A passport is an official travel document issued by a government with the barer's identity. It enables one to travel internationally and having one does not necessarily mean one is a citizen. As one digs deeper into visa requirements, types of citizenship, visa regions, and more things can get very strange.
If one would like to see the world (or even just American Samoa), then getting a passport is a liberating must. It can be complicated to know what all the visa requirements and other things are, one can start to get an idea by reading some general tips.
Much More Complicated Than One Nation, One Passport
It may come as a surprise to many but often not only the national (or federal governments) issue passports but also some subnational governments may be permitted to issue passports to the citizens in their region.
Examples of this include the Chinese Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. Both regions have their own passports and their own immigration policies even though they are both parts of China. Even Chinese from the mainland need a visa to enter Hong Kong while Americans and others don't.
Even Citizenship (Can) Be Complicated
One may not even be a full citizen of a country (this is somethings not a simple and straightforward question. The United Kingdom has no less than 6 different types of British nationality. These are:
- British Citizenship: The Main One Of People From The UK Proper
- British Overseas Territories Citizen
- British Overseas Citizen
- British Subject
- British National (Overseas)
- British Protected Person
The United Kingdom issues no less than five types of passports depending on the factors - like the British Giblatar Passport
Many people in Hong Kong have a British National (Overseas) passport. Even though one may have this passport, one still does not have the right of abode in the UK (although that loosened in 2021)
- Electress Sophia of Hanover: It Is Even Possible For Descendants of This Woman (Lived Over 300 Years Ago) To Get British Citizenship
If this seems strange of the British, but one may also be an American national without the right of abode in the USA.
While anyone born in the 50 states, DC, or the US territories are national-born American citizens, this does not apply to American Samoa. Here people are typically non-citizen U.S. nationals at birth.
- American Samoa Entry Requirements: Even Though American Samoa is Part of The USA, Americans Need A Passport (and return ticket) to Enter
- American citizens: American Citizens Are Also American nationals, but American Nationals Might Not be American Citizens
For most people this isn't all that important - just armory for a trivia night quiz.
But what is more important is the requirements of the countries one is planning to visit. Somethings things get really weird.
The Schengen Zone
Most of Europe has a common immigration policy and has formed the Schengen Zone. One can normally visit this area for up to three months at a go. The internal immigration boundaries have been removed. So there is no immigration for anyone between Germany and France and a flight from Finland to Spain will be in the domestic section of the airport.
- Schengen Zone: Common Travel Area for 26 European Countries
- Andorra: A Micro State Inside The Schengen Zone That Is Not Part of The Schengen Zone (The Immigration Posts are Only Sometimes Staffed)
- French Guinea: Although In South America, it is Part Of Europe's Schengen Zone
Common Travel Area Of the British Isles And Other Oddities
The Common Travel Area of the British Isles establishes a common travel area between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (as well as the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands). Once in the UK, there are no checkpoints for one to visit Ireland.
- Common Travel Area: UK, Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, Isle of Man
But this is no issue for people from the United States or Europe who may enter either country visa-free. But this can create some complications for others.
For example, South African citizens may enter the Republic of Ireland visa-free but not the United Kingdom. But there is nothing to stop them from driving into Northern Ireland and being in the country illegally.
- South Africans: May Enter Ireland but Not The UK Visa Free
Also to enter the United Kingdom legally, South Africans can't just fly from Ireland to England - as there will be no immigration on the other side. They would likely need to fly to Europe and then to the United Kingdom to pass through immigration.
- Svalbard: Norway's Svalbard is An Entirely Visa-Free Zone
- French Overseas Collectives: Different Policies Apply to Different Terrorities (Many are Aligned with Mainland France)
- Special Regions: Sometimes Permission is Required For Special Regions - Like Tibet in China
An example of this that affects most Westerners is Belarus. Belarus is visa-free for most Western passports, and they have a common travel area with Russia. So if one wants to visit Russia after Belarus one can't drive or fly directly and would need to drive or fly through a third country.