U.S. Citizen Services in Germany
Passports and Reports of Birth
PASSPORT CARD
THE U.S. PASSPORT CARD IS NOW IN PRODUCTION!
General Information
The passport card facilitates entry and expedites document processing at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The card may not be used to travel by air. Otherwise, it carries the rights and privileges of the U.S. passport book and is adjudicated to the exact same standards.
When outside the United States and the above mentioned countries, the passport card can be used as a valid citizenship identification, though it is not valid for travel internationally (for example traveling from Germany to Switzerland/Austria/France/etc.)
Issuances
A previous passport book holder, eligible to use Form DS-82 , may apply for a passport card as a Renewal. First time applicants for a U.S. Passport, and those not eligible to use the DS-82, should apply for a passport card using Form DS-11.
For more information view our Passport First Time Issuances and Renewal instructions
Processing Times
The average processing time for a Passport Card is between 4 and 6 weeks.
Fees
See our Fees and Forms of Payment to find the costs of New and Renewal Passport Cards.
Background
The Department of State is issuing this passport card in response to the needs of border resident communities for a less expensive and more portable alternative to the traditional passport book. The card has the same period of validity as a passport book: 10 years for an adult, five for children 15 and younger. Adults who already have a fully valid passport book may apply for the card as a passport renewal
Please Note:
To facilitate the frequent travel of U.S. citizens living in border communities and to meet DHS’s operational needs at land borders, the passport card contains a vicinity-read radio frequency identification (RFID) chip. This chip points to a stored record in secure government databases. There is no personal information written to the RFID chip itself.
