Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Passports All Over the World

A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth. Most often, nationality and citizenship are congruent.



First Japanese Passport - 1866

One of the earliest known reference to what served the major role of a passport is found in the Hebrew Bible. In Nehemiah 2:7-9, attributed to the time of the Persian Empire in about 450 BC, it is said that Nehemiah, an official serving King Artaxerxes I of Persia, asked leave to travel to Judea, and the king granted leave and gave him a letter "to the governors beyond the river" requesting safe passage for him as he travelled through their lands.

USSR Passport 1929


In the medieval Islamic Caliphate, a form of passport was used in the form of a bara'a, a receipt for taxes paid. Only citizens who paid their zakah (for Muslims) or jizya (for Dhimmis) taxes were permitted to travel to different regions of the Caliphate, thus the bara'a receipt was a "traveller's basic passport."



It is considered unlikely that the term "passport" is derived from sea ports, but rather from a medieval document required to pass through the gate ("porte") of a city wall of to pass through a territory. In medieval Europe, such documents were issued to travellers by local authorities, and generally contained a list of towns and cities into which a document holder was permitted to pass. On the whole, documents were not required for travel to sea ports, which were considered open trading points, but documents were required to travel inland from sea ports.

King Henry V of England is credited with having invented what some consider the first true passport, notwithstanding the earlier examples cited, as a means of helping his subjects prove who they were in foreign lands.

A rough standardization exists in types of passports throughout the world, although passport types, number of pages and definitions can vary by country.
  • Ordinary passport, [Tourist passport, Regular passport, Passport]
Issued to citizens and generally the most-issued type of passport. Sometimes it is possible to have children registered within the ordinary passport of the parent, rendering the passport functionally equal to a family passport.
  • Official passport [Service passport, also Special passport]
Issued to government employees for work-related travel, and to accompanying dependents.
  • Diplomatic passport    
Canadian Diplomatic Passport
Issued to diplomats for work-related travel, and to accompanying dependents. Although most diplomats with diplomatic immunity carry diplomatic passports, having a diplomatic passport is not the equivalent of having diplomatic immunity. A grant of diplomatic status, a privilege of which is diplomatic immunity, has to come from the government of the country in relation to which diplomatic status is claimed. Also, having a diplomatic passport does not mean visa-free travel. A holder of a diplomatic passport usually has to obtain a diplomatic visa, even if a holder of an ordinary passport may enter a country visa-free or may obtain a visa on arrival.
In exceptional circumstances, a diplomatic passport is given to a foreign citizen with no passport of his own, such as an exiled VIP who lives, by invitation, in a foreign country.
  • Emergency passport [Temporary passport]
Issued to persons whose passports were lost or stolen, and who do not have time to obtain replacement passports. Sometimes laissez-passer are used for this purpose.
  • Collective passport
Issued to defined groups for travel together to particular destinations, such as a group of school children on a school trip to a specified country.
  • Family passport
Issued to family members—father, mother, son, daughter. There is one passport holder. The passport holder may travel alone or with one or more other family members. A family member who is not the passport holder cannot use the passport for travel unless accompanied by the passport holder.
 International Civil Aviation Organization Standards
  The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) issues passport standards which are treated as recommendations to national governments.
  • Standard passport format
The standard passport format includes the name of the issuing country on a passport cover, a national symbol, a description of the document (e.g., passport, official passport, diplomatic passport), and -if the passport is biometric- the biometric passport symbol. Inside, there is a title page, also naming the country. This is followed by a data page, on which there is information about the bearer and the issuing authority, although passports of some European Union member states provide that information on the inside back cover. There are blank pages available for foreign countries to affix visas, and to stamp for entries and exit. Passports have numerical or alphanumerical designators ("serial number") assigned by the issuing authority.
  • Machine-readable passport standards
Standards for machine-readable passports have also been issued by the ICAO, with an area set aside where most of the information written as text is also printed in a manner suitable for optical character recognition.
  • e-Passport standards
To conform with ICAO standards, a biometric passport has an embedded contactless smart card, which contains data about the passport holder, a photograph in digital format, and data about the passport itself. Many countries now issue biometric passports. The objectives for the biometric passports are to speed up clearance through immigration and the prevention of identity fraud. These reasons are disputed by privacy advocates.
 AFGHANISTAN
 The front cover of a contemporary Afghan passport The Afghan passport is issued to citizens of Afghanistan for international travel.
 The front cover of a Afghan passport A U S T R A L I A Australian passports have the Australian coat of arms emblazoned in the centre of the front cover. The word "Passport" is inscribed at the bottom of the cover just above a standard biometric symbol. The coat of arms is featured in the centre of the cover. The standard passport contains 32 pages, but it can be issued in a 64 page format upon request for an additional fee.
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Australian ePassport – 'N' series

