What is a Passport/Travel Document Number? What You Should Know

Need to know your travel document number? Here is everything you need to know.

There are numerous things one can gain from traveling to different places. The list includes obtaining unforgettable memories for a lifetime broadening your horizons, improving social skills, and so on.

Nonetheless, you must have sound knowledge about your travel documents before you travel internationally. To help you out, in today’s post, we will discuss the travel document number. So, without any further delay, let’s get started!

What is a travel document number?

A travel document number is a set of digits that helps authorities recognize each individual traveling. This number is located on the official document you’re using for travel. You can find it on your passport, visa, and similar documents.

In the simplest words, the passport number is the unique identifier of your passport that acts as a travel identity document. It is needed for visa filing as well as for government records.

Check out the following screenshot for reference.

Types of Travel Documents

There is no shortage of places to travel worldwide with your friends and family. However, before you plan, you must get your travel documents in order. There are several types of travel documents accepted as valid identification in various situations.

Although not everyone will need the same documents, some of the essential travel documents used in the United States include U.S. Passport, Visa, Green Card/Form 1-94, Passport Card, etc.

The passport is a common document for international travel in the United States. Issued by the U.S. Department of State, a passport is used by citizens to re-enter the country. This form of identification helps U.S. citizens travel by sea, air, and land to any destination they want worldwide.

On the contrary, international travelers who reside in foreign countries and want to visit the United States will need a different form of travel documentation. One of the primary documents required to enter the United States includes a U.S. Visa.

A visa is a small paper piece attached to a passport, generally indicated by a stamp. The document has an expiration date marking the traveler’s permission to stay in a country. Visas are short-term travel documents that usually last a few months to years.

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Passport and Travel Document Numbers

Along with personal information and photographs, an identification number authenticates your travel document. Without this travel number, recognizing the traveler showing documents won’t be easier.

As travel documents are required to travel across borders and foreign land, authorities must be capable of identifying every person coming in and out of each location.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the number validates your travel document. Therefore, authorities take the security of travel document numbers so seriously. We bring you the following section to make identifying the number on your travel documents easy.

Passport

Speaking of passports, their numbers are carefully created to express some crucial information about travelers. In general, a U.S. passport has 6 to 9 characters. The first two numbers represent the location where your passport was issued from.

For instance, if you received your passport from Washington, the first two characters would be “01”. If your passport is issued to you as a military dependent, the number will likely start with “90”.

On the other hand, diplomatic passports start with “90”. While emergency passports that are granted for temporary travel start with the letter “Z” and the number “70”.

Visa

A U.S. Visa contains eight characters, all in number. Sometimes, there is one letter, and the other seven characters are numbers. A Visa number is the easiest to locate out of all travel documents.

It is usually featured in red ink against the black text on the rest of the document. If you need a visa, use a service like iVisa to make your travel plans seamless and easy. You’ll have peace of mind with everything taken care of by them.

Green Card

Green card numbers are usually referred to as “receipt numbers.” This card has 13 characters in total – three letters and ten numbers.

Generally, the string of numbers starts with three alphabetic characters and then more numbers at the end.

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How Your Travel Document Number & Passport Work Together

You can travel across the globe with a valid passport. Although some countries require a visa apart from a passport, you can go to many places simply with a passport.

But do you know what makes your passport a valid travel document? It is a number on its right side (on a U.S. passport). Without this number, your travel document won’t serve its purpose.

A passport looks like a small booklet. However, it is much more than that. Besides holding a traveler’s information, travel history, and visas, it is an important document. It’s also used as proof of citizenship. Therefore, if you lose your passport, it can be a severe issue.

Since 2007, all passports issued by the United States are electronic. They come with a small chip embedded on the back cover that is used as a security measure. The chip holds information like a personal image, digital signature, a biometric identifier, and a unique chip ID number.

Besides all the security information in a passport, the passport number ties directly to an individual. Indeed, the passport number is a code kept in the government’s database.

You may find your passport number in the top right-hand corner of the identification page. Custom officials use this number to match travelers with their passports and monitor their movements. This is how your passport number and passport work together.

Ensure you have some form of a passport holder and booklet while you travel so you can keep all your travel documents in one location.

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How to Find Numbers on Your Different Travel Documents

You will see the travel document number in a unique location on each form of identification. You may refer to the following list to match the area of your travel document.

