The Police and Border Guard Board, a government agency under the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Estonia, issues a variety of travel documents to Estonian nationals and other foreign nationals living in Estonia to facilitate travel outside of Estonia. [1]
A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal identity and nationality of its holder. It is typical for passports to contain the full name, photograph, place and date of birth, signature, and the expiration date of the passport. While passports are typically issued by national governments, certain subnational governments are authorised to issue passports to citizens residing within their borders.
A visa is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on the duration of the foreigner's stay, areas within the country they may enter, the dates they may enter, the number of permitted visits, or if the individual has the ability to work in the country in question. Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter a territory and thus are, in most countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country. In each instance, a visa is subject to entry permission by an immigration official at the time of actual entry and can be revoked at any time. Visa evidence most commonly takes the form of a sticker endorsed in the applicant's passport or other travel document but may also exist electronically. Some countries no longer issue physical visa evidence, instead recording details only in immigration databases.
An identity document is any document that may be used to prove a person's identity. If issued in a small, standard credit card size form, it is usually called an identity card, or passport card. Some countries issue formal identity documents, as national identification cards that may be compulsory or non-compulsory, while others may require identity verification using regional identification or informal documents. When the identity document incorporates a person's photograph, it may be called photo ID.
A certificate of identity, sometimes called an alien's passport, is a travel document issued by a country to non-citizens residing within their borders who are stateless persons or otherwise unable to obtain a passport from their state of nationality. Some states also issue certificates of identity to their own citizens as a form of emergency passport or otherwise in lieu of a passport. The visa requirements of certificates of identity may be different from those of regular passports.
The Soviet passport was an identity document issued pursuant to the laws of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) for citizens of the USSR. For the general purposes of identity certification, Soviet passports contained such data as name, date of birth, gender, place of birth, ethnicity, and citizenship, as well as a photo of the passport holder. At different stages of development of the Soviet passport system, they could also contain information on place of work, social status, and other supporting information needed for those agencies and organizations to which the Soviet citizens used to appeal.
A travel document is an identity document issued by a government or international entity pursuant to international agreements to enable individuals to clear border control measures. Travel documents usually assure other governments that the bearer may return to the issuing country, and are often issued in booklet form to allow other governments to place visas as well as entry and exit stamps into them. The most common travel document is a passport, which usually gives the bearer more privileges like visa-free access to certain countries. While passports issued by governments are the most common variety of travel document, many states and international organisations issue other varieties of travel documents that the holder to travel internationally to countries that recognise the documents. For example, stateless persons are not normally issued a national passport, but may be able to obtain a refugee travel document or the earlier "Nansen passport" which enables them to travel to countries which recognise the document, and sometimes to return to the issuing country.
A refugee travel document is a travel document issued to a refugee by the state in which they normally reside in allowing them to travel outside that state and to return there. Refugees are unlikely to be able to obtain passports from their state of nationality and therefore need travel documents so that they might engage in international travel.
A passport stamp is an inked impression in a passport typically made by rubber stamp upon entering or exiting a territory.
Japanese passports are issued to Japanese citizens to facilitate international travel. As of 2022, with holders able to travel visa-free to 193 countries, it has been ranked as the most powerful passport in the world.
An Estonian passport is an international travel document issued to citizens of Estonia, and may also serve as proof of Estonian citizenship. Besides enabling the bearer to travel internationally and serving as indication of Estonian citizenship, the passport facilitates the process of securing assistance from Estonian consular officials abroad or other European Union member states in case an Estonian consular is absent, if needed. If an Estonian citizen wishes to receive an identity document, especially an Estonian passport, somewhere other than the foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia, then the bearer of the Estonian citizenship staying abroad could receive the travel documents in embassies of any EU country worldwide by paying 50 Euro. Many countries require passport validity of no less than 6 months and one or two blank pages.
The European Union itself does not issue ordinary passports, but ordinary passport booklets issued by its 27 member states share a common format. This common format features a coloured cover emblazoned—in the official language(s) of the issuing country —with the title "European Union", followed by the name(s) of the member state, the heraldic "Arms" of the State concerned, the word "PASSPORT", together with the biometric passport symbol at the bottom centre of the front cover.
The Estonian identity card is a mandatory identity document for citizens of Estonia. In addition to regular identification of a person, an ID-card can also be used for establishing one's identity in electronic environment and for giving one's digital signature. Within Europe as well as French overseas territories and Georgia, the Estonian ID Card can be used by the citizens of Estonia as a travel document.
The Somali passport is a passport issued to citizens of Somalia for international travel. Green Passports were formerly used, which have since been replaced with biometric passports to ensure authenticity. The passports are regulated by the federal government of Somalia.
An Estonian Alien's Passport is a travel document that may be issued to a person who is stateless or of undefined citizenship residing in Estonia by the Police and Border Guard Board of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It can also be used as an identity document. Estonia has about 80,000 to 90,000 alien's passports.
An Estonian temporary travel document is a travel document issued to an alien staying in Estonia for departure from and return to Estonia. A temporary travel document may be issued, without a standard application, to an alien who departs or is obliged to depart from Estonia without the right of return if he or she does not hold a valid travel document or a certificate of return issued by a foreign state. A temporary travel document for a single departure from and return to Estonia may be issued to an alien legally residing in Estonia if he or she does not hold a valid travel document and does not have the right to receive an alien’s passport. A temporary travel document does not grant the holder thereof the right to protection by a foreign mission of Estonia unless otherwise provided by law or a treaty. A temporary travel document shall be issued with a period of validity of up to two years.
An Estonian seafarer's discharge book is an identity document issued by Estonian Police and Border Guard Board in which the name, date of birth or personal identification code, and a photograph or facial image and the signature or image of signature of the holder are entered, unless otherwise provided by law or legislation established on the basis thereof. A seafarer who is an Estonian citizen shall be issued a seafarer’s discharge book which complies with the requirements of the “Convention concerning Seafarers’ National Identity Documents” of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). A seafarer’s discharge book shall be issued with a period of validity of up to five years.
An Estonian travel document for refugees is an internationally recognised travel document issued to refugees by the Police and Border Guard Board of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Estonia in accordance to the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
The Gibraltar identity card is an official identity document issued by Civil Status and Registration Office of the Government of Gibraltar to all British citizens living in Gibraltar. Validity of the document is 10 years.
The Japan Re-entry Permit (再入国許可書), is a travel document similar to a certificate of identity, issued by Japan's Ministry of Justice. It is a passport-like booklet with a light brown cover with the words "再入国許可書 RE-ENTRY PERMIT TO JAPAN" on the front.
