Passport

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Cover of the 2007 U.S. passport, dark blue with gold text reading Passport and United States of America, featuring the Great Seal of the United States and an electronic passport symbol.

Know about the various advanced biometrics forms of security measures, from ear and nose analysis to palm recognition

Nazi-era passport of a German Jew

Passport: References & Edit History

More Articles On This Topic

What is a visa, and how does it differ from a passport?

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

Other Contributors

Christopher Rees

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	Article title updated for style.	The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica	Nov 03, 2026
	Modified link of Web site: Cambridge University Press - Cambridge Core - People, Paper and Power: The Birth of the Passport in International Law.	Emily Rodriguez	May 13, 2026
	Add new Web site: ABC listen - Late Night Live - The power of passports.	Emily Rodriguez	Oct 14, 2025
	Article updated and revised.	Tara Ramanathan	Mar 18, 2025
	Add new Web site: Academia - Passport (PDF).	Gloria Lotha	Mar 13, 2025
	Add new Web site: BBC - Thinking Allowed - The Passport.	Grace Young	Jan 04, 2025
	Add new Web site: Cambridge University Press - Cambridge Core - People, Paper and Power: The Birth of the Passport in International Law.	Grace Young	Aug 05, 2024
	Add new Web site: The Guardian - A brief history of the passport.	Gloria Lotha	Mar 08, 2024
	Add new Web site: National Geographic - The Contentious History of the Passport.	Gloria Lotha	Dec 22, 2023
	Add new Web site: Canada.ca - History of Passports.	Gloria Lotha	Mar 11, 2023
	Article revised to note that Her Majesty's Passport Office issues passports in the United Kingdom.	Brian Duignan Christopher Rees	May 24, 2016
	Media added.	Mic Anderson	May 10, 2016
	Add new Web site: Buzzle.com - Passport.	Aakanksha Gaur	Aug 06, 2013
	Article thoroughly revised.	John M. Cunningham	Sep 10, 2010
	Media added.	Chelsey Parrott-Sheffer	Dec 31, 2008
	Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - People - How Passports Work.	Shiveta Singh	Dec 23, 2008
	Article revised.	The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica	Nov 20, 2003
	Article added to new online database.	The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica	Jul 20, 1998