Interpol issues black books to agents for official travel and the UN Secretariat has eye-catching sky blue and cherry pink passports for officials and agents of the United Nations Specialised Agencies. There are only around 35,000 people who are eligible for UN laissez-passer documents.
Even rarer still are the passports of Vatican City. 800 people reside in the Vatican and, in theory, could hold these dark green travel documents with the Papal cross keys of the Holy See. Although in 2014 ‘El Papa’ Pope Francis eschewed the offer of a Papal passport - opting to keep his Argentine travel document, instead.
There is still one even rarer travel book and its blood red cover is hardly subtle.
The sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta - or the Sovereign Military Order of Malta - is another Catholic order with a complicated history and its own passport. Although it has fewer than 500 diplomatic passports in circulation, making it the world’s rarest passport.
The Pope declined the option to get a Vatican Passport. Photo / AP
Despite the spiritual home being in Malta since 1099, the Knights were evicted by Napoleon in 1798 and today they are headquartered in Rome, across the Tiber from the Vatican.
The Knightly passports are blood red, with “Ordre Souverain Militaire de Malte” in gold under the distinctive Maltese Cross.
There is definitely no mistaking it for an actual Maltese Passport which are European Union burgundy. Although with a population of only around 500,000 is also an unusual passport.
The Order has appointed around 13,500 members as knights, dames and chaplains. It also issues stamps, coins and licence plates, despite having no roads, banks or country to speak of.
Sailing boats on Senglea marina in Grand Bay, Valetta, Malta
The Order began issuing laissez-passer documents in the 1300s to allow their errant knights to traverse the globe and collect alms. They took their modern form after the Second World War, although the passports are reserved for diplomats only.
“The Order grants passports to members of their government for the duration of their mandate,” the Valletta-based Daniel de Petri Testaferrata told CNN.
The books of 44 pages are normally valid for just four years, making them among the shortest lived passports. Apart from the passport of the Grand Masters’ which have a 10 year validity.
As Maltese president of the Order, Petri Testaferrata he is only one of about 100 members of the Order actually based in the Maltese islands.
