If someone says that they can travel to any country without a passport, you might not believe it, but there are some people in the world who can travel to any country without a passport. When it comes to power in the world, the greatest power is not money, military might or politics, but the freedom to travel. While ordinary people rely on passports and visas to travel abroad, there are three people in the world who can travel the entire world without a passport – Britain’s King Charles 3rd, Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.
In Britain, passports are marked “His Majesty’s Passport”, meaning they are issued in the name of the King. Therefore, Charles 3rd did not need a passport. They are the Sovereign of the nation, and laws are enacted in their name. This tradition has been going on since the time of Queen Elizabeth II.
Japan has a similar rule. Emperor Naruhito and his wife are not issued passports. They travel abroad under special diplomatic protocol of the Japanese government. His first visit since his coronation in 2019 was to Britain, where he was welcomed without any document checks.
All three enjoy not only visa-free entry but also diplomatic immunity – immunity from arrest or investigation in any country, etc. However, they never abuse it. During Queen Masako’s visit to Europe in 2024, France granted her special protection without visa checks. India has no such privilege. The President and Prime Minister receive diplomatic passports, but visas are required.
Interestingly, the UN Secretary-General receives a travel document called a “laissez-pass”, which is similar to a passport. Only these three royal families have true “passportless” freedom, one of the rarest privileges in the world.
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