The Department of State’s Office of Passport Services has launched a
new, 90-day pilot program that will allow adult U.S. citizens who live
in the U.S. or Canada to apply for their passport card online. These
citizens will not be required to mail in their current passport book,
nor will they need to submit required forms. This new process will
minimize the cost and time associated with applying for a passport card.
The pilot program, which launched on January 24, 2012, is available for
use by U.S. citizens who currently hold a valid 10-year U.S. passport
book. Applicants apply through the online program, in which they must
upload a digital photograph and make an online payment (using the
federal online payment program, Pay.gov). Applications posted through
this new pilot program will still face the same review as
paper-submitted and in-person applications.
The passport card was first introduced in 2008 as a response to new
requirements included in the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. In
the past four years, over 4.5 million passport cards have been issued. A
U.S. passport card costs $30 for people who currently have a passport
book. It can be used to travel by land and sea to and from Canada,
Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda, but cannot be used for international
air travel.
Visit travel.state.gov to apply for a passport card online
