Did you know there are 3 people who can travel anywhere in the world without a passport?

When travelling to another country, the most important thing to carry along is one’s passport, right? Think again. There are three people on the planet who do need this important document, no matter wherever they wish to travel. Yes, you read that right. According to ‘The Cosmopolites: The Coming of the Global Citizen’ author Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, “A passport is a kind of shield when you are a citizen of a wealthy democracy.”

But there are three people who are exempt from this rule? They do not require a passport to travel anywhere in the world. These 3 people are United Kingdom’s King Charles III and Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. Before King Charles III, the privilege was with Queen Elizabeth II.

Unlike other members of the Royal family, a document, instead of a passport, is issued in the UK King’s (or Queen’s) name. It states, “His Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of His Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.”

In the case of Japan, a ministry document dated May 10, 1971, informed that it will be highly inappropriate to issue a passport for the Emperor or Empress. The document also added that it will be highly inappropriate for the Emperor to undergo immigration or visa procedures using a passport as an ordinary citizen.

However, according to reports, King Charles’ wife Queen Consort Camilla doesn’t have the same rights and is required to keep a diplomatic passport. In the case of Japan, diplomatic passports are issued for other members of the Imperial family, including the crown prince and princess.

For the Emperor and Empress of Japan, they are required to only produce the ministry document on arrival in any country. The Foreign Ministry of Japan notifies the country well in advance about the arrival of the Emperor and Empress. In the case of King Charles III, his private secretary Sir Clive Alderton has been entrusted with this responsibility. Reports suggest that Sir Clive Alderton has been one of the most trusted and much-loved advisers to the King and Queen Camilla since 2006, a year after they married.

Nonetheless, do you know citizens of which country are the most privileged in terms of travel. If you guessed Japan, you’re right. Japanese people have visa free access to 193 countries. Japan continues to have the strongest passport in the world. Despite being the fifth largest economy in the world, Indian passport holders can only access 59 destinations visa-free, according to the 2023 Henley Passport Index report. While visa-free access may be thought of as a simple measure of freedom of movement, experts say that the ability to freely travel is linked to greater economic opportunities.