Passport

:This article is about the international travel document. For Microsoft Corporation's "universal login" service, see Microsoft Passport Network.

Standards

Technical characteristics

Passports have a standardised format. They begin with a cover identifying the issuing country, then have a title page also naming the country, followed by pages giving information about the bearer and the issuing authority. Then, a number of blank pages are given for foreign countries to affix visas, or stamp the passport on entrance or exit. Passports are numbered by the issuing authority.

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Passports used to carry information (last name, given names, date of birth, place of birth, etc.) only in textual form. In recent years, however, passports issued by many countries have become more complex.

Related Topics:
Last name - Given name

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Machine readable passports have a standardised presentation, bearing a zone where some of the information otherwise written in textual form is written as strings of alphanumeric characters, printed in a manner suitable for optical character recognition – that is, reading by a machine. This enables border controllers and other law enforcement agents to process such passports quickly, without having to input the information manually into a computer – for instance, in order to check in a database if the passport was not stolen, if the holder of the passport is not a criminal, or to record the movement of foreigners.

Related Topics:
Standard - Optical character recognition

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Biometric passports with RFID Chips will carry supplemental information about the bearer, in a digitised form.

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Languages

In 1920 the International Conference on Passports, Customs Formalities and Through Tickets mandated that passports be issued in French and at least one other language, though many countries, particularly in Asia, now issue passports in English and the language of the issuing country. Belgium allows its citizens to choose which of its three official languages (Dutch, French, or German) should appear first in the individual's passport. Passports issued by European Union member states bear all of the official languages of the European Union. United States passports, once issued in English and French only, have been issued in English, French, and Spanish since the second Clinton administration.

Related Topics:
1920 - French - Language - Asia - English - Dutch - German - European Union - Spanish - Clinton administration

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Soviet passports were only printed in Russian and French, even though the USSR was a diverse country of many languages. This was due to the fact that Russian was designated as the language of international communication, putting the other union languages at a disadvantage.

Related Topics:
Russian - USSR

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Common passport designs

The member states of the European Union are perhaps the best-known countries to have a common format for their passports. European Union (EU) passports have standardised layouts and designs, although the photo page can be at the front or in the back of the booklet and small differences in design indicate which member state is the issuer. Ordinary EU passports are burgundy-red, with the words "European Union" written in the national language or languages (e.g. Dutch, French, Finnish, Maltese) on the front, below which is the official name of the country, the national seal, and the word for "passport", in the respective language(s), can be found at the bottom. Malta was the first country of the new EU states from Central Europe and the Mediterranean to issue EU passports. Estonia began issuing EU passports in July 2005. Others such as Poland, Latvia and Cyprus are likely to follow in the coming years.

Related Topics:
Member states of the European Union - Malta - New EU states - Central Europe - Mediterranean - Estonia - Poland - Latvia - Cyprus

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The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) recently began issuing passports to a common design, featuring CARICOM's symbol along with the national seal and official name of the member state in its official languages (i.e. English, French, Dutch). The first member state to issue CARICOM passports is Suriname, to be followed by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda and other countries.

Related Topics:
Caribbean Community - Suriname - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Guyana - Antigua and Barbuda

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The declaration adopted in Cusco, Peru, establishing the South American Community of Nations signalled an intent to establish a common passport design, but this appears to be a long way away. Already, some member states of regional sub-groupings such as Mercosur and the Andean Community of Nations issue passports that bear their official name and seal along with the name of their regional grouping. Examples include Paraguay and Ecuador.

Related Topics:
Cusco - Peru - South American Community of Nations - Mercosur - Andean Community of Nations - Paraguay - Ecuador

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