Everything You Demand To Know About Passports

What is a Passport

What Is a Passport?

A passport is a travel certificate issued by a country's government to its citizens that verifies the identity and nationality of the holder for the purpose of international travel.

Passports are small-scale booklets that typically contain the bearer'south proper noun, place of nascency, date of birth, the date of issue, appointment of expiry, passport number, photo and signature. There are several types of passports depending on the status of the bearer in their dwelling house state.

What Is an Official Passport?

An official passport, or service passport, is a blazon of passport that is issued to regime employees. Its purpose is to let officials in the destination country know that the bearer is entering the country on official business, representing their country in an official capacity. Holders of official passports are not typically granted any special privileges.

What Is a Diplomatic Passport?

A diplomatic passport is granted to diplomats who are travelling for official business and representing their home country away.

Diplomats are appointed past the government to conduct official concern abroad and maintain political, economic and social relations with other countries. Their passports typically grant them sure privileges and immunities, such as exemption from prosecution and taxes in the host country.

What Is an Emergency Passport?

An emergency passport, or temporary passport, is issued when you've lost your passport or had it stolen and you don't take time to apply for a new one. For instance, if you left your passport on the airplane by blow and therefore cannot board your connecting flying, you may call your embassy and be issued an emergency 1-way passport that will get yous home.

What Is a Collective Passport?

A commonage passport may exist issued to a group, such every bit schoolchildren, travelling away together. However, children are typically encouraged to travel on their own passports.

What Is a Family Passport?

Family passports are issued to one fellow member of the family unit simply may be used for all family members for travelling purposes. However, the official passport bearer must be travelling every bit well. Family passports are quite rare these days.

What Is an ePassport?

An epassport, or electronic passport, is a regular passport booklet that contains an electronic chip in the cover. This chip contains the passport bearer's information and provides an extra layer of security confronting passport fraud.

Why Practise I Need a Passport?

Passports are necessary if you'd like to travel away as they verify your identity and nationality. They grant the bearer safety passage and protection in a foreign land.

You typically must present your passport several times at the airport if you are flying, and at the border if yous are travelling by car. Additionally, yous may also need a visa in order to enter your destination country.

Do I Need a Passport for Domestic Flights?

No. Typically you do not demand a passport for domestic flights as other government-issued photo identification is acceptable. Withal, be certain to check your country'southward travel regulations to find out what documents you lot need for domestic and international travel.

Can I Use My Passport every bit My ID?


Yes. You tin employ your passport as identification exterior the airport. However, information technology is not recommended to carry around your passport on a daily footing or for a night out, every bit replacing a lost passport tin be costly and time-consuming.

What Does a Passport Look Similar?

According to the International Civil Aviation Organization's Dr. 9303 "Machine Readable Travel Documents," passports are size 3 travel documents that must follow specific regulations for their construction, layout and contents.

Size iii travel documents must take the class of a booklet with at least eight pages and a data page. The data on the data page must exist in specific locations and zones that allow it to be electronically read. In improver, the ICAO mandates various security features on passports to prevent counterfeiting and fraud.

Where Can I Travel With a Passport?

Possession of a passport doesn't necessarily guarantee entry into the land you'd like to visit. Withal, passports are necessary for international travel. Y'all may need to apply for a travel visa beforehand in order to be allowed entry into your destination land.

Before embarking on your journeying, make sure to visit Passport Index to find out how many countries you can travel to visa-costless with your passport and which countries require yous to employ for a visa commencement.

For How Long Must a Passport Exist Valid When I Travel?

Passports must normally exist valid for at to the lowest degree six months from the start of your travel appointment. Your destination country may not permit you enter if in that location is a risk that your passport will expire while you are travelling.

Each country has dissimilar requirements for how long your passport must exist valid. Be certain to bank check with your destination country'south government website earlier embarking on your journey.

How Many Blank Visa Pages Do I Need in My Passport to Travel?

Passports must typically have two to four blank visa pages for international travel. The airline may non permit you board or your destination country may not permit you lot enter if at that place is no space for the entrance visa to be stamped into your passport.

