For international travel, the U.S. Department of State issues two types of official government documents: the passport book and the passport card.

The main difference between a passport card and book boils down to where you can use them, what methods of transit are eligible and the cost.

It’s important to learn the difference between the two so you can choose more confidently if one (or both) are right for you.

About the passport book

A passport book is a small booklet available to U.S. citizens and non-citizen nationals that can be used for international travel by air, sea or land. For travelers age 16 or older at the date of issue, the books are valid for 10 years. Younger travelers are given passports that are valid for five years.

Each passport book is assigned a unique number. The first page of a passport contains your photo and personal information, including your full name, nationality, date of birth, place of birth, sex, the passport issue date and passport expiration date. The rest of the book is filled with blank pages for immigration stamps and visas. Depending on the country you’re visiting, you might be required to have two to four blank visa pages.