Why you NEVER want a Purple Passport 🛂 #geography #geopolitics

Why do you never want a purple passport? Chances are, if you've seen an American passport, it's the classic navy blue version. But as it turns out, there are five versions that the US government hands out. Firstly, blue is what's known as the type P passport, and it's the default version issued to all citizens and nationals. It got its blue color first in 1976 for the nation's 200th birthday and has kept it permanently since 1993. There are currently over 180 million in circulation. Next are gray passports, also known as service passports. These are typically given out to contractors who are doing work on behalf of the US government, but aren't official employees. Official employees of the government receive a maroon one, aptly named the official passport. This is issued to anyone doing work for the United States abroad, such as military, bureaucrats, and even congressmen. Having one of these bad boys will typically exempt you from paying visa fees and will speed up visa processing as well. For even more important folks in government is the coveted black passport. This is handed out to any official diplomats working for the United States along with the president, vice president, some congressmen, Supreme Court justices, and anyone else super high up in the government totem pole. These typically grant the holder diplomatic immunity, exempting them from the laws of the country they're visiting. And finally, worst of all, is the purple passport. This can only be granted to citizens outside of the United States and is usually only given out for a very stressful reason. You lost your passport.