QuestionsUSA

Does the President of the United States need a passport to travel?

EIf incumbent President Joe Biden or his predecessor, Donald Trump, went on vacation abroad, would they have to carry their passport with them, like other Americans who travel?

Yes, of course, the President of the United States still needs a passport to travel, but this passport is not like the usual passports of ordinary Americans.

The President of the United States, his wife, children, certain government officials and diplomats receive diplomatic passports with black covers, as opposed to the standard blue ones.

Obama Passport
US President Barack Obama's passport. Screenshot from the official White House website wh.gov

Despite the need for the President of the United States to have a passport when crossing the border, you certainly will not meet him in line at passport control.

When the President of the United States goes on a vacation trip, the State Department officials accompanying him settle all the “formalities”.

The business of the president is to get off the plane, and, at best, wave his hand before hiding behind the door of a personal armored car.

One of the advantages of being president is that even after leaving office, he can keep his diplomatic passport or get a regular blue one - if he wants to choose.

US passport
Ordinary "blue" American passport

Well, being the president of the United States, even the former, is not bad at all. But is there anyone who is better off crossing borders than the President of the United States? Oddly enough, yes. And of course, this is Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

During her long life, she visited more than a hundred countries and all without a passport. And the point, of course, is not that it is easy to recognize her by her face, bright outfits and fancy hats. The main reason is that the Queen herself is, in fact, the "British passport".

The first page of a British passport features the royal coat of arms and the inscription:

"Her British Majesty's Secretary of State begs and demands in the name of Her Majesty all who may be concerned to allow the bearer to pass unhindered, and to provide him with such assistance and protection as may be necessary." [ist. royal.uk]

If we explain further, we can say that the British paper passport is like a written version of the Queen's appeal, in which she confirms the citizenship of the passport holder.

But when the queen herself travels, it is considered that her personal presence is already enough. Why show on paper what she can say live ...

Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain in 1945. FP from the archives of the British Museum.

Interesting fact. In 1945, Elizabeth II entered the "Auxiliary Service" - Auxillary Territorial Service, which consisted of self-defense units consisting of women.

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