A diplomatic passport is a type of identity document that is issued to certain individuals, such as diplomats and other high-ranking government officials, to travel internationally with more ease. It is used to cross international borders while bypassing many of the typical travel regulations that regular passport holders must follow, and it means that the holder is traveling on official government business. The holder of a diplomatic passport can enjoy numerous privileges, which can vary depending on the destination and specific immigration regulations.

The appearance of a diplomatic passport varies depending on the country of issue, but it is usually easy to differentiate from a regular tourist passport. It is likely to be a different color and state the words “Diplomatic Passport” on the cover. For example, India’s official passport is white, while its diplomatic passport is red.

Diplomatic passports are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in each country. In the United States, official/diplomatic passports are issued to officials or employees of the U.S. Government (and their dependents) traveling abroad on official duties. They are issued by the Special Issuance Agency (SIA) in Washington, D.C. and are valid for five years.

Diplomatic passports are not just for diplomats. Family members of diplomats can sometimes acquire a diplomatic passport, too. In the UK, there’s a very special type of diplomatic passport, marked with the stamp of the Queen’s Messenger Service (QMS), which is an elite group of couriers who have been delivering classified diplomatic material for some 800 years.