Passports: Travel/Vaccine - News, Reviews, Resources

A PASSPORT is a travel document, usually issued by a country's government to its citizens, that certifies the identity and nationality of its holder primarily for the purpose of international travel. Standard passports may contain information such as the holder's name, place and date of birth, photograph, signature, and other relevant identifying information.

Many countries have either begun issuing or plan to issue biometric passports that contains an embedded microchip, making them machine-readable and difficult to counterfeit. As of January 2019, there were over 150 jurisdictions issuing e-passports. Previously issued non-biometric machine-readable passports usually remain valid until their respective expiration dates.

A passport holder is normally entitled to enter the country that issued the passport, though some people entitled to a passport may not be full citizens with right of abode (e.g. American nationals or British nationals). A passport does not of itself create any rights in the country being visited or obligate the issuing country in any way, such as providing consular assistance. Some passports attest to the bearer having a status as a diplomat or other official, entitled to rights and privileges such as immunity from arrest or prosecution.

Many countries normally allow entry to holders of passports of other countries, sometimes requiring a visa also to be obtained, but this is not an automatic right. Many other additional conditions, such as not being likely to become a public charge for financial or other reasons, and the holder not having been convicted of a crime, may apply. Where a country does not recognise another, or is in dispute with it, it may prohibit the use of their passport for travel to that other country, or may prohibit entry to holders of that other country's passports, and sometimes to others who have, for example, visited the other country. Some individuals are subject to sanctions which deny them entry into particular countries.

Some countries and international organisations issue travel documents which are not standard passports, but enable the holder to travel internationally to countries that recognise the documents. For example, stateless persons are not normally issued a national passport, but may be able to obtain a refugee travel document or the earlier "Nansen passport" which enables them to travel to countries which recognise the document, and sometimes to return to the issuing country.

Passports may be requested in other circumstances to confirm identification such as checking into a hotel or when changing money to a local currency. Passports and other travel documents have an expiry date, after which it is no longer recognised, but it is recommended that a passport is valid for at least six months as many airlines deny boarding to passengers whose passport has a shorter expiry date, even if the destination country may not have such a requirement.

An IMMUNITY PASSPORT, also known as an immunity certificate, recovery certificate or release certificate, is a document attesting that its bearer is immune to a contagious disease. The concept of immunity passports has drawn much attention during the COVID-19 pandemic as a potential way to contain the pandemic and permit faster economic recovery.[8] This could include a "health passport" for people who have either been vaccinated or otherwise developed immunity by surviving COVID-19.

A CAMOUFLAGE PASSPORT is a document, designed to look like a real passport, issued in the name of a non-existent country or entity. It may be sold with matching documents, such as an international driver's license, club membership card, insurance documents or similar supporting identity papers. A camouflage passport is not a real, valid passport and is to be distinguished from a valid second passport, which an individual with dual citizenship may be eligible to hold, a novelty fantasy passport, or a fake of a real passport.

DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT, a passport used by diplomats. Issued to diplomats of a country and their accompanying dependents for official international travel and residence. Accredited diplomats of certain grades may be granted diplomatic immunity by a host country, but this is not automatically conferred by holding a diplomatic passport. Any diplomatic privileges apply in the country to which the diplomat is accredited; elsewhere diplomatic passport holders must adhere to the same regulations and travel procedures as are required of other nationals of their country. Holding a diplomatic passport in itself does not accord any specific privileges. At some airports, there are separate passport checkpoints for diplomatic passport holders.

