A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies the identity and nationality of its holder for the purpose of international travel. The elements of identity contained in all standardized passports include information about the holder, including name, date of birth, gender and place of birth.
A passport does not of itself entitle the passport holder entry into another country, nor to consular protection while abroad nor any other privileges. It does, however, normally entitle the passport holder to return to the country that issued the passport. Rights to consular protection arise from international treaties, whilst the bearer's right to return to the passport's country of issue arises is dependent on the laws of the issuing country. A passport does not represent the right or the place of residence of the passport holder in the country that issued the passport.
Read more about Passport: History, Types, International Civil Aviation Organization Standards, Request Page, Languages, Common Designs, National Status, National Conditions On Passport Issuance, Passports As Government Property, Passports and Bail, One Passport Per Person, Limitations On Passport Use, International Travel Without Passports, Intra-sovereign Territory Travel That Requires Passports, Immigration Stamps in Passports
Famous quotes containing the word passport:
“All are inclined to believe what they covet, from a lottery- ticket up to a passport to Paradise.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)
“It is better to pay court to a queen ... than to worship, as we too often do, some unworthy person whose wealth is his sole passport into society. I believe that a habit of respect is good for the human race.”
—M. E. W. Sherwood (1826–1903)
“Whenever [Leonard Bernstein] entered or exited a country he would fill in on his passport form not composer or conductor, but musician. Of course people in the press spent a lot of Lenny’s life telling him what he should have done; he should have been a concert pianist, he should have composed more.... And people wouldn’t let him live his own life. But he created his own career, in his own image.”
—John Mauceri (b. 1945)