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Australia N series ePassport information page

Passport note

The passports contain a note from the issuing state that is addressed to the authorities of all other states, identifying the bearer as a citizen of that state and requesting that he or she be allowed to pass and be treated according to international norms. The note inside Australian passports states:   

B E L G I U M

Belgian passports are burgundy, with the Belgian smaller Coat of arms emblazoned in the centre of the front cover. The words "EUROPESE UNIE" (Dutch), "UNION EUROPÉENNE" (French) and "EUROPÄISCHE UNION" (German) (English: European Union) - "KONINKRIJK BELGIË" (Dutch), "ROYAUME DE BELGIQUE" (French) and "KÖNIGREICH BELGIEN" (German) (English: Kingdom of Belgium) is inscribed above the coat of arms and the word "PASPOORT - PASSEPORT - REISEPASS" (English: Passport) is inscribed below the coat of arms. Belgian passports have the standard biometric symbol at the bottom and use the standard EU design. The sequence of the languages on the cover is Dutch-French-German, French-Dutch-German or German-French-Dutch, depending on the affiliation with the lingual community of its holder.

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The front cover of a contemporary Belgian biometric passport

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The inside of the 2008 version shows the town hall of the capital Brussels

B R A Z I L

The current Brazilian passport is machine-readable, complying with the ICAO Document 9303 standard. When the passport is first issued, the holder's fingerprints, signature and photograph are digitally acquired and stored in a database, but only the holder's digital picture is coded in the physical passport, in a two-dimensional barcode. The latter, as well as the holder's personal identification data and his or her picture are directly laser-printed on the passport; only the holder's signature is handwritten in the traditional way. (Since the old "green" model was designed in the 1970s, before computer technology became widely available, the holder's data are typewritten or even handwritten on it.) At 8.5 x 12.5 cm (3.35 x 5.31 inches), the new passport model is 1 cm (0.39 inch) shorter in height than its predecessor.


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The front cover of the Brazilian biometric passport, adopted in December 2010

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Sample identification page of new ("blue") Brazilian passport. All data, including the holder's picture, are laser-printed. Notice the two-dimensional biometric barcode and the machine-readable code printed in the lower part. The protective plastic sheet covering this page is holographic and there are over 20 other advanced security features.

B R I T A I N  (UK)

The words "UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND" are inscribed above the coat of arms, whilst the word "PASSPORT" is inscribed below. The biometric passport symbol
EPassport logo.svg appears at the bottom of the front cover under the word "PASSPORT".
The words "EUROPEAN UNION" are printed at the top of British passports issued to British nationals who are considered "Nationals of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the purposes of Community Law" (i.e. British Citizens, British Subjects with the right of abode in the UK and British Overseas Territories Citizens connected with Gibraltar). It is not included at the top of other British passports (i.e. British Nationals (Overseas), British Overseas Citizens, British Protected Persons, and British Overseas Territories Citizens.

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The front cover of the current British biometric passport issued since 2010

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Biographical data page of a 2006-2010 British ePassport issued by the IPS and FCO.
  


C A N A D A

Regular passports are deep navy blue, with the Royal Arms of Canada emblazoned in the centre of the front cover. The words "PASSPORT•PASSEPORT" are inscribed below the coat of arms, and "CANADA" above. The bilingual cover is indicative of the textual portions of Canadian passports being printed in both English and French, Canada's two official languages. The standard passport contains 24 pages, but it can be issued in a 48 page format upon request for an additional fee.
New security features, similar to those on banknotes, have been added with increasing frequency since 2001. Microprinting, holographic images, UV-visible imaging, watermarks and other details have been implemented, particularly on the photo page. As well, the photo is now digitally printed directly on the paper (in both standard and UV-reactive ink); previously, the actual photo had been laminated inside the document.

