Since when do passports exist?

Question

I am really curious to know when countries started to ask for documents/visas to get into a country. My guess is around the beggining of the 20th century, maybe even after WW1... Any help?

Answer 1

When was the first passport introduced and which country required it.?

5 months ago - 5 answers - Report Abuse
0 0 Add/Save
Add to Watch List
Save to My Web
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to My Yahoo!
RSS




lilybeanAbout Me
Member since: April 11, 2006
Total points: 681 (Level 2)
Points earned this week:

Total answers:
Best answers: Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Passports have been around in some form for hundreds of years. Governments learned long ago that an official document or certification -- one that identified a traveler as a citizen or national with a right to protection while abroad and a right to return to the country of his citizenship -- is a necessity. Passports, letters of transit and similar documents were used for centuries to allow individuals to travel safely in foreign lands, but the adoption of the passport by all nations is a development of the 19th and 20th centuries. According to State Department historians, except for brief periods during wartime, passports were not generally required for travel abroad and few obstacles were presented by foreign states' passport requirements until after 1914. An executive order made on Dec. 15, 1915, required every person entering or leaving the United States to have a valid passport.

The first passport issued in the US was dated July 1796... I couldn't find which country was the issued the very first passport... hope this helps!