Order of Malta; World's Rarest Passport with 500 Holders

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Singaporean, and Japanese passports are among the strongest, allowing their citizens to travel to 194 countries without a visa. But, the rarest passport in the world is held by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta with only around 500 diplomatic passport holders.

The Order of Malta, also known as the Knights of Malta is recognized as a sovereign nation with United Nations observer status and a constitution. However, it operates without territorial jurisdiction. 

The Knights originated as a chivalric order in Jerusalem around 1099 and were gifted the Maltese archipelago in 1530 by the King of Spain. Napoleon Bonaparte forced the Knights out of Malta in the French invasion of 1798, and these days the Order is headquartered in Rome.

Daniel de Petri Testaferrata, the Malta-based President of the Order, tells CNN that only about 100 of the 13,500 knights, dames, and chaplains now dispersed around the globe live in the Maltese archipelago. It issues unique car license plates, currency, passports, and stamps even if there are no roads, banks, or even a territory.

The Order provides rapid medical and humanitarian supplies to victims of conflict or natural disasters, runs hospitals, ambulance corps, medical centers, homes for the elderly and the disabled, soup kitchens, and first aid posts; stressing the Order’s commitment to global well-being. Currently, the Sovereign Order of Malta is actively engaged in 120 countries.

The history of the Order of Malta

The Order began issuing laissez-passer documents in the 1300s to allow their errant knights to traverse the globe and collect alms. They took their modern form after the Second World War, although the passports are reserved for diplomats only.

“The Order grants passports to members of their government for the duration of their mandate,” said Daniel de Petri Testaferrata.

The Knightly passports are blood red and are reserved exclusively for Sovereign Council members, diplomatic mission leaders, and their families. The books of 44 pages are normally valid for just four years, apart from the passport of the Grand Masters’ which has a 10-year validity.

The Order of Malta is recognized by  two-thirds of Schengen members. Additionally, the Order works closely with many countries with no formal diplomatic relations such as France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

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