The thickest passports in history

A regular passport nowadays usually has 32 pages. ICAO defines this standard (recommendations), and so is the standardized passport size of 125mm x 88mm defined. But there were and still are exceptions as we can find travel documents with more but also fewer pages… thickest passports history

United States of America thickest passports history

The world record for the thickest passport is with Eric Oborski, a US citizen with a 331-page passport. He amassed this number of pages by adding official extension pages. This possibility was only with US passport holders but, since 2016, no longer in practice due to security reasons.

Singapore

On 1 April 2005, Singapore ceased to issue the 96-page passport with a maximum validity of 11 years and began to issue another passport with 64 pages and a maximum validity of 6 years.

Thailand thickest passports history

has the thickest passport nowadays with 66 pages in its standard passport booklet. Altogether, Thailand passport holders can enter 80 destinations—either without a visa, through a visa on arrival, or via an eTA. As a result, the Thailand passport ranks 66 in the world.

CSSR (Czechoslovak Socialist Republic)

During the 1950s, a diplomatic passport type with 124 pages was in use!

Romania

also had a diplomatic passport version with 80 pages during the 1940s.

United Kingdom

A 94-page passport was introduced on 1 May 1973 to accommodate the needs of business persons and other frequent travelers. The last of these were issued by FCO posts in 1993. According to a former passport office chief, these were quite popular, but I never found one for my collection. Probably, the bearers kept them very safe as a memento. Thickest passports history

Kings and Queens Messenger passports were huge foldout passports with extension pages given to messengers on duty for the King or Queen of England/United Kingdom. Here, is a video example.

Imagine, just 100 years ago, a passport was often still just a single page of paper. Passport pictures were only widely introduced in 1915.

Passport-collector.com is an extensive online platform dedicated to the study, preservation, and appreciation of passport history. Founded in 2010 by passport historian, editor & author - Tom Topol, the site offers a wealth of educational articles and resources that explore the origins and evolution of passports, their historical significance, and the impact of global events on travel documentation. With over 1000 meticulously researched articles, Passport-collector.com not only serves as an essential repository for collectors and historians but also provides insights into the role of passports in shaping national identity and cultural heritage. Passport history, passport collectors, collecting passports, passport fees, vintage passport collector, collectible documents, travel history, passport collection, diplomatic passport, passport office, celebrity passports, travel document, vintage passports for sale, old passports for sale, value of old passports, Reisepass, passport fees, most expensive passport in the world, passport colors, passport prices around the world, passport costs around the world, passport cost by country, cost of passports around the world, british visitor's passport, world passport prices, east german passport, passport fees by country, passport printers, passport printer, third reich passport,