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The front cover of a contemporary Canadian passport

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Personal Data Page of a Canadian passport

C H I N A

The People's Republic of China passport , commonly referred to as the Chinese passport, is the passport issued to citizens of the People's Republic of China (PRC) for international travel.
Issued to Chinese citizens as defined by the PRC's Nationality Law, the passport is not for use by nationals travelling to Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan as these regions are considered parts of the PRC and, thus, does not constitute international travel. Separate travel documents are required to travel to these regions. Conversely, Chinese citizens residing in these regions cannot use their SAR passports or Republic of China passports to enter mainland China. However, mainland China residents transiting Hong Kong or Macau when travelling to other countries may use their passports to enter Hong Kong or Macau for 7 days.
Chinese citizens who are also permanent residents of Hong Kong or Macau Special Administrative Regions of the PRC are issued Hong Kong or Macau SAR passports by the respective immigration departments of the SARs. The SAR passports are variants of the PRC passport with different colours and wordings on the cover. Holders of SAR passports enjoy visa-free entry to more countries than holders of regular PRC passports.

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Version "Form 97" of the Chinese Passport.

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Cover of a Chinese diplomatic passport issued in 1992.

D E N M A R K

The Danish and Greenlandic versions of the passport is burgundy according to the European Unions recommendations, while the Faroese version is Green. All contain the Danish Coat of Arms emblazoned in the centre of the front cover, with the word DANMARK (English: Denmark) above it, and the word PAS (English: Passport) below. Since August 1, 2006, biometric passports are issued. Above the word DANMARK, the Danish version contains the words DEN EUROPÆISKE UNION (English: European Union) (as all other EU passports), while in the Greenlandic and Faroese versions the text KALAALLIT NUNAAT (English: Greenland) or FØROYAR (English: Faroe Islands) is written. Fields on the bearer's page are in Danish, English and French, with translations in the official languages of the European Union elsewhere in the document. Instead of French, Faroese or Greenlandic are used in the Faroese and Greenlandic versions respectively.

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The front cover of a contemporary Danish biometric passport
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Interior language pages of a Danish passport.


E G Y P T 

Egyptian passports are dark green, with the Egyptian Coats of Arms emblazoned in the centre of the front cover. The word "جواز س�ر•PASSPORT" (the former being the Arabic equivalent) is inscribed below the coat of arms, and "جمهورية مصر العربية•ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT" above. The passport contains 52 pages. The passports are opened from their right end and their pages are arranged from right to left.


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The front cover of a contemporary Egyptian passport

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Egyptian Passport Bio Page

F  R A N C E 

French passports are Bordeaux-red, with the French Coat of arms emblazoned in the center of the front cover. The word "PASSEPORT" (English: Passport) is inscribed below the coat of arms and "Union européenne" (English: European Union), "République française" (English: French Republic) above. The “e-passport� (biometric) cover has a microchip symbol at the bottom. French passports use the standard EU design, with the standard passport containing 36 pages.

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The front cover of a contemporary French biometric passport

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Personal data of holder's appears on page 2

G E O R G I  A

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The front cover of a contemporary Georgian passport

G E R M A N Y

German passports have followed since 1 January 1988 the standard European Union passport design, with burgundy red cover and the German Eagle emblazoned in the centre of the front cover. The word "Reisepass" (German for passport) is inscribed below the coat of arms, while "Europäische Union" (German for European Union) and "Bundesrepublik Deutschland" (German for Federal Republic of Germany) appear above.
German passports are normally 32 pages long; a 48-page version for frequent travellers can be issued on request.
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The front cover of a contemporary German biometric passport

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German biometric Information Page

G R E E C E

The Greek passport follows the standard European Union passport design, with a burgundy red cover and the national emblem emblazoned on the centre of the front cover. The word ΔΙΑΒΑΤΗΡΙΟ (Greek for "passport") is inscribed below the coat of arms, while ΕΥΡΩΠΑΪΚΗ Ε�ΩΣΗ ("European Union") and ΕΛΛΗ�ΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ ("Hellenic Republic") appear above.A Greek diplomatic passport has the same size and design as the standard one, but it features a black cover and the text ΔΙΠΛΩΜΑΤΙΚΟ ΔΙΑΒΑΤΗΡΙΟ ("diplomatic passport") inscribed below the coat of arms. Greek passports contain 32 pages and are valid for 5 years.

