Renewing Pass Ports – Renewing One Can Be Easier Than You Would Believe

Most people are familiar with the traditional passport book that contains pages that are stamped upon entry to other countries. If the passport holder was over age 16 when the passport book was issued, it is good for ten years. If the holder was under age 16, the passport book is good for five years. When renewing passports, a person may want to consider obtaining a new passport card in addition to the passport book.

A passport card is more compact and much easier to deal with than the standard passport book. The wallet-sized card can be used for frequent travel across local borders such as Canada or Mexico. It is, however, not valid for air travel to any other countries. This means that a passport book will still be required, depending on the traveler’s destination, to enter or leave other countries by plane. A current passport holder can apply for the card by mail for a mere $20.00 more when renewing their passport book.

The passport card is available to all U.S. citizens, whether they hold a passport or not. Current passport holders can get theirs by mail but will need to meet certain criteria in order to do so. These criteria can be found by going online and searching it out. Once the search is completed and it is found that an individual does not meet the requirements they can still apply for the passport card, it simply must be done in person.

Whether it is the book or the card that is being applied for, they both take approximately the same amount of time to process and send. There is a 4 to 6 week wait time on the card or book for the standard service and if expedited is requested, this may be accomplished in 2 to 3 weeks. The expedited service, however, does carry an extra fee. While an individual can submit their application via overnight mail, the passport itself will only be returned by first class mail through the Post Office.

Each card contains a radio frequency ID chip and these can only be scanned locally by a special reader. These chips do not actually contain any personal information from the cardholder but rather link the card to a central database. The Border Patrol agents can scan the card from a close distance then access all of the pertinent information about the cardholder such as the picture and physical data.

The card comes with high-tech security features, including laser engraving, that prevent counterfeiting and forgery. The card also comes with a protective RFID-blocking sleeve that is used to protect against unauthorized reading or tracking of the card when it is not in use. The card is as secure as current technology permits.

The low cost of the card in addition to the passport book when getting a renewal can make this a great secondary form of travel identification. The card is not only for adults as minors are also eligible to apply for this when affecting their renewal process. There are, however, very strict guidelines that the minors must adhere to in order to receive one of these cards.

The process of Renewing US Passports has just gotten more attractive with the addition of the passport card option. The card has gained a lot of popularity with those individuals that frequently cross into Mexico or Canada for business and pleasure. The U.S. passport card is currently in use all over and there are over one million of these in circulation today.