The Department of State’s Office of Passport Services has launched a new, 90-day pilot program that will allow adult U.S. citizens who live in the U.S. or Canada to apply for their passport card online. These citizens will not be required to mail in their current passport book, nor will they need to submit required forms. This new process will minimize the cost and time associated with applying for a passport card.
The pilot program, which launched on January 24, 2012, is available for use by U.S. citizens who currently hold a valid 10-year U.S. passport book. Applicants apply through the online program, in which they must upload a digital photograph and make an online payment (using the federal online payment program, Pay.gov). Applications posted through this new pilot program will still face the same review as paper-submitted and in-person applications.
The passport card was first introduced in 2008 as a response to new requirements included in the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. In the past four years, over 4.5 million passport cards have been issued. A U.S. passport card costs $30 for people who currently have a passport book. It can be used to travel by land and sea to and from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda, but cannot be used for international air travel.
Visit travel.state.gov to apply for a passport card online.
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