What is a World Passport and why can’t you use it?

Barack Obama, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden and Oprah Winfrey are among the very few influential people who boast of possessing the mysterious World Passport.

American actor and rapper Mos Def or as he’s known popularly, Yasiin Bey was recently detained at a South African airport for trying to exit the country by using the World Passport.

His arrest brought the topic of the validity and the power of the World Passport in major states in the limelight, once again.
Bey is most likely to be tried in count on the counts of having an unofficial passport, false identity and for helping his family stay in the country illegally.

Though, this might seem rather harsh, is there enough reason for the World Passport to be treated like it holds no value or are we too busy stepping over the basic rights of humans that we can’t even notice it?

To answer the above question, it’s imperative we start at the beginning.

The World Passport is exactly what it sounds like. Issued by the World Service Authority, a non-profit organization, the World Passport is machine readable and is an international document that cites article 13(2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - "Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country."



The World Service Authority which was started in 1954 by former Broadway actor Garry Davis is of the belief that an individual is a citizen of the world and not that of a particular country. Instead of being restricted by borders, an individual should find a community in people from across the globe. Apart from promoting this idea, the NGO that is based in Washington also offers world birth cards, world marriage certificates etc.

While anyone and everyone can get a world Passport by just heading over to the website of the World Service Authority and filling out an application notifying for how long the passport would be needed. The pocket pinch for a world passport valid for 10 years is around $100, excluding shipping and handling, the larger question about its validity still remains a grey area.

Although the website lists 183 countries that have recognized the passport at least once by stamping a visa or entry/exit stamp, it also adds that there are over 150 countries which have visa-ed it only on a case-by-case basis. That’s not all. Garry Davis himself has been thrown in jail over a dozen times for making use of the world passport. So, the uncertainty over whether it is recognized or not still remains.

But, why?

From a logical perspective, the increasing threat of terror attacks around the world and terror outfits trying to gain access to countries doubles the risk of trying to enter a nation with a world passport, because for all you know it might just end up becoming their most favourite weapon.

But, having said that, there’s another side to this debate and that’s humanity. Have we collectively deteriorated to such an extent that we can’t allow our citizens to bear allegiance with the world and have to be restricted by borders?

Image credit: Indiatimes