paspor

A paspor, or passport, is an official travel document issued by a government to its citizens. It certifies the bearer’s identity and nationality and enables international travel and re-entry to the issuing country. Passports are commonly used at border controls to establish identity and citizenship, and they often serve as a widely accepted form of international identification.

Most countries issue several types of passports, including an ordinary passport for general travel and special categories such as official or diplomatic passports. Many modern passports are biometric, containing an embedded chip with the holder’s digital data and a machine-readable zone on the data page. Typical pages include a personal data page, a photograph, name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, issue and expiration dates, and the issuing authority. Visa pages and, increasingly, security features help prevent fraud.

Issuance and renewal depend on citizenship and national rules. Applicants usually submit proof of identity and citizenship, photographs, and application forms to the country’s immigration or passport office, sometimes through a post or online system. Passports have varying validity periods, commonly several years, and minors often receive shorter validity. If lost or stolen, the holder should report it to authorities to prevent misuse and arrange a replacement.

International mobility depends on the passport’s strength and visa policies of destination countries; some passaports allow visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to many destinations, while others require visas. In some countries a passport card exists as a secondary travel document with more limited use. Passport standards and terminology are overseen by international bodies such as the ICAO, which promotes interoperability and security features.