• Entry
  • Reader's guide
  • Entries A-Z
  • Subject index
icon backReturn to Entries

Passports

With the rapid growth of international travel since the end of World War II, passports have become a more prominent part of the travel experience. Passports are travel documents that prove an individual’s nationality or citizenship. They are required for entering other countries, providing certain protections while abroad, and for reentering one’s country of origin. Passport-related travel requirements have changed over time, and regulations continue to evolve. Most international travel throughout the world today requires the use of a passport.

The History of Passports

One of the earliest references to a passport-like document occurred in the fifth century BCE, when the Old Testament prophet Nehemiah was given papers signed by the Persian king to facilitate his travel to Jerusalem, requesting the rulers along the way allow him ...

    • Loading...
    locked icon

    Sign in to access this content

    Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

    • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
    • Read modern, diverse business cases
    • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles