be crossing a land or sea border into a foreign country. Tip: During your cruise, keep your passport card or book in your cabin safe, and simply carry a photocopy of it when walking around in port, in case of an emergency. For travelers on tight budgets, who cruise roundtrip from the U.

A passport card also could be useful for Alaska cruises, as long as all border crossings into Canada are done by land or sea.