Travel Document Number Locations (For U.S. travel documents)

Passport

If you own a U.S. passport, whether you have a card or a book. You can find your travel document number in the top right-hand corner of the document.

This number will be located on the front of the passport card. If you have a Passport Book, you can locate it on the second page displaying your personal information.

Visa

U.S. visa showcases your travel document number in the bottom right corner of the front of the card. As mentioned above, the number on visa is easy to find as it is printed in red ink. If you need a visa, use iVisa to handle the process as efficiently as possible.

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Green Card

The receipt number on a Green Card is usually printed in the center of the card. You can find three alphabetic letters in the center, moving toward the right.

Apart from the three alphabets, the rest of the ten characters are numeric digits making up the document number. Now you know the travel document number, let’s find out why your passport is essential.

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Why is Your Passport Important?

Travel Convenience

One of the primary benefits of having a passport is that it takes care of all your international travel concerns. A legitimate passport helps you take entry into international locations without any hassle.

Although depending on where you’re traveling, the requirements might be a little different; it is crucial to keep up with multiple documents to guarantee the passage. The passport is the one document that covers all the concerns in a single document.

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It’s a Valid Photo ID

A passport not only helps you to travel internationally, but it also helps you act as identification for different purposes. Your passport can be valid photo identification for proof of age, birth, and address.

No Lost Documents

Traveling with important documents such as birth certificates, ID Cards, etc., there is always the risk of damaging or losing the documents.

With a valid passport, you can rest assured that all your vital records are safe in one place. Need not to mention that replacing lost or damaged documents is a big hassle in itself, so ensure you purchase a holder to keep your documents safe.

No Visa Required in Some Countries

Some countries that work with the United States on the Visa Waiver Program allow U.S. passport holders in the country for a specific amount of time.

They won’t need to buy a visa to travel there. Usually, this program is an agreement between the United States and other countries based on high-security standards, data sharing, law enforcement, and other factors.

U.S. passport holders can travel to more than 100 countries without carrying any visa. On the contrary, the United States only allows residents with passports from 36 countries to enter the United States without a Visa.

These countries include St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the United Kingdom, Tunisia, and the British Virgin Islands. Countries like Switzerland, Canada, and France allow up to 90 days for U.S. citizens without visas.

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Getting a Travel Document

Depending on the type of document you’re trying to get, the process might vary. Moreover, the processing time the document time will take will be different.

U.S. Passport Card

Getting a U.S. passport card will require you to apply along with a government-issued ID card and proof of citizenship that your birth certificate will indicate. Before the application is processed, the issuing authority will require a photo of you and collect a fee.

U.S. Passport Book

The process of gaining a U.S. Passport book is almost similar to that of the United States Passport card. However, the total fee amount might vary.

The passport book is expensive as it allows you to travel by sea, land, and air anywhere in the world, while the passport card lets you go to surrounding areas only. As a result, it is cheaper, comparatively. The entire process for U.S. Passports may take six to eight weeks.

See Related: How Long Does It Take to Travel Around the World?

Visa to the U.S.

The requirement for a U.S. travel visa is similar to that of a U.S. passport. You will need to visit the nearest U.S. Embassy location in your residence.

To gain a visa, you must fill out and send a form called DS-160 that you can do online. You must also submit identification documents, birth certificates, and visa applications.

You will be asked to explain why you want to travel to the United States and how long you will be there. After submitting form DS-160, you must submit the application and issuance fees.

The fee will depend on your country of residence. Subsequently, you will be called for the interview and document file completion. All applicants (ages 14 to 79) must visit the local U.S. Embassy for a scheduled interview, which is part of the screening procedure.

An application must create a document file including identification documents and personal information. This entire process may take seven to ten days. The easy way is to use iVisa to assist in obtaining a visa for you. 

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Green Card

You must check for your eligibility first. If eligible, you must complete the Form 1-485 application online and provide supporting documents.

After that, there will be a scheduled interview before making the final decision. It may take 5 to 6 months to obtain a green card. The card can give you access to the United States for up to 10 years.

A passport helps you travel across the world. However, have you ever thought about what makes a passport a valid travel document? It’s a unique number that your passport has on its right side (In the U.S. document). The number is the unique identifier of your passport and acts as a travel identity document.

Security authorities check this number to match tourists with their passports. In this post, we provide information on travel document numbers and the types of travel documents you require to land in a foreign land.

See Related: Can I Travel During the Naturalization Process?

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