These aren’t just any travel documents; they’re the golden tickets of the globetrotting elite, shrouded in mystery and history.
Forget Interpol’s black books or the UN’s eye-popping sky blue and cherry pink passports that seem almost common with around 35,000 floating around. And let’s not even get started on the Vatican’s dark green credentials, even if ‘El Papa’ himself decided his Argentine passport was quite enough.
But brace yourselves for the real showstopper: the sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta’s passport, with fewer than 500 in existence. This isn’t just rare; it’s the Loch Ness Monster of travel documents.
Picture this: a blood-red cover that screams intrigue, emblazoned with gold lettering and the iconic Maltese Cross. This isn’t something you’ll ever spot in the regular check-in queue.
While the average Joe might flaunt a burgundy EU passport, the Knights of Malta’s version is in a league of its own. With a history dating back to 1099 in Malta, these knights have been around the block – even getting the boot from Napoleon before setting up shop in Rome, just a stone’s throw from the Vatican.
But it’s not just about passports; this Order rolls deep with its own stamps, coins, and even license plates (despite the glaring absence of any roads or banks to their name). It’s like having a country’s perks without the country.
These passports aren’t handed out like candy at Halloween. Reserved for the crème de la crème of their diplomatic corps, they’re a badge of honor for those tasked with traversing the globe on missions of mystery and mercy since the 1300s.
Daniel de Petri Testaferrata, a Maltese bigwig of the Order, spills the beans to CNN, revealing these coveted crimson carriers are typically valid for just four years. But if you’re the Grand Master you get a ten-year one.
In a world where everyone’s looking for the next big status symbol, the Knights of Malta passport is the ultimate flex. So, if you ever get a glimpse of one, know you’re in the presence of a true modern-day knight.