COVID-19 Vaccine Passport News, Reviews & Resources

• airline industry will release a COVID-19 passport for your iPhone next month - "After successfully trialing it on an international flight between Singapore and London earlier this month, the IATA says it will release its Travel Pass app in mid-April. The software allows airline travelers to store verified COVID-19 test results and vaccination certificates on their phones."
• Are Covid passports a threat to liberty? It depends on how you define freedom - "The pandemic is once again causing governments to pit incompatible ideas of freedom against each other."
• Can Covid immunity passports unlock travel? - "Can airport testing and Covid immunity passports unlock travel? In the current Covid-created travel maze, passengers face constantly shifting rules as airports, countries and even airlines impose their own restrictions on who can cross international borders."
• Covid-status certificates could lead to deliberate infections, scientists warn - "Immunity certification could foster ‘an erroneous sense of no risk’ in people’s behaviour, according to analysts."
• Covid-19 Vaccine Passports Are Coming. What Will That Mean? - "Scores of plans to verify immunity are in the works. But there are even more questions about how they’ll use data, protect privacy - and who gets certified first."
• COVID-19 Vaccine Passports: Trudeau Says No, Airlines Say Yes - "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has nixed the idea of vaccine passports for Canadians – but there are already companies and other governments around the world hard at work to put them in place."
• EU Travel: ‘Vaccine Passports’ Can’t Be Requirement For Travel, Says EU - "EU has agreed that people who don’t have this certificate shouldn’t be discriminated against - that’s why it isn’t called a passport or doesn’t have anything called vaccine near the title."
• Europe Is Considering COVID-19 Vaccine Passports. Should the Rest of the World Catch Up? - "In a move welcomed by many of Europe’s traumatized travel destinations, the European Union’s leadership is considering a digital health pass that would allow E.U. citizens who have received a COVID-19 vaccine to travel for work or tourism."
• Freedom & fairness: Covid vaccine passport plans cause global unease - "Schemes are in development from Sweden to China, but there are fears around transmission and social unrest."
• How US history explains vaccine passport scepticism - "As the pace of vaccination accelerates, governments, corporations and schools have signalled support for so-called vaccine passports - standardised proof of inoculation."
• If you want to travel next year, you may need a vaccine passport - "Now that coronavirus vaccines are starting to roll out in the US and abroad, many people may be dreaming of the day when they can travel, shop and go to the movies again. But in order to do those activities, you may eventually need something in addition to the vaccine: a vaccine passport application."
• immunity passports: an idea whose time has not come - "A phone app seems better than a passport as a way out of the lockdown. This system will need to be temporary, installed at users’ discretion and have privacy at its core."
• Microsoft, Oracle & other tech giants team up Covid-19 vaccine 'passports' - "Some of the country's biggest tech firms and health care organizations have joined together to help facilitate that return to 'normal.' The group, called the Vaccine Credential Initiative, wants to ensure that everyone has access to a secure, digital record of their Covid-19 vaccination - like a digital vaccine passport - that can be stored in people's smartphones. The records could be used for everything from airline travel to entering concert venues."
• The U.S. Has Had 'Vaccine Passports' Before & They Worked - "The year was 1885. U.S. border officials in the late 19th century did not expect travelers to carry the identification documents that international transit requires today - but they did often require passengers to provide evidence that they had been vaccinated from smallpox."
• These European Countries Are Launching Vaccine Passports - "It’s becoming clearer that in the not-too-distant future, international travelers will require some sort of vaccine passport or vaccine certificate, as a growing number of countries get behind the idea. The appeal is that these documents would allow countries to clear travelers upon entry without the need for quarantining and testing requirements."
• US rules out federal vaccine passports - "The White House has ruled out introducing mandatory federal Covid-19 vaccination passports, saying citizens' privacy and rights should be protected."
• Vaccine passports 'essential' for resumption of international travel - "World Tourism Organisation calls for global coordination, standardised certification and harmonised testing protocols."
• 'Vaccine passports' may be a golden ticket - "What 'vaccine passports' mean for your summer vacation."
• Vaccine passports: what are they & do they pose a danger to privacy? - "Race to build app for people to demonstrate Covid jab or a negative test, but rights groups worry about ‘identity checks’."
• Why 'health passports' wont't work - "Some of the earliest countries to be impacted by the virus have been quick to adopt health certificates - but can immunity passports really help us travel safely again?"

