# When a head of state visits another country, is his passport stamped? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 12, 2001, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-head-of-state-visits-another-country-is-his-passport-stamped/57607 "2001-03-12T03:23:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2001, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-head-of-state-visits-another-country-is-his-passport-stamped/57607/1 "2001-03-12T03:23:42Z")
When a head of state visits another country, is his (or her) passport stamped? (That is, [those that do this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=43265), I mean.) I know, a U.S. head of state (or high-ranking official) will be using a diplomatic passport, instead of the boring blue one the rest of us schlubs carry. Dunno if other countries use these; I assume many if not most do. So, are diplomatic passports stamped? Corollary question: If you have a diplomatic passport, do you still need a visa? I have an image of Clinton, Albright, etc. (and now Bush, Powell, etc.) getting a new little book every month because the old one is completely full, and throwing that one into a box with a couple of dozen previously filled-up ones. Similarly, I wonder about when Arafat comes to visit the U.N. or whatever. I assume he gets preferential treatment (no standing in line), but does he still have to show his passport to somebody and get a little stamp when he arrives and departs? (And as I ask that question, I wonder what passport Arafat carries, since, as I understand it, Israel hasn’t officially signed off on Palestine becoming its own nation yet. I can’t believe it, I’m hijacking my own thread in the OP. Sigh…) ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2001, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-head-of-state-visits-another-country-is-his-passport-stamped/57607/2 "2001-03-12T05:21:50Z")
I couldn’t find direct cites to support the claims I’m about to make, but I’m sure they’re out there. It’s worth what you paid for it in any case. 🙂 Yes, heads-of-state have passports, and yes, they need visas. (I’m not sure if heads of state get diplomatic of “official” passports) A couple of years ago, there was a furor about the US State Department granting Castro a visa. In '98 or '99 when Clinton was on his $50 million whirlwind tour of Asia, there was some discussion about his visa paperwork and diplomatic passport, something about it being less a “diplomatic mission” and more a taxpayer funded junket. For world leaders and celebrities, some airports, like Heathrow, have special reception areas where I doubt the phrase “full body cavity search” is used much. The only way to get rid of a troublesome person with a diplomatic passport (and the accompanying immunity) is to revoke his/her visa. If I recall correctly the conventions that establish the current system of passports and visas were established by mutual agreeement in Vienna in the early '60’s. I hope that’s enough info to help you find more concrete answers. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2001, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-head-of-state-visits-another-country-is-his-passport-stamped/57607/3 "2001-03-12T14:08:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by evilhanz \* > **Yes, heads-of-state have passports, and yes, they need visas.** But they don’t need work permits (at least not in Sweden) even though all the people accompanying them do (if they come from outside the EU, that is). ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2001, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-head-of-state-visits-another-country-is-his-passport-stamped/57607/4 "2001-03-12T16:19:24Z")
As a rule, Royalty doesn’t carry a passport. See [here](http://www.royal.gov.uk/faq/passport.htm) how QE2 sneaks through customs. 😉 Not speaking for all other monarchies, but the situation in the Netherlands is comparable: Beatrix can pretty much enter any friendly nation on appearance alone. Our Prime Minister, Wim Kok (::: waits for laughter to stop :::), carries a diplomatic passport as mentioned above. As does the entire ministerial staff. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2001, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-head-of-state-visits-another-country-is-his-passport-stamped/57607/5 "2001-03-12T19:01:43Z")
Thanks for the useful information so far. (At least, I hope it’s “so far.” 😉 Rather not have yet another plummeting thread to my name, don’tcha know.) The visa thing for Castro rings a bell; thanks for the reminder. I bet, though, that they’re more anal about Castro than, say, Tony Blair. So, other than continuing to wonder if procedures are strictly followed for heads of state (for example, does Clinton have a stamp for Vietnam?), I’m curious about what happens to these old passports. I mean, I figure they’re controlled documents, so it’s not like you could sell them as collectibles or anything, even if they’re expired. But some of them would have extraordinary historical interest in a symbolic sense: Wouldn’t it be cool to see Nixon’s passport (or better yet, Kissinger’s) from the years the U.S. was re-establishing a relationship with China? (Still wondering about the Arafat thing, too.)