Editing Passport (section)

===Diplomatic and official passports===
{{multiple image
| image1            = Indian Passport (e-Passport, 2024).svg
| image2            = Indian Official Passport.svg
| footer            = Left to right: ordinary (dark blue), official (white), and diplomatic (maroon) passports of India.
| total_width       = 250
| image3            = Indian Diplomatic Passport.svg
| alt1              = The front cover of an ordinary Indian passport, coloured navy blue
| alt2              = The front cover of an offician Indian passport coloured white.
| alt3              = The front cover of a diplomatic Indian passport coloured maroon.
}}
{{multiple image
|image1=PRC passport (Diplomatic).png|Diplomatic e-passport
|image2=PRC passport (Service).png|Service e-passport
|image3=PRC passport (for Public Affairs).png|Public Affairs e-passport
|footer=Left to right: diplomatic, service, and public affairs passport from the People's Republic of China.
|total_width=250
}}
{{multiple image
| image1            = UN-laissez-passer.jpg
| image2            = UN-laissez-passer red.jpg
| footer            = Left to right: United Nations Service (blue) and Diplomatic (red) [[United Nations laissez-passer|laissez-passers]]
| total_width       = 250
}}
Pursuant to the [[Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations]], [[Vienna Convention on Consular Relations]], and the [[diplomatic immunity|immunity afforded to officials of a foreign state]] under [[customary international law]], diplomats and other individuals travelling on government business are entitled to reduced scrutiny at [[border checkpoint]]s when travelling overseas. Consequently, such individuals are typically issued special passports indicating their status. These passports come in three distinct varieties:

==== Diplomatic passports ====
: Typically issued to [[diplomatic accreditation|accredited diplomats]], senior consular staff, [[head of state|heads of state]] or [[head of government|government]], and to senior foreign ministry employees. Individuals holding diplomatic passports are usually entitled to certain degrees of immunity from border control inspections, depending on their home countries and their countries of entry.

==== Service/official passports ====
: Issued to senior government officials travelling on state business who are not eligible for diplomatic passports. Holders of official passports are typically entitled to similar immunity from border control inspections. In the [[United States passport|United States of America]], official and service passports are two distinct categories of passport, with official passports being issued to senior government officials while service passports are issued to government contractors.{{efn|Service Passports are issued by the [[United States Department of State|Department of State]] to "certain non-personal services contractors who travel abroad in support of and pursuant to a contract with the U.S. government", to demonstrate the passport holder is travelling "to conduct work in support of the U.S. government while simultaneously indicating that the traveler has a more attenuated relationship with the U.S. government that does not justify a diplomatic or official passport."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/09/30/2016-23568/passports-service-passports|title=Passports: Service Passports|date=30 September 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fam.state.gov/fam/07fam/07fam1310.html|title=Introduction to Passport Services|access-date=2021-11-13|archive-date=2018-08-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802130254/https://fam.state.gov/fam/07fam/07fam1310.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/265151.pdf|title=US Diplomatic Note}}</ref>}}

==== Public affairs passports ====
: Issued to Chinese citizens holding senior positions in state-owned companies. While public affairs passports do not usually entitle their bearers to exemption from searches at border checkpoints, they are subject to more liberal visa policies in several countries primarily in Africa and Asia (see: [[Visa requirements for Chinese citizens]]).