The little-known passports that you probably didn’t know existed
HAVE you heard of these little-known passports from some of the smallest countries around the world?
While you've probably heard of the world's most useful passports from countries like Japan and New Zealand, others will have slipped under your radar.
Malta Sovereign Order
The Malta Sovereign Order is a rare passport that's only issued to diplomats.
These hard-to-come-by documents are only granted to officials for the duration of their diplomatic assignment.
Travelling on this passport can be quite tricky because it's not recognised by the UK, the United States, or New Zealand.
According to the , there are only 500 coveted documents in circulation.
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Other citizens of Malta can apply for a bog-standard Maltese passport.
Vatican City
In the heart of Rome lies the smallest country in the world, Vatican City.
While you don't need a passport to enter these holy headquarters, they do issue specialist documents for those who reside and work in the city-state.
These passports can either be issued by the Holy See (essentially the Pope) or the Vatican City State.
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The language of the passport also changes depending on who has issued the document.
For example, Holy See passports are in Latin, French, and English, while Vatican City State ones are in Italian, French, and English.
Most people in Itay will hold Italian passports, and some are even eligible for a San Marino passport too.
Mongolia
Mongolia has had passports for hundreds of years, so it's no surprise that this country has a firm routine when it comes to applying for the document.
Everyone who is eligible needs to register for their passports within 30 days of turning 16 years old.
Meanwhile, anyone who wasn't born in the country will need to apply for a passport through the President's office or the Mongolian embassy.
Dual citizenship isn't granted, so other passports will have to be renounced.
Brunei
As one of the richest countries in the world, it's no surprise that a Brunei passport is one of the most powerful passports for visa-free travel.
People with Brunei passports don't need a visa to travel to China, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
That being said, their passports are only valid for five years, so they do need to be renewed more frequently.
Tuvalu
The Polynesian microstate of Tuvalu only issues passports to its citizens - and they have a pretty good deal too.
Holidaymakers travelling on a Tuvaluan passport have visa-free access to 126 countries.
Nauru
After Vatican City and Monaco, Nauru in the Pacific Ocean is the third smallest state in the world.
Its passport is only issued to its citizens and with only 12,500 people on the island, it's not a passport you're likely to see often.
Make sure you don't have any novelty stamps in your passport as this could also get you banned from your flight.
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One woman was stopped from entering Spain due to a new passport error at the border, despite having evidence.
This is because her passport didn't have an exit stamp from a previous trip to Spain.
