The Various Colors Of Passports And How To Decode Them

by erin on January 24, 2011

Passports have been around for a very long time, helping people travel all over the world and see different sorts of places and meet all different types of people. However, not a lot of knowledge is common concerning passports, and some people only see it as a document that allows you to get from point A to point B. There are a lot of intricacies when it comes to passports, such as when it comes to a damaged passport, and one thing that many people aren’t aware of is the various coloration associated with passports.

Passports come in many different colors. These colors aren’t all for looks, they actually serve a purpose. Each color shows the status of the person traveling. For example, you probably own the dark blue passport. These are the passports issued to regular citizens. For citizens above the age of 18, these passports are valid for 10 years, for those under this age, it’s valid for 5 years. Another type of passport is the one with the maroon cover. These passports are reserved for citizens on official US government business, but not diplomatic business. These passports are generally held by congressmen, US military, family of military, or anyone else assigned on official business. These passports are valid for five years.

For those traveling for strictly diplomatic purposes, the black passport is used. This passport alerts officials that the person holding is has diplomatic immunity. That is, he is free of search of person and luggage, he can’t be arrested, and he doesn’t need to worry about delays or detentions. These passports are valid for five years as well.

There is also a green colored passport. This passport is different in that it says nothing about the holder. It was simply created by the State Department in order to celebrate the 200th year anniversary of the U.S. Consular Service, and it featured a portrait and commemoration of Benjamin Franklin on the inside. These passports stopped being issued in 1994, and so it is not likely that you will see anyone using a green passport anymore.

The final color for passports is blue-green. These passports generally are held by those who are not full citizens of the United States. For example, the Travel Document, also called the Refugee Travel Document or Refugee Passport, is issued to aliens who are refugees or asylees. A refugee is someone who fears going back to their country because of any sort of persecution. An asylee is someone who is unwilling or even unable to return to his or her country for various reasons. Another blue-green passport is the Reentry Permit, which is given to a permanent resident alien, so they can re-enter the country. This is just a little bit of knowledge concerning passports, and there certainly is much more to learn, such as how to get a passport name change.

If you are looking to get your first passport, there are a couple ways to do it. The quickest and most stress-free way is online passport processing. From these websites, you can fill out and submit a passport application right from your own home, along with other services, such as one to help you replace a damaged passport or get a passport name change. They also specialize in expedited passport service so you can get your passport within a matter of days. They also make the process incredibly easy.

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