Passport Card can you fly home?

[mimiluvs2cruz]

We will be going on the Western Caribbean Cruise to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman & Cozumel in May and are leaving from the same port. I know I don't have to have a passport to go but we are planning to get the Passport card. Can we still fly home if we have an emergency with a Passport Card instead of an actual passport?


Thank you so much.

[spookwife]

technically the card only good for land and sea border crossings.

you will need a regular passport to fly back although having a PP card may make it less of a hassle otherwise.

[klfrodo]

No.
The passport card is only good for land and vessel border crossings.

Will you get home? Yes. You just won't be able to go directly to the airport and buy a ticket and fly home. It may take a day or 2 but you'll have to get special permission from the local embassy or consulate.

[Keith1010]

Aa others said you cannot use it to fly home.

Keith

[paul929207]

You can not use the passport card to fly from another country to the US.

[sail7seas]

The passport card's most usual use is driving across border between U.S./Canada/Mexico.

If is not acceptable for flying....... USUALLY though I recall reading here once that someone was permitted to fly using that card.

Whether that was reliable information or not, I cannot say. The rules are NO..... it is not to be used for air travel.

[Putterdude]

Directly from the US Dept. of State website:

"The U.S. Passport Card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air."

[Kamloops50]

In Canada we don't have Passport Cards .
A link to info about Passport Cards

http://travel.state.gov/pdf/ppt_pptCard.pdf

They definitely state "Not valid for
international travel by air."

For the difference in cost Passport ($135 ) and Passport Card ($55) .
A passport would be better deal (not cost) in turn of flexibility.. I know that Canada will not accept a Passport Card for Land Entry . Passport or Enhanced Drivers license only.

[sail7seas]

Isn't the most usual use of the Passport Cards driving between U.S. and Canada/Mexico? If so, isn't that land entry? Canada does NOT accept for that entry?
If not, what good are they?

[Kamloops50]

Originally Posted by sail7seas

Isn't the most usual use of the Passport Cards driving between U.S. and Canada/Mexico? If so, isn't that land entry? Canada does NOT accept for that entry?
If not, what good are they?

The CBP has decided that only acceptable entry into Canada is a passport or enhanced drivers license (except minors required a birth certificate). This is based on the Canadian interpretation of US Immigration rules . Probably a little of tit for tat on rules . The US requires Canadians to have a passport or enhanced drivers license (look up WHTI rules) for entry to the US . Based on WHTI rules Canada feels the US citizens must produce a passport or enhanced drivers to return to the US , therefore Canada insists the WHTI rules apply to America's entering Canada.

[Philob]

Just stepping in...as per above while a US passport "book" is now required for entry into Canada; a US passport "card" or "book" may be used to enter the US from Canada (or Mexico) via land/sea.

FWIW: I'm in the passport "book" only crowd.

[sail7seas]

Originally Posted by Kamloops50

The CBP has decided that only acceptable entry into Canada is a passport or enhanced drivers license (except minors required a birth certificate). This is based on the Canadian interpretation of US Immigration rules . Probably a little of tit for tat on rules . The US requires Canadians to have a passport or enhanced drivers license (look up WHTI rules) for entry to the US . Based on WHTI rules Canada feels the US citizens must produce a passport or enhanced drivers to return to the US , therefore Canada insists the WHTI rules apply to America's entering Canada.

Originally Posted by Philob

Just stepping in...as per above while a US passport "book" is now required for entry into Canada; a US passport "card" or "book" may be used to enter the US from Canada (or Mexico) via land/sea.

FWIW: I'm in the passport "book" only crowd.

Thank you both.
I am also in the 'passport book' only crowd. We are on our fourth renewal of our passports. We wouldn't dream of leaving home without them.

My questions were out of curiousity as to what good the passport card is. I understand about some wanting them because of lower cost but I would suggest saving a bit longer and getting the 'gold standard' and never having to fret or stress if you have proper ID..... except for Visas, of course.

[njhorseman]

Originally Posted by Kamloops50

The CBP has decided that only acceptable entry into Canada is a passport or enhanced drivers license (except minors required a birth certificate). This is based on the Canadian interpretation of US Immigration rules . Probably a little of tit for tat on rules . The US requires Canadians to have a passport or enhanced drivers license (look up WHTI rules) for entry to the US . Based on WHTI rules Canada feels the US citizens must produce a passport or enhanced drivers to return to the US , therefore Canada insists the WHTI rules apply to America's entering Canada.