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Passport of the Kingdom of Greece from 1970

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H O N G  KONG

In February 2007, the first ePassport was introduced. The design conforms with the document design recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization. The new ePassport featured in the 2008 Stockholm Challenge Event and was a finalist for the Stockholm Challenge Award in the Public Administration categeory. The Hong Kong SAR ePassport design was praised on account of the "multiple state-of-the-art technologies [which] are seamlessly integrated in the sophisticated Electronic Passport System (e-Passport System)".
The cover of the new biometric passport remains essentially the same as that of previous versions, with the addition of the biometric passport logo at the bottom.

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Cover of the Hong Kong SAR ePassport issued since February 2007

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The Cover of 1st and 2nd Versions of the HKSAR Passport (1997-2007)

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Identification Page of the ePassport

I N D I A

Indian passports have a Blue cover, with the Emblem of India emblazoned in the center of the front cover. The words Hindi: 'पासपोर�ट' and English: 'Passport' inscribed above the Emblem and Hindi: 'भारत गणराज�य' and English: 'Republic of India' inscribed below the emblem. The standard passport contains 36 pages, but frequent travelers can opt for 60 pages (as noted above).

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The front cover of a contemporary Indian passport

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Personal Data First Page of an Indian passport

I N D O N E S I A 

Since February 6, 2006 biometric passport are electronic passport (e-passport) issued according to the international standards established by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). The application of biometric passports is an attempt to combat the forms of forgery most commonly encountered by Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, especially regarding passports of Indonesian migrant workers.
Effective from 26 January 2011, Indonesian Immigration Authority (Kementrian Hukum dan HAM RI) is scheduled to launch the e-passport. The government sets the amount of e-passport launched to be 10.000 units along the year of 2011. The launch of newly implemented e-passport is limited in three immigration offices, those are Immigration Office Class I Jakarta Barat (West Jakarta), Immigration Office Cllas I Special Soekarno-Hatta, and Immigration Office Class I Jakarta Pusat (Central Jakarta).


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The front cover of a Indonesian passport

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Identity information page

I R A N

he Iranian passports are burgundy, with Iranian Coat of Arms emblazoned on the top of the front cover.
The words " جمهوری اسلامی ایران" (Persian) meaning (English: Islamic Republic of Iran) and "گذرنامه" (Persian) meaning (English: Passport) are inscribed below the coat of arms.
On the inside of the back-cover, Iranian passports bear the inscription: "The holder of this passport is not entitled to travel to occupied Palestine", which refers to Israel.

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Cover of an MRD Iranian Passport, as of 2009

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Iranian Passport Datapage

I R A Q

The Iraqi passport is issued to citizens of Iraq for international travel. A new "A series" of passports are being issued as of 1 February 2010.

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Ocer of old G-Series passport (2006-2010)

I R E L A N D

Irish passports use the standard European Union design, with a machine-readable identity page and 34, 48 or 64 visa pages. The cover bears the harp, the national symbol of Ireland. The words on the cover are in both of Ireland's official languages, Irish and English. The top of the cover page reads An tAontas Eorpach and the equivalent in English, European Union. Just above the harp are the words Éire and its equivalent in English, Ireland. The identity page on older Irish passports was on the back cover of the booklet. Newly-issued passports have been redesigned with additional security features. The identity page is now a plastic card attached between the front cover and the first visa page.
The ePassport or biometric passport, was launched on 16 October 2006 with the first ePassports presented that day by the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

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The front cover of a contemporary Irish biometric passport

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The data page of a current Irish biometric passport.

I S R A E L

Israeli passports are navy blue, with the Israeli coat of arms emblazoned in the center of the front cover, below the script "State of Israel" in both Hebrew and English. The word "PASSPORT" is inscribed below the coat of arms, also in Hebrew and English. The inner pages are decorated with the Israeli emblem of olive branches and the seven-branched menorah. The regular passport contains 32 pages. The business passport contains 64 pages.
Israeli passports are valid for up to 10 years for persons over the age of 18. They are bilingual, using Hebrew and English. Since Hebrew is written from right to left, the passports are opened from their right end and their pages are arranged from right to left. Arabic is not used in Israeli passports, even though it is used in internal identity cards.

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The front cover of a contemporary Israeli passport

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Israeli passport personal-information page

Countries that do not accept Israeli passports
  •  Algeria
  •  Bangladesh
  •  Brunei
  •  Djibouti
  •  Iran
  •  Kuwait
  •  Lebanon
  •  Libya
  •  Malaysia
  •  Pakistan
  •  Qatar
  •  Saudi Arabia
  •  Somalia
  •  Sudan
  •  Syria
  •  United Arab Emirates
  •  Yemen
I T A L Y

Italian passports are burgundy coloured, with the Italian Coat of arms emblazoned in the center of the front cover. The word "Passaporto", meaning passport, is inscribed below the coat of arms and "Unione Europea" (English: European Union), "Repubblica Italiana" (English: Italian Republic) above. However, the “e-passport� cover has the biometric symbol at the bottom, as in other countries. Italian passport uses the standard EU design.