Each country has different entry requirements for the number of blank visa pages required. Be sure to check with your destination state'southward government website before starting your travels.

Do Children Require Passports?

Yes, children and babies require passports.

Do I Demand a New Passport If I Alter My Proper name?

Yes. If y'all take officially changed your given proper noun or surname then y'all must apply for a new passport. Information technology is of import that your travel documents accurately reverberate your identity.

When applying for a new passport due to a proper noun alter make sure to include official proof, such as a spousal relationship certificate, of the proper noun change.

What Should I Do If My Passport Is Lost or Stolen?

If y'all lose your passport or it is stolen you must report it to the authorities immediately. Contact the local police as well equally your country's passport authorities or diplomatic mission to report what happened. Your passport will invalidated to ensure that information technology cannot be used fraudulently and you may be issued a temporary passport with which you can travel home. You must then apply for a new passport.

Tin can I Travel With a Damaged Passport?

Probably not. If your passport is damaged in any way your best bet is to apply for a new one. It is possible and highly likely that the border security at your destination will refuse you entry to the country if you lot present them a damaged passport.

According to the authorities of Canada a passport is considered damaged if it appears to have been altered in any mode and if identifying the bearer is hindered in whatever mode. Types of damage include exposure to water and humidity, tears, and unauthorized markings.

Passports are official documents and should be taken care of at all times.

Tin My Passport Be Revoked?

Yes. Your passport may be revoked for several reasons, such as if you lose your citizenship, if yous have been charged with a crime, or if you provided false information of your passport application. The passport-issuing dominance reserves the right to refuse or revoke your passport if they feel they take sufficient grounds for doing so.

What Kinds of Security Features Do Passports Accept?

Co-ordinate to the International Civil Aviation Organization's Physician 9303 "Motorcar Readable Travel Documents," passports must have certain security features to foreclose counterfeiting and fraud.

Some of the security features include holograms that light up nether UV calorie-free, an electronic chip with the bearer'due south information, optically variable ink, which changes colour under different light sources and anti-scan patterns.

Passport-issuing authorities are encouraged to utilize a variety of security features in society to make information technology equally difficult as possible to forge their passports.

How Are Passports Made?

Passports are fabricated past passport-printing companies. These companies ensure that all passports follow the standards set out by the International Civil Aviation Organization's Physician 9303 "Car Readable Travel Documents". Physician 9303 sets the standard for how passports should exist made and what kinds of security features they should include in order to avoid attack.

Passports are made with special paper leap together using secure sewing technology. Passport booklets include several empty visa pages, ready to certificate your travels, equally well as a biodata folio that features your photo, personal information, and in some cases, a digital re-create of your signature. They may too include holograms, special font types, and an electronic scrap. Each part of the passport is built with various security features.

Practise Passports Include Addresses?


No. Passports exercise not include your address. Passport information pages, or biodata pages, but include your proper name, passport number, nationality, date and place of birth, your sexual activity, and the passport'south engagement of issue and date of decease.

Should I Sign My Passport?

Yes. Passports typically have a signature page that tell you exactly where you lot demand to sign it. Some passports may also include a digital copy of your signature on the biodata folio. It is of import that you only sign your passport in the appropriate space on the designated folio. Marking up your passport in any other way will invalidate information technology.

What Practice I Practise With the Passport of a Deceased Family Fellow member?

If you are in possession of the passport of a deceased family unit member be sure to check your regime's website for the proper procedures for returning information technology to the authorities.

Typically if the passport is still valid, equally in it has not notwithstanding passed the expiry appointment, the passport must be returned to the proper authorities. All the same, if the the passport has already expired it may non need to be returned.

Do US Citizens Need a Passport to Visit the Bahamas?

Yeah. US citizens must have a valid passport when travelling to the Bahamas equally it is required for re-entry into the U.s..

Which Passport Is the Best in the World?

According to the Passport Alphabetize, the passport of UAE is the strongest in the world as information technology allows visa-gratis travel to 116 countries and visa-on-arrival travel to 57, for a total mobility score of 173 countries.

How Many Passports Tin can Ane Person Have?