Travel Passport News, Reviews & Resources

• 12 Countries Where You Can Buy Citizenship (and a second Passport) - "After the 2016 presidential election, so many people were dreaming about moving out of the US that Canada’s immigration website crashed. Now, the idea of becoming an expat is getting hot again. According to a recent YouGov survey, 31% of Americans say they are interested in bolting if their candidate isn’t elected in the upcoming November elections. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson made headlines when they recently became honorary Greek citizens and received passports."
• 24 fascinating things you didn't know about your passport - The Telegraph.
• 28 Most Powerful Passports in the World - Travel + Leisure.
• 2021 world's most powerful passports - "The days of strolling into an airport, flashing a passport, then hopping on a flight to wherever one likes are, for now, a distant memory. The Henley Passport Index, which periodically measures the world's most travel-friendly passports, has just released its latest report -- and an analysis of what might lie ahead."
• Australia's oldest micronation, Hutt River is no more thanks to Covid-19 - "The 50-year reign of an Australia-based micronation formed by a 'prince' has come to an end. Hutt River, a self-declared principality, issued its own passports and once even declared war on Australia. In recent years, however, it's been known as a quirky tourist attraction."
• Bali cracks down on damaged passports - "Indonesia is cracking down on this passport rule with one man reportedly stopped from travelling to Bali from Perth on Christmas Day."
• Best & worst passports to hold in 2020 - "Henley Index: Japan tops 2020 list of world's most powerful passports."
• Best Passports To Have For Unrestricted Travel Around The World - The Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index.
• Can you pass the US citizenship test? - The Guardian.
• Coronavirus health passports for UK 'possible in months' - "Tech firm Onfido in talks with government about system to help Britons return to work."
• Cyprus To Suspend EU ‘Golden Passport’ Program After Controversy - "Cyprus is set to suspend a program providing a quick route to citizenship and access to visa-free travel throughout European Union countries after officials were caught considering ways to help convicted criminals gain access to the initiative."
• EU urges crackdown on 'golden passports' for big investors - "The EU Commission has told EU states to tighten checks on non-EU nationals who acquire citizenship - so-called 'golden passports' - through investments."
• Find out which countries are welcoming US tourists back - "Once one of the world's most powerful travel documents, the might of the US passport has shriveled during the Covid-19 pandemic."
• Gallery of passport stamps by country or territory - Wikipedia.
• 'Golden passports': EU launches legal action against Cyprus & Malta - "Brussels says schemes selling citizenship to wealthy investors are illegal."
• 'Golden passports' threaten European security, warns EU commissioner - "‘Citizenship for sale’ under increasing scrutiny from governments and security agencies."
• Henley Passport Index 2006-2019 - "The Henley Passport Index is the original ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. The ranking is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world’s largest and most accurate database of travel information, and enhanced by ongoing research by the Henley & Partners Research Department."
• Henley Passport Index 2021 - "The Henley Passport Index is the original ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. The ranking is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world’s largest and most accurate database of travel information, and enhanced by ongoing research by the Henley & Partners Research Department."
• Here is world’s rarest passport, held only by 500 people - "The Order of Malta, a Roman Catholic institution or order, is home to the rarest passport in the world."
• Hong Kong tells foreign governments to stop accepting special British passport - "The Hong Kong government on Thursday confirmed a Reuters report that it had told 14 countries to stop accepting a British travel document that many of its young people use to apply for working holiday visas in Europe, North America and parts of Asia."
• How Powerful Is Your Passport? These Are The Best, Post-Pandemic, In 2021 - "A passport isn’t just a necessity for a two-week break away; it’s as much about a person’s freedom, their right to live and work in other places and in many instances, a better way of life."
• Investor Citizenship ("golden passport") Schemes - "Questions and Answers on the Report on Investor Citizenship and Residence Schemes in the European Union."
• Malta's 'golden passports': Why do the super-rich want them? - BBC News.
• Maltese passports: why the uber-rich are desperate to have one - "A passport from this country is 'the latest status symbol'. And the world’s wealthiest people are lining up for one."
• Passports for purchase: How the elite get through a pandemic - "Super-rich families are buying multiple citizenships to prepare for the next lockdown. For most people, the coronavirus pandemic has meant fewer travel options. Not so for super-rich families who are increasingly using their money to cross borders that would otherwise be closed to them."
• Passports for purchase: Open citizenship doors around the world - "Need a new passport? These countries will sell you one -- if you can afford it."
• Putin presents Steven Seagal with Russian passport
• rarest passport in the world has only three holders - News.com.au.
• Surge in passport sales delivers Vanuatu a record budget surplus - "Economy devastated by Covid shutdowns and a destructive cyclone, but citizenships-for-sale are keeping the country afloat. Vanuatu citizenship costs US$130,000."
• Swiss 'passports' for €20 - CNN style.
• Tax evasion: blacklist of 21 countries with 'golden passport' schemes published - "OECD says schemes selling either residency or citizenship threaten efforts to combat tax evasion."
• THE AMBASSADOR - Danish documentary about how to obtain a legal diplomatic passport in Liberia.
• The Best Passports To Have For Unrestricted Travel Around The World - The Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index.
• The House Passes Two Immigration Bills. But Will Broader Immigration Reform Be Possible? - TIME Magazine.
• The passport king who markets citizenship for cash - "Guardian investigation reveals how a small firm of wealth advisers built up a $3bn ‘golden passports’ industry and gained influence in the Caribbean."
• These Countries Have the Most Powerful Passports in the World - "Some passports are more powerful than others, granting visa-free access to more countries for headache-free travel. Here's how each country's passport stacks up."
• This Passport Is So Rare, Only 500 People on Earth Have It - Travel + Leisure.
• US passport is now as weak as Mexico's - "Henley Index: Japan tops 2020 list of world's most powerful passports."
• When can you legally travel without a passport? - "Fugitive Edward Snowden is hoping to get to Ecuador, despite not having a valid passport. So when can you legally travel without one?"
• Why the super-rich buy Maltese passports - "Malta's 'golden passports': Why do the super-rich want them?"
• Why the world's passports look different - "The crest on the cover? The colour of the booklet? Those intricately designed inner pages? There’s a reason for every element of your passport’s aesthetic."
• Why you should never hand over your passport at hotel - The Telegraph.
• World's most powerful passports revealed - "Henley Index: Japan and Singapore top 2019 list of world's most powerful passports."

Wikipedia Passport Resources

• BIOMETRIC PASSPORT - Wikipedia.
• Camouflage passport - Wikipedia.
• Diplomatic passport - Wikipedia.
• Immunity passport - Wikipedia.
• List of passports - Wikipedia.
• Nansen passport - Wikipedia.
• Passport - Wikipedia.
• Passport stamp - Wikipedia.
• Pet passport - Wikipedia.
• Travel document - Wikipedia.