History of Passport in Timeline

A passport is a government-issued travel document verifying a person's identity and nationality for international travel. It enables entry and temporary residence in foreign countries, access to local aid and consular assistance. Beyond travel, passports play a vital role in border security, migration regulation, and can function as domestic identity documents.

1914: British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act

In 1914, the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act was passed, clearly defining citizenship and creating a booklet form of the passport and mandating photographs in passports.

1920: International Conference on Passports

In 1920, an international conference on passports and through tickets recommended that passports be issued in the French language, and one other language.

1920: Modern Passport Adopted and Standardized

In 1920, the modern passport was universally adopted and standardized, taking the form of a booklet bearing the name and emblem of the issuing government and containing the biographical information of the individual.

1922: Issuance of Nansen Passports

From 1922 to 1938, the League of Nations issued Nansen passports to stateless refugees.

1926: Follow-up Conference on Passports

In 1926, a follow-up conference regarding passports took place, continuing the work started in 1920 by the League of Nations.

1927: Follow-up Conference on Passports

In 1927, another follow-up conference regarding passports took place, continuing the work started in 1920 by the League of Nations.

1938: End of Nansen Passport Issuance

From 1922 to 1938, the League of Nations issued Nansen passports to stateless refugees.

1963: United Nations Travel Conference

In 1963, the United Nations held a travel conference, but no passport guidelines resulted from it.

1980: Passport Standardization under ICAO Auspices

In 1980, passport standardization occurred under the auspices of the ICAO, including standards for machine-readable passports.

1997: Chinese Nationality Granting

In 1997, permanent residents of Indian, Pakistani, and Nepali ethnicity were not granted Chinese nationality, affecting ease of travel.

1998: Transition to Biometric Passports

Since 1998, many countries have transitioned to biometric passports, which contain an embedded microchip to facilitate authentication and safeguard against counterfeiting.

2006: Passport Improvement Ranking

Since 2006, the Serbian passport is one of the 5 passports with the most improved rating globally, in terms of the number of countries that its holders may visit without a visa.

July 2011: Trial Issuance of E-Passports in China

On 1 July 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China launched a trial issuance of e-passports for individuals conducting public affairs work overseas. The passport stores the passport owner's biometric data on a contactless smart chip.

May 2012: Introduction of Ordinary Biometric Passports in China

On 15 May 2012, ordinary biometric passports were introduced by the Ministry of Public Security in China.

2012: Chinese Citizens Holding Ordinary Passports

In 2012, over 38 million Chinese citizens held ordinary passports, comprising only 2.86 percent of the total population at the time.

2014: Passport Issuance Ranking

In 2014, China issued 16 million passports, ranking first in the world, surpassing the United States (14 million) and India (10 million).

January 2015: End of Non-Biometric Passport Issuance in China

As of January 2015, all new passports issued by China are biometric e-passports, and non-biometric passports are no longer issued.

November 2015: New Zealand Passport Validity

After 30 November 2015, New Zealand Passports for adults became valid for ten years.

October 2016: Number of Ordinary Passports in Circulation

By October 2016, the number of ordinary passports in circulation in China rose to 120 million, approximately 8.7 percent of the population.

2016: Travel Freedom Ranking

According to the World Tourism Organization 2016 report, the Danish passport is first in the world (tied with Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Singapore, and the United Kingdom) in terms of travel freedom, with the mobility index of 160.

April 2017: Biometric Ordinary Passports Issued

As of April 2017, China had issued over 100 million biometric ordinary passports.

April 2017: Libya Entry Ban

Since April 2017, nationals of Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and Iran have been banned from entering the parts of eastern Libya under the control of the Tobruk government.

September 2017: US Visa Restrictions

Between September 2017 and January 2021, the United States of America did not issue new visas to nationals of Iran, North Korea, Libya, Somalia, Syria, or Yemen pursuant to restrictions imposed by the Trump administration.

January 2021: Repeal of US Visa Restrictions

January 2021: Restrictions on BN(O) Passports in Hong Kong

Since January 2021, the Chinese and Hong Kong governments have prohibited the use of British National (Overseas) passports as travel documents or proof of identity.

September 2022: Ranking of Danish Passport

As of 21 September 2022, the Danish passport ranked fifth in the world (tied with Austria, Netherlands, and Sweden) according to the Henley Passport Index, with visa-free or visa on arrival access to 188 countries and territories.

August 2023: Serbian Passport Ranking

As of August 2023, the Serbian passport ranked 38th overall in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index, with visa-free or visa on arrival access to 138 countries and territories.