This isn't so. CBP does not require only a passport or EDL for US citizens to enter Canada, nor do Canadian rules require it. The basis for allowable admission is determined by the US requirements for reentry from Canada.


Per WHTI, there are other valid options beyond passport or EDL, including the passport card, Trusted Traveler Program cards (such as NEXUS), and for "special groups" such as US citizens on a closed loop cruise, a birth certificate and photo ID.:

http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/index.html


For international air travel howver, including travel between the US and Canada in either direction, a passport is required.

[njhorseman]

Originally Posted by Philob

Just stepping in...as per above while a US passport "book" is now required for entry into Canada; a US passport "card" or "book" may be used to enter the US from Canada (or Mexico) via land/sea.

FWIW: I'm in the passport "book" only crowd.

As per my previous post, the poster you are citing is incorrect. A passport book is only required for air travel into Canada and return. Travel by land or sea allows other options.

[njhorseman]

Originally Posted by sail7seas

Isn't the most usual use of the Passport Cards driving between U.S. and Canada/Mexico? If so, isn't that land entry? Canada does NOT accept for that entry?
If not, what good are they?

That poster is absolutely wrong. Passport cards are permitted for land or sea entry to Canada (as are other documents for specific purposes such as closed loop cruises). There are no US or Canadian rules or laws requiring only passports for land entry to Canada.

A passport book is required for international air travel.

[sail7seas]

Originally Posted by njhorseman

As per my previous post, the poster you are citing is incorrect. A passport book is only required for air travel into Canada and return. Travel by land or sea allows other options.

Can a passport card be used in place of birth certificate for entry of a U.S. citizen to Canada by sea?

[njhorseman]

Originally Posted by sail7seas

Can a passport card be used in place of birth certificate for entry of a U.S. citizen to Canada by sea?

Absolutely.

[njhorseman]

Canada's rules actually only require a US citizen to have a birth certificate to enter Canada. The only reason they now require other documentation such as passport, passport card, EDL, etc. depending on the mode of entry is because the US will require one of those other documents for reentry to the US. Here is the current CBSA web page describing the requirements:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/security-...dmiss-eng.html

Non-Canadians

Tips and tools
Requirements to Enter Canada
Tell us why you would like to come to Canada and we will provide you with the requirements to enter Canada that apply to your personal situation.
When you enter Canada, a CBSA officer may ask to see your passport and a valid visa, if one is necessary. If you are a citizen of the United States, you do not need a passport to enter Canada. However, you should carry proof of your citizenship, such as a birth certificate, certificate of citizenship or naturalization, as well as photo identification. If you are a permanent resident of Canada or the U.S, you should bring your Permanent Resident Card with you.

[Putterdude]

For the benefit of those reading this thread, there is no need for a US Citizen to have a passport to enter Canada, a pass book card is quite adequate. There is no Canadian legislative requirement for a US citizen to have a passport to enter Canada, CBSA only wants to see WHTI compliant documentation so that the US citizen can return to the US. Here is a list of the WHTI compliant documents:

Starting June 1, 2009, U.S. citizens returning home from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda, by land or sea, are required to present one of the travel documents listed below.
U.S. Passport – This is an internationally recognized travel document that verifies a person’s identity and nationality. It is accepted for travel by air, land and sea.
U.S. Passport Card – This is a new, limited-use travel document that fits in your wallet and costs less than a
U.S. Passport. It is only valid for travel by land and sea.
Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) – Several states
and Canadian provinces are issuing this driver’s license
or identification document that denotes identity and citizenship. It is specifically designed for cross-border travel into the U.S. by land or sea.
Trusted Traveler Program Cards – Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST enrollment cards can speed your entry into the U.S. and are issued only to pre-approved, low-risk travelers. The cards are valid for use at land or sea; the NEXUS card can be used in airports with a NEXUS kiosk.
Special Groups – Information for Children, Groups of Children, Native Americans, "Closed Loop" Cruises, U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents, U.S. Military, Merchant Mariners, Ferries and Small Boats, and Boaters.

Here is a link to the CBSA site on the topic:
http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ifvc-rpvc-eng.html

[Algebralovr]

I would never order just a passport card, it isn't worth it for a cruiser. It was designed for people doing regular land crossings at borders.

That said, for only $30, it is worth it to get a card when one renews the PP book, simply because then you have a secondary ID to use in the event you are in a foreign country and your PP is stolen. From what i understand, the chip on the card has all the info the consulate needs to help you get an emergency PP book.

But the 10 year traditional PP should be the default order.