The passport book number has different locations in the passport depending on the country where the document was issued. It is also known as the inventory control number or the booklet number.
Many people from across the world are eager to visit the United States of America as it’s a land of opportunities. While applying for a Visa to the United States of America, you need to fill out a form DS 160 for the U.S. non-immigrant visa, if you are ineligible for the visa waiver program. The DS 160 form requires you to fill out your passport book number.
This creates a lot of confusion as the passport book number is available in different locations on the passport depending on the country where it was issued. Furthermore, many people confuse the passport number with the passport book number.
Difference between the Passport Number and the Passport Book Number
You can find a passport number in any passport issued by any country. The passport number is mandatory in every country that issues passports. You can expect to find your passport number on the same page as your name and photograph. Most countries have their passport number on the top right corner of this page. In some countries, people consider the passport number as the document number. However, all countries have a passport number when they issue a new passport.
A passport book number is entirely different from a passport number. Many people confuse the passport number for the passport book number. However, these two are not the same. The DS 160 form clearly states that you need your passport book number for applying for a visa. The U.S. Department of State tells you that you may or may not have the passport book number. You must contact the relevant authorities in your country to find out whether your country issues a passport book number and its location may be different from other countries.
Many Countries Do Not Have a Passport Book Number
The main difference between a passport book number and a passport number is that the passport book number identifies the unique booklet. However, the passport number is used to identify the person to which the passport was issued. The passport book number is called different names in different countries. Sometimes it has the name the ‘no de carnet’ or the ‘numero de libreta’. In some countries, the passport book number is referred to as the stock control number or the inventory control number. However, all these names are for the passport book number which identifies the booklet.
You can examine your passport carefully to check whether you have any other number present besides the Passport number. This can help you find out if your country has a passport book number. The UK does not issue a passport book number in their passports.
All numbers in your passport are crucial. However, you should not mistake numbers available on your passports like the personal ID number, the tax number, or the registration number with the passport book number. These are different numbers that can solve the purpose of identifying different things.
Most of the countries that issue the advanced and modern biometric ePassport, do not have a passport book number on their passports. You can find a passport book number more easily in passports issued from countries that still use the old form of passports. In some countries, the new and updated form of passports does not have the passport book number, however, the old form of passport does have it.
This is because of the new and advanced biometric passports. These passports are way more secure than the old passports. The passport book number is being left out as there is no need to identify the particular booklet anymore. The newer passports are a better version that is more secure and hence do not need a passport book number.
Because of the confusing nature of the name, many people are not sure whether they have a passport book number or where they can find it. The passport book number is difficult to find due to several reasons like:
- They have different names in different countries.
- One can find it in different locations in different countries.
- Some countries do not issue a passport book number.
All these reasons make finding your passport book number difficult. In countries where there is no passport book number, you can use the passport number while applying for a visa to the USA. The DS 160 form requires certain details from the applicant. They are document number, type of travel document, a country name which issued the passport, etc. If you are from the UK and applying for a visa in the USA, you may check “do not apply”. It is because the UK passport does not have a passport book number.
It is essential to fill out the correct information in the DS 160 form as it would cost you your visa if you enter the wrong information. Moreover, the whole process costs money and you should be careful while filling out the passport book number as applying again would cost you more. Some other countries besides the UK that do not have the passport book number are Argentina, Switzerland, Australia, Sweden, Brazil, Canada, China, France, India, Italy, Germany, Bangladesh, etc.
Conclusion
A passport book number is important for identifying the particular booklet issued to the person. People often confuse it with the passport number. However, these two are different as the passport number can help identify the person, not the booklet. Due to the use of the new biometric passports, many countries are changing and updating the format of their passports. The new versions are much more secure. Although, because of the new system of passports, the passport book number has become obsolete. There is no need to identify the passport booklet anymore. Hence, the UK does not have the passport book number on their passports.