There is no real limit on how many passports a unmarried individual can have. All the same, the citizenship laws of your home country may include provision virtually dual citizenship. Some countries do not allow their citizens to hold dual or multiple passports and require them to give up their current nationality for a new one. Other countries practice allow dual or multiple citizenship with varying conditions. For instance, if both countries end upwardly in a war confronting each other, your passport for one may exist revoked if you take upwardly artillery against it.

Passport Visa page

Applying for a Passport

How Can I Employ for a Passport?

Each country has its own process for passport applications. Check your country's regime website for all the instructions on obtaining a passport. You may accept to utilise in person at a regime role or your may exist able to apply online.

Typically you volition take to make full out a passport application class, provide proof of your identity and citizenship, provide passport-sized photos, list two references on the application form and pay the application fee.

It is extremely important to brand certain you fill out the application grade correctly and truthfully as your request may exist denied otherwise.

What Documents Practice I Need for My Passport Application?

When applying for a passport you must provide documents supporting your identity and citizenship.

For case, for the Canadian passport awarding supporting documents must include proof of Canadian citizenship, such every bit an original birth certificate, equally well as a second proof of identity, such as a commuter'south license, ii identical passport photos and a valid Canadian travel document.

Each country has its own passport awarding requirements. Exist sure to check your regime'southward website for the relevant list of accepted supporting documents.

How Long Does it Accept to Go a New Passport?

Time to passport varies between countries. For example, it can accept between x and 20 days to receive the Canadian passport subsequently successful application, and three to six weeks to receive the British passport later applying.

Check your land'south government website to find out how long it will take to receive a new passport in one case you've filed your application. If y'all need it more than urgently you may accept to pay a rush fee.

How Can I Get a Passport Quickly?

If you've checked your regime's passport processing times and discover you need your passport quicker you may be able to pay an extra fee for expedited service.

For instance, you can receive the Canadian passport the next day by paying the CA$110 fee. Be certain to check with your government'southward website to find out the fee for urgent service.

When Renewing My Passport, Will My Quondam Passport Be Returned to Me?

Your old passport may exist returned to you or it may be securely destroyed by your government's passport-issuing authority. Typically if your erstwhile passport is returned to yous information technology will be returned in a damaged form to invalidate it, for example with a hole through the booklet. If you lot accept an entry visa that is still valid in your old passport, and then it volition be returned to you lot.

Does My Passport Number Change When I Renew My Passport?

Yes. When yous receive a new passport information technology will feature a different number than your previous passport. If you take applied for any official documents using your onetime passport, you may have to update that application with your new passport.

For How Long Is My Passport Valid?/Can My Passport Expire?

Passports are usually valid for v years or ten years, depending on the country, after which they become invalid for travel. When travelling make sure your passport is nevertheless valid for at least six months from the commencement of your travel engagement, otherwise you may be refused entry into your destination country.

Can My Passport Application Be Refused?

Yes. The passport-issuing authorities of your country may turn down to issue y'all a passport if, for instance, you provided false information on your application, you are non a citizen of the country, or if you have been charged with a criminal offense. At that place are many reasons why your passport application may be refused. Be sure to bank check your government's passport website to find out the relevant details.

When Was the Get-go Passport Issued?

Passports are an invaluable certificate dating back to Biblical times when individuals could be granted safe conduct letters requesting that the governors of strange lands grant them safety passage. The start mention of a passport is in the Bible'due south book of Nehemiah from approximately 450 BC.

In the 13th century Marco Polo'southward male parent became the first European to receive safety acquit from Kublai Khan, granting him safe passage and admission to the unabridged Mongol Empire.

Mentions of safety behave appeared in England as early as 1414 under King Henry V, who had the authority to grant condom conduct to anyone, even foreigners. By 1540 in England the granting of travelling papers became normalized under the Privy Council. The term passport was already in use at this time. Still, they were not necessarily required for international travel, being more often than not used as identity documents.

Travelling and identity were finally officially merged in the early on 20th century. The British Nationality and Status Aliens Act of 1914 produced the first modern British passport. By 1920 the League of Nations had adopted a standard passport format.

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