The world is filled with over seven billion people. Having an official identity among all of these people is very important. The importance of identity increases substantially when anyone travels abroad. At the time of travel, the person must carry an official identity document that is accepted everywhere. Even though there are multiple types of personal identification documents available in every country, but the passport is a universally accepted identification document for a person. However, all passports are not the same. They are categorized into different types. Let’s learn how a passport work and different types of passport available around the world.
Key Takeaways
- A passport is an official government document that identifies a person as a citizen of a particular country.
- It includes personal information, such as name, date of birth, and photograph, and allows the holder to travel internationally.
- A passport is required to enter and exit most countries.
How does it work?
A passport is an identification document, issued by the country to its citizen. During international travel, it is mandatory to carry this document. This document establishes a person’s identity in another country. The passport contains several types of information about the person, including a photograph, name, date of birth, address, and signature. There are different types of the passport issued to the person according to their profile.
Types of Passport
- Normal passport
It is the most common type of passport issued to the normal citizen. Often tourists, people with medical checkups, and personal purposes anyone can use this passport. To obtain this type of passport, the citizen has to apply at the passport office. Most countries issue this type of passport after verifying multiple identity documents.
It is a very important type of passport and only issued to a limited number of people. It is only issued to the government officials who travel to another country for official government business. The holder of this passport receives diplomatic immunity. The common law of the host country does not apply to the passport holder.
- Emergency passport
It is a temporary passport, issued only in emergency cases. Anyone who lost his passport if it got stolen somehow can apply for an emergency passport. The validity of an emergency passport remains for a limited period. During this time, the person has to apply for a new passport.
- ePassport
It is a digital version of a regular passport. Here is a digital chip embedded in this type of passport. Vital information of the passport holder remains encrypted in this chip. This type of passport offers an extra layer of data security to the passport holder.
Advantages of the Passport
A passport is a very useful Identification document. Due to its universal acceptance, anyone can use it in any part of the world to establish his identity. The document holds important information about the person and can be used to track his homeland. It becomes very handy during international travel.
Disadvantages of the Passport
The information on the passport is very sensitive and bad people can use this information against the passport holder. For this reason, it is important to treat the passport as a significant item during travel. It is advised not to handover a passport to an unknown person. Losing a passport during travel may cause multiple types of problems.
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.