Official passports are issued for government business travel and are free. They cannot be used for recreational travel and do not provide special privileges. Family members can also apply. Military service is a common reason for obtaining an official passport.
An official passport is a passport issued to someone who needs to travel internationally on official government business. These passports are issued specifically to people who need to travel, rather than people who are assigned or sent overseas. For persons who are assigned abroad for state purposes, a diplomatic passport is issued. Official passports are usually a different color from regular passports, to make them easier to identify, and do not entitle their holders to any special privileges.
This type of passport is sometimes called a service passport. It’s a free passport, which means people don’t have to pay to apply for it. An application for an official passport typically includes all of the materials needed for a regular passport, along with forms confirming that the applicant needs a passport for official business. Many government agencies that require international travel will assist individuals with official passport applications.
The official passport can only be used while traveling for official purposes. If someone wishes to travel as a tourist, a tourist passport is required. While it’s perfectly legal to carry both, both will require their own visas and it’s important to make sure the visas match. If someone enters a country on a tourist passport and tries to exit on an official passport, for example, that can cause problems.
Often, people can obtain official passport visas at no cost, depending on whether or not their government has worked out a visa agreement with another nation. However, if someone tries to use an official passport and visa for recreational travel, they could face legal consequences. If people are unclear about whether a trip can be considered official business, they should consult a manager or supervisor.
By convention, when someone is deemed eligible for an official passport, so are their immediate family. Family members will have to apply for their own official passports, and will have to observe the same rules, using tourist passports and tourist visas for recreational travel.
One of the most common applications for official passports is military service. Nations that have military cooperation agreements with each other may accept copies of military orders as proof of the right to pass, but in other cases, members of the military may need to carry visa passports. When members of the military are required to travel internationally, their senior officers will inform them whether or not they need official passports.
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