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The front cover of a contemporary Italian biometric passport

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Inside cover of an Italian biometric passport issued in 2006

J A P A N

Japanese passports have the Imperial Seal of Japan inscribed in the center of the front cover, with the Japanese words Nipponkoku Ryoken (日本国旅券) inscribed above and its English translation JAPAN PASSPORT below the Seal. Ordinary passports valid for five years are in dark blue, and those valid for ten years are in crimson in color. Additionally, official passports are in dark green, and diplomatic passports in dark brown.

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The front cover of a contemporary Japanese biometric passport

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Identity Information Page

K O R E A
South Korean passports have the Korean Coat of Arms (bottom right) inscribed in the center of the front cover, with the Korean word Daehanminguk Yeokwon (대한민국 여권) inscribed above and its English translation Republic of Korea Passport below the coat of arms. Ordinary passports valid for five or ten years are in dark green.

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In this type of passport the passport number is perforated from the third page to the back cover.

Restricted Nations

As a result from South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan in July, 2007, the South Korean government has banned Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia as travel destinations for safety reasons.

K U W A I T

There are three types of Kuwaiti passports. The Blue Passport issued to any Kuwaiti citizen, the Green Passport issued to the Kuwaiti Al-Sabah Ruling Family (Special Passport), and the Red Passport is issued for the government top officials and Kuwaiti's in abroad embassies (diplomatic passport). A Kuwaiti carrying the passport enjoys free health care and free education from the government. Kuwait is a tax-free country, as the government gets most of its revenue from the oil industry which is controlled by the government.

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The front cover of a contemporary Kuwaiti passport

M A L A Y S I A

Malaysia was the first country in the world to issue biometric passports in March 1998, after a local company, IRIS Corporation, developed the technology. In December 2002, thumbprint data was added to the biometric data on the passport chip. Similar technology is used in the Malaysian identity card, MyKad.
The biometric data included on the Malaysian passport is a digital photograph of the bearer's face, and images of their two thumbprints. Malaysian immigration checkpoints were the only ones with the technology to read and authenticate the data from the RFID chip using a fingerprint scanner and facial recognition technology, but widespread adoption of ePassport technology around the world has seen the technology installed in international airports in the USA, the UK and other countries.

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Regular international biometric passport since 1998

Malaysian passport holders are not permitted to enter Israel. However, special permission can be obtained to visit Israel for religious purposes. Likewise, Israeli passport holders are not permitted to enter Malaysia without written permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

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Regular international biometric passport (ICAO-compliant), issued starting February 2010

N E P A L

Nepalese passports are green, with the Coat of arms of Nepal emblazoned in the center of the front cover. The words Nepali: "राहदानी" and "नेपाल " are inscribed above the coat of arms and words English: "PASSPORT" and "NEPAL" are inscribed below the coat of arms. The ordinary passport contains 60 pages. Note: Nepal has now introduced Machine readable passport from 26 December 2010.

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The front cover of a contemporary Nepalese passport

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Passport holder information page

N E W Z E A L A N D

New Zealand passports are black, with New Zealand Coat of arms emblazoned in the centre of the front cover. The words "NEW ZEALAND PASSPORT" and "URUWHENUA AOTEAROA" are inscribed above the coat of arms in silver. The standard biometric symbol is on the bottom. Passports prior to November 2009 were navy blue.

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The front cover of a contemporary New Zealand biometric passport (2009)

P A K I S T A N

In 2004, Pakistan became among one of the first countries in the world to issue the biometric passports, which are according to the publisher compliant with ICAO standards and dubbed Multi-biometric e-Passports.. They do not carry the "chip inside" symbol (EPassport logo.svg), which is mandatory for ICAO-standard electronic passports. More than 7 million passports have been issued until now. The passports are printed by the governmental agency NADRA.

