What is a Passport?

A United States passport is an internationally recognized travel document attesting to the identity and nationality of the bearer. It is a request on the part of the issuing government officials of foreign governments permit bearer to travel or sojourn in their territories and to afford them all lawful aid and protection.

A passport holder is normally entitled to enter the country that issued the passport, though some people entitled to a passport may not be full citizens with right of abode. A passport is a document certifying identity and nationality; having the document does not of itself grant any rights, such as protection by the consulate of the issuing country, although it may indicate that the holder has such rights. 

Many countries normally allow entry to holders of passports of other countries, sometimes requiring a visa also to be held, but this is not an automatic right.   To find out if you need a travel visa, check our travel visa section