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.http://www.trcb.com/en-Us60Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:30:24 ESTCopyright 2012 Ben Pate, TRCB.com All Right Reservedhttp://www.trcb.com/travel/travel-and-leisure/border-trips-are-a-great-reason-to-get-an-expedited-passport-card-23144.htm<p>While passport documentation isrequired for the crossing of all borders now, an actual passport is notactually needed. When heading to places such as Mexico and Canada orsome cruises, an expedited passport card will more than do the trick.Anyone thinking that they are short on time and that the trip is atrisk can rest easy because there is a solution.</p><p>The passport card will allow passage to border trips such as Canadaand Mexico. This is a dramatic change from years past as the only IDthat was needed before was a drivers license or birth certificate.</p><p>Rules have changed, but exceptions are made for some trips that areclose to home. This is great news for casual travelers as the passportcard slips right into the wallet and there is no bulky passport book tocarry or possibly lose.</p><p>Applying for a passport card is much the same process as applyingfor a standard passport. Actually, all of the same forms are going tobe used. The entire process can be handled at a regional office or alocal post office that handles passport processing. Anyone not sure ofwhere to go can do a local Internet search and find a location nearthem.</p><p>There are, however, restrictions on a passport card that a travelerneeds to be aware of. The passport card is meant to be a replacementpiece of ID in situations where no ID was previously needed to crossthe border. Some will say that it makes no sense to issue somethingthat almost looks identical to a license, but there are plenty ofsecurity features in a passport ID that are not featured in a statedrivers license.</p><p>What makes the difference in the passport card is the electroniccoding and laser engraving that is featured as a security measure.While state ID&rsquo;s have come a long way, they are simply not as secure asthe process in which a passport card is created. These safety measurescannot be forged at this time and it is yet one more step to makingsure that the borders are indeed secure.</p><p>To get an expedited passport card, everything must be in order orthe process will be delayed. Something that some people do not realizeis that it is their responsibility to have the photo taken and readywhen they get to the passport office. In addition to that, proper IDand proof of citizenship must be gathered. The expedited service willalso require that an additional fee be paid.</p><p>When turning in all of the documentation and paperwork, make surethat everything is an original. It is also a safe bet to makeadditional copies of all of the forms of ID for your own records. Ifusing a mail in service, it is always best to use a major carrier anduse the overnight mailing. This ensures delivery and is much moresecure than randomly mailing out the documents</p>Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:31:25 ESThttp://www.trcb.com/travel/travel-and-leisure/border-trips-are-a-great-reason-to-get-an-expedited-passport-card-23144.htmTRCB.comTravel / Travel and Leisure