WE all know the pain of applying for a passport – but our efforts are nothing compared to getting the world’s rarest passport that only has three copies in existence.
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is so exclusive that the passports are only granted to the three highest ranking officers in the Catholic order.
This red passport belonging to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is so rare that there are only three copies in the world
The chosen few in possession of the prized red-covered book are the grand master, deputy grand master, and chancellorof the Order.
Sadly despite the passports’ rarity, you won’t get too far if you are one of the owners.
The United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand, for example, don’t accept the passport for travel, along with many other countries and territories who have similar rules.
As well as on the passports, the group’s sovereignty is also expressed on licence plates, stamps and coins.
The Order was officially recognised by Pope Paschal in 1113 and is one of the oldest institutions in the Christian world.
It currently operates as a charitable organisation offering medical aid around the globe, and doesn’t control any territory of its own, despite having diplomatic relations with more than 100 states.
There are over 13,500 knights, dames and chaplains in the Order, along with 80,000 volunteers and 25,000 medical employees.
Discussions have reportedly taken place to redesign the current UK passport to have a different colour cover in the future
Germany currently enjoys the most powerful passport in the world, which allows its citizens to travel to 176 countries out of 218 without a visa.
Earlier this year it was revealed that blue passports could make a return to the UK in 2019 after a re-design was ordered by Ministers.
The Sun has been calling on the Government to bring back our famous dark blue passport — as a symbol of the UK regaining sovereignty from the EU.
