BrainStuff Classics: Why Do I Need a Passport to Travel?

The vast (vast!) majority of humans need a passport in order to travel internationally. Learn why -- and who doesn't -- in this classic episode of BrainStuff.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey,
rain Stuff, I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, and I have another classic
episode for you from our erstwhile host, Christian Sager. This
one is on my mind as the holidays are currently approaching,
bringing with them some of the busiest travel days of
the year. Today, we're talking about where passports come from
and why of us humans need one to travel internationally. Hey, everybody,

(00:29):
this is brain Stuff. I'm Christian Saga, and I just
got back from a vacation. Here's the thing, though, if
I were going out of the country, let's say, to
sunny Bolivia, my whole trip would have hinged on one
vital thing, my passport. But what is this thing exactly?
Why do I need it to travel? Well, the first

(00:50):
question has a pretty clear cut answer. A passport is
a document issued by a government that verifies your identity
and gives you the right to travel under its protection.
The word passport comes from passport of Middle French phrase
from around the fifteen hundreds. However, the idea of a
passport is positively ancient. You can find evidence of state

(01:13):
sponsored travel documents dating from as far back as four
hundred and fifty b c E. And since that time
these documents have existed in one form or another, with
varying degrees of success. Since about the nineteen eighties, most
passports have been regulated by a department of the United
Nations called the International Civil Aviation Organization or I see A. Oh,

(01:37):
so why do you need one? Well, ultimately, it goes
down to proof of nationality. For example, let's say I
was caught up in a vast conspiracy and I had
to travel to the Vatican. That happens, right Anyhow, I'm
flying into Italy and I have to present some sort
of proof that I'm really coming from where I say
I am coming from. Otherwise, any old supervillain with a

(01:58):
plausible Yankee accent could stroll off the run way pretending
to be an American. Right, So, possessing a passport is
like having your country of origin vouch for you, assuring
other nations that you are in fact the person you
say you are. Keep in mind, however, that possession of
a valid passport alone does not guarantee your entrance. Countries

(02:20):
allow visitors at their own discretion, which means that in theory,
they can refuse entry to pretty much anyone at any time,
so even if you have a valid passport, make sure
to check the entry policies of the country you're visiting
before you hop on that plane. And not everyone's happy
with the passport system. In the Invention of the Passport,

(02:44):
Professor John Torpi argues that it is inherently a monopoly
of the state, meaning a private company like say how
Stuff Works, couldn't just slap my mug in a little
book and send me off to Japan. Religious organizations can't
do this either. Not only do countries control the passport system,
but the issuing country can revoke your passport at any time.

(03:06):
And of course, not everyone has a passport either. Only
about forty six percent of Americans had either a passport
or the less comprehensive passport card. The fifty percent who
don't have one overwhelmingly didn't get it because well, they
just didn't want the thing. However, people can end up
without a passport for numerous reasons. Perhaps it's lost or stolen,

(03:29):
in which case you'll need to contact your local consulate.
In cases of war torn countries, refugees may not have
a passport. Some people are even considered stateless, meaning the
country they live in does not consider them a citizen.
The United Nations has special laws describing how to issue
travel documents in these cases, So there you have it.

(03:50):
In theory, almost every single person on the globe needs
a passport or some sort of official document to travel.
This official document could be something for an individual will,
or it could be an agreement between specific countries. At
one point or another, there's no other way to legally travel.
Virtually everyone needs something like this. Ah. But did you

(04:11):
notice how I just said almost every person and virtually everyone.
That's right, ladies and gentlemen. There is one person in
the world who can travel freely and legally without a
passport or other documents, the Queen of England. True story.
British passports are issued in the name of the Queen,
therefore it's not necessary for her to have one. The

(04:33):
rest of the family has to have a passport, though,
even the Princes William and Harry. Today's episode was written
by Ben Bollin and produced by Tyler Clang. Brain Stuff
is a production of I Heart Radios How Stuff Works.
To hear more history you might not have known about
from Ben, check out his podcast Ridiculous History, and of course,
for more on this amounts of other international topics. Visit

(04:55):
our home planet, hows to works dot com plus for
more podcasts from my Heart Radio with thy Heart Radio, app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
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