World record: The “fattest” passport
World Record Fattest Passport
A total of over 1,400 passport pages during a life of travel World Record Fattest Passport
The passport is possibly the pinnacle of travel memorabilia in the era of electronic boarding cards and digital images. It is a gateway to new destinations and a log of previous travels. Given the significance of the small blue book for ardent travelers, it may appear that the owner of the possibly largest passport of them all—which formerly measured 331 pages and dwarfed the claimed world’s largest—would believe that January 1, 2016, marked the end of an era.
The Department of State’s decision to limit additional visa pages made the date melancholy for many passport holders, who were obliged to stop adding new pages to their travel documents. Before January 1, American individuals could add additional visa pages to their passports, but from that date, new passports could only have 28 or 52 pages. It is believed that concerns about visa fraud led to the restriction, which the Department of State claims “was implemented to enhance the security of the passport and to abide by international passport standards.” World Record Fattest Passport
Eric Oborski, who may be the owner of the largest passport in history, didn’t observe January 1 as a day of grief. His passport, which as of right now has “only” 192 pages and roughly 100 more than the next-largest passport rival, has become an important historical artifact.
Oborski says with a hint of nostalgic pride, “When it happened, I understood this now has historical significance because I doubt anyone else has the passport like I do, which will never happen again.” He claims that, as of right now, his passport “can never be replicated or repeated, no matter what anybody wants to do.”
How does a person accumulate more than 1,400 pages in their passport throughout their lifetime, especially considering that the previous limit was only 100? The solution is hidden in a gap that only world-traveling businessman Oborski could take advantage of. World Record Fattest Passport
Following his high school graduation in 1965, Oborski initially developed a love for travel while on a trip to Japan. He never stopped traveling on the way back, passing through the Philippines, Hong Kong, Russia, Poland, and Europe. Oborski, passionate about exploring the world, acquired a job translating before setting up shop as a travel agent, organizing tours to Asia. Then Japan Airlines offered endless free flights, bringing an entirely different viewpoint on travel.
Some others might object to going across town for supper, but Oborski’s viewpoint was altered by the gift of endless free jet travel. He remembers, “I would travel to Tokyo, have supper, and then return.” “I used to fly to Hong Kong, and practically, everyone gave me free rooms and flights because I had such a fine job. I used to get up in the morning and decide to go to Japan since I had free tickets. World Record Fattest Passport
The amount of worldwide travel that Oborski undertook seriously taxed his passport. The problem is that at the time, Americans could add more pages to their passports by taking them to American embassies. Oborski frequently visited the embassies in Bangkok and Tokyo, where he came to know the staff. Without asking, they started adding pages to his passport. According to Oborski, the US policy stating that each passport could only carry three additional sets of pages was only a policy and not a requirement. Soon, new pages of his passport were overflowing with visas and stamps.
Oborski noted that even as his passports rose in size, no one ever questioned their validity. Instead, border patrol officers would pass it about and make fun of its size. He remarked, “Everyone just thought it was remarkable. In whatever situation, anywhere in the world, I have never experienced an issue.
Eric claims he genuinely used the space when other individuals added extra pages only for bragging rights. He asserts that the additional pages were simply a requirement of his profession and are not a badge of achievement. However, there is pride in his voice as he discusses and displays passports with almost endless pages packed with all types of stamps.
When frequent flyer miles were introduced in 1981, the flow of complimentary tickets ceased. But by that point, nothing could stop Oborski from traveling almost nonstop. He then acquired roughly 15 million miles, using them to travel for free ever since. He laments, “I only have 5 million left now.” According to him, as the books grew, so did his sense of adventure and conviction that travel may enlighten one.” World Record Fattest Passport
Oborski now uses each passport as an encyclopedia of life, documenting his professional and recreational travels. He mentions his most memorable and a few less-than-fantastic journeys, saying that “every stamp tells a tale.” Oborski intends to utilize every available inch of each passport book even though he may not be able to add more pages to his mega-passport. And he encourages everyone to strive to obtain just as many stamps as he has since, in his opinion, the best way to learn about the world is to experience it. World Record Fattest Passport
Only US passports could officially add “6-fold-out extension pages” at a time as shown in the photo below, which gave the bearer a total of twelve pages (front/back) for additional stamps and visas.
