Passport Cards and Fee Changes
By: Jake | February 04, 2008 | Category: Travel
I am going to Vancouver this summer so I applied for a passport last week to avoid passport delays that can plague travelers in the spring and summer months.
What
I didn't expect was to save money. I saved because the Department of State raised passport fees on Friday, February 1. The difference between the
old and new prices is $3. The fee to expedite a passport did not change. The new passport fees are:
Adult passport book - $75 + execution fee $25 = $100
Under age 16 - $60 + execution fee $25 = $85
DOS also started accepting applications for the new passport card on Friday. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will eventually require all travelers to present a passport or other document that
denotes identity and citizenship when entering the U.S. The card
carries the same validity as a passport book,
but does not allow you to
travel internationally by air. The card will speed up the border entry
process for citizens re-entering the country from Canada, Mexico, the
Caribbean,
and Bermuda by sea and/or land. DOS plans to start sending cards to
applicants in the spring. The passport card fees are:
Adult passport card - $20 + execution fee $25 = $45
Under age 16 - $10 + execution fee $25 = $35
Also DOS now requires that children under the age of 16 must now appear in person to apply for either a passport book or card.
Permalink | View Comments [5] | E-mail This Entry | Tags: cards jake passports travel
Posted by Daniel S. (Germany) on February 04, 2008 at 05:55 PM EST
By the way: Great blog :-)
Greetings from Germany,
Daniel Comment Permalink
Posted by Jake on February 05, 2008 at 08:36 AM EST
Thanks for your compliment. Try this link for information about Green Cards in the U.S.:
http://answers.usa.gov/cgi-bin/gsa_ict.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=7964
Comment Permalink
Posted by tannette on February 07, 2008 at 01:34 AM EST
Posted by Jake on February 07, 2008 at 09:56 AM EST
Thanks, that's a very good question. You can use a passport card, but if your cruise is this spring you may not need it. The earliest the Dept. of State will require a passport or passport card for sea travel to neighbooring countries is this summer 2008. Check out this DOS link with information with travel requirements for the Bahamas:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_989.html
Jake Comment Permalink
Posted by Lynda on February 11, 2008 at 12:24 PM EST