Passport backlog eases: your questions answered

Another reason to have two passports is if a foreign country denies you a visa or entry because your passport has stamps showing travel to certain countries. For example, an Israeli entry or

exit stamp will prevent you from entering some Arab countries, such as Kuwait, Lebanon and others. Two passports will allow you to divide your entry stamps. The second passport will be

valid for four years or less, instead of 10 for the original one. You must meet several additional requirements to get it. CAN YOU ADD VISA PAGES TO A PASSPORT? No. If you need additional

visa pages in your passport, you must renew it. If you travel overseas frequently and anticipate needing extra visa pages, apply for a “large book,” which provides 24 extra blank pages for

stamps and visas at no extra charge. SHOULD YOU KEEP A PHOTOCOPY OF YOUR PASSPORT WHEN YOU TRAVEL? Yes. Losing your passport on an international trip can be very disrupting. To facilitate

getting a replacement, keep a photo of your passport ID page on your cellphone or bring a photocopy with you and store it in a separate place from your passport so you have a record if your

passport is lost or stolen, says Kevin Coffey, author of _Traveler Beware! An Undercover Cop’s Guide to Avoiding: Pickpockets, Luggage Theft, & Travel Scams_. To get a replacement, bring

your copy to the nearest embassy or consulate, complete a loss report and an application form, show an additional government ID and supply one recent passport photo.  You also can apply for

a passport card for use at land border crossings and seaports of entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Ekaterina Minaeva / Alamy Stock Photo PASSPORT CARD WHAT IS A PASSPORT

CARD, AND WHERE CAN YOU USE IT?__ A passport card is a wallet-size document that can only be used to reenter the United States at land border crossings and seaports of entry from Canada,

Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. It provides a less expensive ($30), smaller alternative to the passport book for those who travel frequently to these destinations by land or sea. Passport

cards cannot be used for international travel by air. To apply for a passport card, use the same form as applying for a passport book. You can apply for both simultaneously. The processing

time for the card is the same as for the book, but cards are only sent via first-class mail. _Editor's note: This article was originally published on Nov. 8. It has been updated to

reflect new information. _