The US State Department this spring plans to introduce a passport card good for travel by land or sea to Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico.
The card provides the same privileges as a passport. The idea is to speed up security check, according to the State Department.
Applications for the cards, which are the size of a driver’s license, are available through passport acceptance facilities, which include post offices and some local-government offices.
The cost, which includes a one-time $25 fee, is $45 for adults and $35 for children 16 and under. Cards for adults are good for 10 years; it’s five years for kids. The required documentation is the same as for regular passports; processing takes four to six weeks.
Each card will be imbedded with a radio frequency identification chip, which contains an identifying number linked to photos and biographical information stored in secure government databases.
The State Dept. started taking applications on Feb. 1. Already, there are mixed reactions.
One advantage is cost: the passport card saves $55 in lieu of a regular passport.
On the other hand, the chip has raised concerns about privacy, identity theft and the government’s ability to track a traveler.
Report by David Wilkening
