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ALMOST all people in the world have a passport that is used to travel to other countries. However, did you know that in this world there are passports that are considered rare, and cannot even be bought with money? The strength of a passport usually depends on the country of issue and the like, so not all passports are the same.
While Singapore’s passport is one of the most powerful, Henley & Partners recently ranked it the most powerful passport in the world, and Singapore has access to 192 visa-free countries. As a country that offers many advantages, a Singapore passport is worth US$2.7 million or around IDR38 billion more for those with cash.
In contrast, the Kiwi Book of travel was ranked the eighth most powerful. For those who want to invest and enter into New Zealand citizenship, they must provide US $ 10 million or around Rp. 143 billion more and three years in the country.
However, there are also several other passports that money cannot buy, such as the following:
1. Diplomatic Passport
Several passports can be owned if they are related to work or position. Diplomatic passports are travel documents that some countries use to assist their officials and civil servants in crossing borders between countries.
Usually, this passport is used by ambassadors. The existence of this passport can help them when they have to travel, such as if there are certain visa requirements or special conditions to be able to enter a country.
For example, for British diplomatic passport holders, they can be accepted as visa-free and can stay longer than the 72-hour transit visa exemption. In addition, holders of these passports often benefit from diplomatic immunity.
In fact, some host countries have reciprocal arrangements that passport holders and their families will be exempt from some laws. Another advantage is that, although not strictly travel related, having a passport can be very helpful if you are going to book tickets during the holiday season.
Diplomatic passport holders are also exempt from most of the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions to be able to help civil servants navigate the pandemic. It is known that New Zealand issues diplomatic passports, but not everyone can go haphazardly with these passports. So, diplomatic passport holders, must use their personal passport if their trip is not for official reasons.
2. Special Passport
In addition to issuing diplomatic passports, New Zealand, for example, also issues official passports in addition to diplomatic passports which are black like ordinary books.
Other countries also issue more creative passports for this particular passport. One of them is Canada which also issued a special green passport and a bright red diplomatic passport.
A special passport is a type of passport that is issued to civil servants who work on behalf of the country and their families for 5 years and as long as they meet certain requirements, this special passport also has many privileges.
It is known that approximately half of the residents of Vatican City in Rome have Vatican passports that are valid for travel. Those in possession include 110 Swiss bodyguards stationed in the city to protect the Pope.
Despite being able to use a special passport, Pope Frances has not traveled with a Vatican passport since taking up the Holy See in 2014. Frances, whose real name is Jorge Mario Begoglio, has renewed her Argentine passport. He traveled the world as an ordinary citizen without receiving any privileges.
3. Employment Passport
For your information in the UK official diplomatic couriers have QMS passports, which stands for Queen’s Messenger Service. As the name implies, the passport of this high-class courier entitles its owner to cross the border in a timely manner with classified diplomatic material.
Royal postmen are not the only ones with these passports, some international organizations also have their own documents. Since 1946 the United Nations began issuing the laissez-passer travel document, a sky blue and red book given to workers for various branches of the United Nations, the International Labor Organization, and the World Health Organization.
However, the laissez-passer is more like an additional proof of identity and cannot be used for traveling alone as the holder must still carry the original national passport of the holder.
Since 2010 Interpol has issued a biometric passport for state-free workers. This cool, jet-black passport design looks like a prop from a Hollywood action movie. Passports recognized by most countries where Interpol operates are used to speed up the entry process and allow the holder to pursue criminals across borders.
Not everyone needs a passport to travel abroad, for example the Queen of England. He does not need to carry a passport to travel abroad, however, there are still some cases when the formalities of a passport are not required, such as defense workers on active duty overseas also being allowed to cross the border by military transport without a travel document.
Those who get that right are like the 55-member contingent of Singapore’s DART (Disaster Assistance & Rescue Team) who came to Christchurch immediately after the 2011 earthquake. [kompas.com/photo special]