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The front cover of a contemporary Pakistani passport

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Pakistani passport data page

Restricted Countries
Israel

P H I L I  P I N E S

A Philippine passport has a maroon cover with the coat of arms of the Philippines emblazoned in the center. The cover contains the Filipino words "PILIPINAS" on top and "PASAPORTE" on the bottom. Passports issued in the late Marcos era (1980–1986) had the order reversed (strikingly similar to the United States passport), with "PASAPORTE" on top and "REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS" on the bottom. All passports issued since the late Marcos era have the cover in Filipino save for the SIRB, where the cover text is in English. A typical passport has 44 (previously 32 or 64) pages.

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The front cover of a contemporary Philippine biometric passport

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The data page of the biometric passport with a machine-readable zone and digitally-captured signature.

Restricted Countries
Iraq

Q A T A R


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The front cover of a contemporary Qatari biometric passport

R U S S I A

Two types of passports are being issued now in Russia: old type passport and new type biometric passport. Old type passport is currently valid for only 5 years, biometric passport issued before March 1st 2010 is valid for 5 years too. Contemporary biometric passports issued after March 1st 2010 are valid for 10 years and they are also have increased number of pages to 46 (from 36 for the old type passports).

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The front cover of a contemporary Russian biometric passport

S A U D I A R A B I A

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The front cover of a contemporary Saudi Arabian passport

S O U T H  A F R I C A

South African passports are green in colour, with the South African coat of arms emblazoned in gold in the center of the front cover. "REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA", French: "REPUBLIQUE D'AFRIQUE DU SUD" are inscribed in gold text above and below the coat of arms respectively. "PASSPORT", French: "PASSEPORT" are inscribed in gold text near the bottom of the front cover. The back cover is left blank.
Beginning in 2009, passports were issued with the new South African coat of arms. Additionally, visa pages now contain a watermark of the Lion, Buffalo, Leopard, Elephant, and Rhinoceros - the Big Five animals of Southern Africa.

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Front Cover of a Current Issue South African Passport .

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Photo Page of a Current Issue South African Passport.

S P A I N

Spanish passports are issued to Spanish citizens for the purpose of travel outside Spain. However, for travel solely within the European Economic Area, Switzerland and a number of other European countries, such as Norway and Croatia, Spanish citizens need only use their Spanish identity card.

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The front cover of a contemporary Spanish biometric passport

 S W E D E N

The Swedish passports issued since October 1, 2005 are burgundy, with the words "EUROPEISKA UNIONEN" (English: EUROPEAN UNION), "SVERIGE" (English: SWEDEN) and "PASS" (English: PASSPORT) inscribed at the top of the front cover, and the Swedish lesser coat of arms emblazoned on the bottom of the front cover. The Swedish passport has the standard biometric symbol emblazoned bellow the coat of arms and uses the standard European Union design. Diplomatic passports are dark blue, with the words "DIPLOMATPASS" (English: DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT) and "SVERIGE" (English: SWEDEN).
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The front cover of a contemporary Swedish biometric passport

S W I T Z E R L A N D

Swiss passports are red in colour, with the words «Schweizer Pass» (German), «Passeport suisse» (French), «Passaporto svizzero» (Italian), «Passaport svizzer» (Romansh) and «Swiss passport» (English) at the top right corner with the Swiss equilateral white cross below. The standard biometric symbol is placed at the bottom right.

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The front cover of a contemporary Swiss biometric passport

T U R K E Y

Turkish Biometric passports (Turkish: Biyometrik pasaport), compatible with the new ICAO standards, have been available since June 1, 2010. Applications for the new passports can be submitted online through the government's website . Passports can be collected at local police stations or post offices.
The biometric passports have different colour covers; regular passports in maroon and diplomatic passports in black, in compliance with ICAO standards.



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 The front cover of a Turkish biometric passport

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U S A

U.S. passport booklets are valid for travel by Americans anywhere in the world, although travel to certain countries and/or for certain purposes may require a visa. They conform with recommended standards (i.e., size, composition, layout, technology) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). There are five types of passport booklets; as well, the Department of State has issued only e-passports as standard since August 2007, though non-biometric passports are valid until their expiry dates.
 The front cover of a contemporary United States biometric passport (2007)


Signature page and data page of a biometric passport (2007)
Z I M B A B W E

The Zimbabwean passport is issued to citizens of Zimbabwe primarily for international travel. It can also be used for identification in lieu of national registration card or drivers licence. It is the primary proof for citizenship which can be verified through the Ministry of Home Affairs, Registrar Generals office.
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 The front cover of a Zimbabwean  passport

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