If you’re planning an international trip anytime in the near future, you’ll have to obtain a U.S. passport. However, did you know you can select from two different types of U.S. passports depending on how and where you travel?

In particular, you can select the U.S. Passport Book for reentry into the United States from any country. Or you can obtain the U.S. Passport Card for a reduced fee if you only plan to travel by land or sea to and from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean nations.

In this article, we’ll go over the differences between the U.S. Passport Book and U.S. Passport Card. If you plan on traveling by air or anywhere outside of Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean nations you’ll need the U.S. Passport Book

Next, we’ll go over where the U.S. Passport Book will allow you to travel.

In general, a U.S. passport is a document issued by the federal government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity of the U.S. citizen. A U.S. passport, in and of itself, does not entitle the holder entry into another country. However, nearly every foreign country requires a passport of some kind for travel into its borders.

The passport required for most international travel is the U.S. Passport Book, which allows travelers the right to leave and return to the United States. In particular, if you plan on traveling to any countries other than Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean nations you’ll need to get the U.S. Passport Book. Also, if you travel by air to any country (including Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean nations), you’ll need the U.S. Passport Book. If you have ever seen a U.S. passport, you’ve probably seen the U.S. Passport Book.

So, chances are that you’ll need the U.S. Passport Book. However, if you only plan to travel by land or sea to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean nations you can purchase the U.S. Passport Card for your travels.

Next, we’ll go over the specifics of the U.S. Passport Card.

Congress passed the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. Congress passed the WHTI in an effort to better secure America’s borders. Prior to the WHTI, U.S. citizens could travel between Canada and Mexico without a U.S. passport. However, as of June 1, 2009, the WHTI requires every U.S. citizen traveling to any foreign country to present a U.S. Passport Book, U.S. Passport Card, or a WHTI-compliant document.

The U.S. State Department began production of the U.S. Passport Card on July 14, 2008. The U.S. Passport Card is a wallet-size travel document that can only be used to re-enter the United States at land border-crossings or sea ports-of-entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. The card provides a less expensive, smaller, and more convenient alternative to the U.S. Passport Book for people who travel frequently between US, Canada, Mexico Bermuda, and the Caribbean nations.

A few common questions:

The U.S. Passport Card was designed for the specific needs of the traveler between the northern and southern borders of the United States. As such, the U.S. Passport Card is not a globally recognized travel document like the traditional U.S. Passport Book. So, while the U.S. Passport Card has limited use for certain travelers, the U.S. Passport Book will remain the recognized international travel document.

Yes. The U.S. Passport Card and U.S. Passport Book can both be used to travel between Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) countries. ( You can find up-to-date information at the U.S. State Department’s website).

Next, we’ll present a brief recap of the differences between the U.S. Passport Book and U.S. Passport Card.

Below is a quick look at the basic differences between the U.S. Passport and the U.S. Passport Card. Though both applications have the same processing times, they each serve their own very specific purpose.

Next, we’ll finish off with a few points to keep in mind.

In this article, we explored the U.S. Passport Book, the U.S. Passport Card, and the differences between the two. You should now have a better understanding of the differences between the U.S. Passport Card and U.S. Passport Book.

Finally, make sure to obtain a U.S. passport when traveling internationally. You should likely purchase the U.S. Passport Book, unless you plan to travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or any of the Caribbean nations only by land or sea.