Stay tuned for an upcoming article on the “The thickest passports in history”
FAQ Passport History
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1. What are the earliest known examples of passports, and how have they evolved?
The word "passport" came up only in the mid 15th Century. Before that, such documents were safe conducts, recommendations or protection letters. On a practical aspect, the earliest passport I have seen was from the mid 16th Century. Read more...
2. Are there any notable historical figures or personalities whose passports are highly sought after by collectors?
Every collector is doing well to define his collection focus, and yes, there are collectors looking for Celebrity passports and travel documents of historical figures like Winston Churchill, Brothers Grimm, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Read more...
3. How did passport designs and security features change throughout different periods in history, and what impact did these changes have on forgery prevention?
"Passports" before the 18th Century had a pure functional character. Security features were, in the best case, a watermark and a wax seal. Forgery, back then, was not an issue like it is nowadays. Only from the 1980s on, security features became a thing. A state-of-the-art passport nowadays has dozens of security features - visible and invisible. Some are known only by the security document printer itself. Read more...
4. What are some of the rarest and most valuable historical passports that have ever been sold or auctioned?
Lou Gehrig, Victor Tsoi, Marilyn Monroe, James Joyce, and Albert Einstein when it comes to the most expensive ones. Read more...
5. How do diplomatic passports differ from regular passports, and what makes them significant to collectors?
Such documents were often held by officials in high ranks, like ambassadors, consuls or special envoys. Furthermore, these travel documents are often frequently traveled. Hence, they hold a tapestry of stamps or visas. Partly from unusual places.
6. Can you provide insights into the stories behind specific historical passports that offer unique insights into past travel and migration trends?
A passport tells the story of its bearer and these stories can be everything - surprising, sad, vivid. Isabella Bird and her travels (1831-1904) or Mary Kingsley, a fearless Lady explorer.
7. What role did passports play during significant historical events, such as wartime travel restrictions or international treaties?
During war, a passport could have been a matter of life or death. Especially, when we are looking into WWII and the Holocaust. And yes, during that time, passports and similar documents were often forged to escape and save lives. Example...
8. How has the emergence of digital passports and biometric identification impacted the world of passport collecting?
Current modern passports having now often a sparkling, flashy design. This has mainly two reasons. 1. Improved security and 2. Displaying a countries' heritage, icons, and important figures or achievements. I can fully understand that those modern documents are wanted, especially by younger collectors.
9. Are there any specialized collections of passports, such as those from a specific country, era, or distinguished individuals?
Yes, the University of Western Sidney Library has e.g. a passport collection of the former prime minister Hon Edward Gough Whitlam and his wife Margaret. They are all diplomatic passports and I had the pleasure to apprise them. I hold e.g. a collection of almost all types of the German Empire passports (only 2 types are still missing). Also, my East German passport collection is quite extensive with pretty rare passport types.
10. Where can passport collectors find reliable resources and reputable sellers to expand their collection and learn more about passport history?
A good start is eBay, Delcampe, flea markets, garage or estate sales. The more significant travel documents you probably find at the classic auction houses. Sometimes I also offer documents from my archive/collection. See offers... As you are already here, you surely found a great source on the topic 😉
Other great sources are: Scottish Passports, The Nansen passport, The secret lives of diplomatic couriers
11. Is vintage passport collecting legal? What are the regulations and considerations collectors should know when acquiring historical passports?
First, it's important to stress that each country has its own laws when it comes to passports. Collecting old vintage passports for historical or educational reasons is safe and legal, or at least tolerated. More details on the legal aspects are here...
Does this article spark your curiosity about passport collecting and the history of passports? With this valuable information, you have a good basis to start your own passport collection.
Question? Contact me...