Can you use a passport card to fly internationally?
You may not have heard about the U.S. passport card before. The passport card cannot be used for international air travel, but it is still a great ID to have in your wallet. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) accepts the passport card as ID for domestic flights.
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The U.S. passport card may only be used for international travel by land or sea between the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
Travel destinationThere are no limitations for destinations where you can use your passport book. Passport cards, however, can only be used going through a land border or seaport in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
The passport card was designed with the northern and southern U.S. border communities in mind. Residents near the border travel frequently by land into the nearby countries. The passport card allows them to travel easily to and from the nearby countries by land and by sea.
The most important difference is that passport books are accepted for all forms of international travel to all international destinations, whereas passport cards are only acceptable for land and sea transportation to Canada, Mexico, Caribbean countries, and Bermuda.
The Issue Date of your passport can be found on the data page of your passport book or on the front of your passport card. Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met.
Passport cardHowever, it's important to note that passport cards can only be used for land or sea travel between the United States and Canada—they will not be accepted as an appropriate form of identification for international flights.
The U.S. passport book and U.S. passport card are both accepted as ID for domestic flights. You may not have heard about the U.S. passport card before. The passport card cannot be used for international air travel, but it is still a great ID to have in your wallet.
Keep in mind that you can only use a passport card as ID to cruise if your trip is closed-loop. A closed-loop cruise begins and ends in the same U.S. port. If your cruise does not begin and end in the same U.S. port, you can't use a passport card as your boarding document.
U.S. citizens will not be allowed to use their expired U.S. passport for direct return to the United States after June 30, 2022. If a U.S. citizen overseas has an expired U.S. passport, please contact your nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to apply for a U.S. passport.
If you are traveling when you run out of passport pages, you will still likely be able to return to the U.S., but you won't be able to continue on to other countries. If you need to travel on to other countries and are running out of pages while abroad, you should visit the local U.S. embassy or consulate.
But, you have to keep in mind the limitations on a passport card. You're restricted to traveling to 20 countries and only by land or sea. Also, you cannot use your passport card for international air travel, only as ID for domestic air travel. The passport booklet represents a universal travel option for U.S. citizens.