V2-Is it safe to travel with a passport card?
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QUESTION: I just applied for a passport card for my trip to Canada. Am I safe using a passport card? Is a passport book safer for travel?
ANSWER: A passport card contains an RFID chip that has information of the traveler. The information that is in the RFID chip is photographs and biographical information. This information will retrieved from Government databases and the chip will not have any personal information that can potentially be skimmed.
A passport card is a document used to travel overseas more efficiently compared to using a traditional passport book. Any traveler to a country outside the United States besides Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Bermuda will have to present a valid United States Passport book when entering the country that is being traveled to, as well as returning to the United States. A passport card cannot be used as a compensating document to a passport book when a traveler goes on international travel.
An applicant can use the same form, DS-82 to apply for a renewal of their passport book when they apply for the passport card if necessary. On the other hand, if you cannot use form DS-82, then you will have to use form DS-11 to apply for a passport card. Form DS-11 will necessitate the applicant to appear in person at their local passport application acceptance facility in order to obtain their passport card.