Border Trips Are A Great Reason To Get An Expedited Passport Card
While passport documentation is
required for the crossing of all borders now, an actual passport is not
actually needed. When heading to places such as Mexico and Canada or
some cruises, an expedited passport card will more than do the trick.
Anyone thinking that they are short on time and that the trip is at
risk can rest easy because there is a solution.
The passport card will allow passage to border trips such as Canada
and Mexico. This is a dramatic change from years past as the only ID
that was needed before was a drivers license or birth certificate.
Rules have changed, but exceptions are made for some trips that are
close to home. This is great news for casual travelers as the passport
card slips right into the wallet and there is no bulky passport book to
carry or possibly lose.
Applying for a passport card is much the same process as applying
for a standard passport. Actually, all of the same forms are going to
be used. The entire process can be handled at a regional office or a
local post office that handles passport processing. Anyone not sure of
where to go can do a local Internet search and find a location near
them.
There are, however, restrictions on a passport card that a traveler
needs to be aware of. The passport card is meant to be a replacement
piece of ID in situations where no ID was previously needed to cross
the border. Some will say that it makes no sense to issue something
that almost looks identical to a license, but there are plenty of
security features in a passport ID that are not featured in a state
drivers license.
What makes the difference in the passport card is the electronic
coding and laser engraving that is featured as a security measure.
While state ID’s have come a long way, they are simply not as secure as
the process in which a passport card is created. These safety measures
cannot be forged at this time and it is yet one more step to making
sure that the borders are indeed secure.
To get an expedited passport card, everything must be in order or
the process will be delayed. Something that some people do not realize
is that it is their responsibility to have the photo taken and ready
when they get to the passport office. In addition to that, proper ID
and proof of citizenship must be gathered. The expedited service will
also require that an additional fee be paid.
When turning in all of the documentation and paperwork, make sure
that everything is an original. It is also a safe bet to make
additional copies of all of the forms of ID for your own records. If
using a mail in service, it is always best to use a major carrier and
use the overnight mailing. This ensures delivery and is much more
secure than randomly mailing out the documents
For years, people have been taking
advantage of the ability to freely cross borders to places such as
Canada without a passport. Because of the horrible events of the past
decade, the United States has had to shore up their border policies and
this is one of the changes that have been made. By using expedited
passport card services, that planned trip scan still go off without a
hitch.
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