Barring yet another delay, on June 1, 2009, U.S. Citizens over the age of 18 will need either a passport, or new passport card, to re-enter the U.S. even if they are only driving or walking across the border.
This new passport card has been available only since July, 2008, but the State Department has reported that over 740,000 Americans have applied for it.
The card was designed as a cheaper alternative to a regular passport for Americans living near the Canadian or Mexican border. It can also be used for cruising, as it allows entry back into the U.S. by land or sea. It can’t be used for air travel.
A first-time regular adult passport now costs $100 for ten years. Passports for children under 16 are $85, although the child’s is only valid for five years. Since the card costs only $45 for an adult, and $35 for a child, applying for one might seem to be a no-brainer for a family planning a cruise to the Caribbean or driving vacations to Mexico or Canada.
But before applying, here are a few things to think about to make sure it’s not a false economy.
First, even after June 1, 2009, children under 16 will still be able to travel by land or sea with a birth certificate, as will children ages 16 through 18 when traveling with a school or religious group, social organization, or sports team. So many children won’t even need the card.
For cruise travelers, many lines — even mass-market companies like Carnival and Royal Caribbean — are sailing itineraries out of nearby foreign ports. While you might regularly cruise from Florida or California, a discounted cruise starting from the Caribbean might be a tempting offer, ditto a Panama Canal cruise starting from Acapulco. But a passport card will not allow you to fly to those places, nor to Vancouver for an Alaska sailing.
With the heavy discounting in the travel industry these days, even travelers who think their budget might keep them close to home will find some very tempting deals out there. Having that real passport in hand means a lot more options, and the savings in traveling to Jamaica or the Dominican Republic, for example, can more than make up for that $100.00 passport cost. And Europe ski packages can actually cost less than a week in many American ski resorts. (Yes, there are ways to get a real passport quickly, but expedited fees start at $60 in addition to the regular cost, and that’s before potentially paying a passport service or considering the time it may take for going to the passport office.)
Also, and perhaps most importantly, if when planning a cruise, or a land vacation, consider the possibility of needing to come home early. If you find yourself, say, in inland Mexico or Canada, or at a cruise port with a health or other emergency, you want to have documentation that will allow you to get home.
Finally, while the State department allows travelers to get both the regular passport and passport card, it’s not like buying a one-day ticket at an amusement park where the price can be used toward a yearly pass. Although you will save $25 on the second document if you order both together, the government facility where you apply will only charge one “execution” fee.
If your reason for getting the passport card is simply saving money, be sure it really meets your needs. As most shoppers have discovered at some time in their lives, a bargain is no bargain if you later have to buy what you should have gotten in the first place.
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
