A certificate of identity, sometimes called an alien's passport, is a

travel document A travel document is an identity document issued by a government or international entity pursuant to international agreements to enable individuals to clear border control measures. Travel documents usually assure other governments that the beare ...

issued by a country to non-citizens (also called

alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...

s) residing within their borders who are

stateless persons In international law, a stateless person is someone who is "not considered as a national by any state under the operation of its law". Some stateless people are also refugees. However, not all refugees are stateless, and many people who are st ...

or otherwise unable to obtain a passport from their state of nationality (generally

refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

s). Some states also issue certificates of identity to their own citizens as a form of emergency

passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the perso ...

or otherwise in lieu of a passport. The visa requirements of certificates of identity may be different from those of regular passports.

Types

1951 Convention documents (for refugees)

A certificate of identity issued to a refugee is also referred to as a

1951 Convention travel document A refugee travel document (also called a 1951 Convention travel document or Geneva passport) is a travel document issued to a refugee by the state in which they normally reside in allowing them to travel outside that state and to return there. R ...

(also known as a

refugee travel document A refugee travel document (also called a 1951 Convention travel document or Geneva passport) is a travel document issued to a refugee by the state in which they normally reside in allowing them to travel outside that state and to return there. R ...

or a Geneva passport), in reference to the 1951

Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, also known as the 1951 Refugee Convention or the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951, is a United Nations multilateral treaty that defines who a refugee is, and sets out the rights of individuals ...

. 145 countries are parties to the 1951 Convention and 146 countries are parties to the 1967

Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees The Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees is a key treaty in international refugee law. It entered into force on 4 October 1967, and 146 countries are parties. The 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees restric ...

. Notably, the United States is not a party to the Convention, but provides travel documents to its lawful permanent residents, either as a

Re-entry Permit A re-entry permit is required by some countries, for their citizens or tourists who leave the country for an extended period of time. For example, the United States issues a re-entry permit to a resident alien who plans to travel abroad for an exten ...

or a refugee travel document under the 1967 Protocol.

1954 Convention documents (for stateless persons)

A certificate of identity issued to a stateless person is also referred to as a 1954 Convention travel document, in reference to the

1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons The Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons is a 1954 United Nations multilateral treaty that aims to protect stateless individuals. Surrounding events The United Nations Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights were ap ...

. 89 countries are parties to the 1954 Convention. Unlike a refugee travel document, a certificate of identity issued by most countries does not in itself entitle the holder to readmission into the country.

Non-Convention travel documents

Non-Convention (or non-National) travel documents are

s issued by a country to non-citizen (also called

) residents who do not have access to passport facilities from their own countries, are not recognized as either Convention refugees, and are not officially stateless under the 1954

Convention relating to the status of stateless persons The Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons is a 1954 United Nations multilateral treaty that aims to protect stateless individuals. Surrounding events The United Nations Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights were ap ...

(or the country they live in has not signed that convention). In these cases there is no formal international agreement to regulate the issue of travel documents to these people although most countries will issue their own version of a non-convention travel document to residents. These documents broadly meet

ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international ...

standards for international identity documents. They are known variously as Alien's Passports in mainland Europe and Scandinavia and as a certificate of identity in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, Australia and

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

National examples

Certificates of identity are issued under various names, including: * Australia –

Australian Certificate of Identity The Australian Certificate of Identity (COI) is a biometric travel document issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to individuals who are not Australian citizens and are about to leave Australia or one of its territories. It shoul ...

* Brunei –

Bruneian International Certificate of Identity The Bruneian International Certificate of Identity (ICI) is an international travel document issued by the Immigration and National Registration Department to Bruneian permanent residents who are stateless. It is valid for five years. Eligibilit ...

* Canada –

Canadian Certificate of Identity The Canadian Certificate of Identity is an international travel document issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (formerly by Passport Canada) to a permanent resident of Canada who is not yet a Canadian citizen, is stateless, or i ...

* Estonia –

Estonian alien's passport An Estonian Alien's Passport ( et, välismaalase pass) is a travel document that may be issued to a person who is stateless or of undefined citizenship residing in Estonia by the Police and Border Guard Board of the Ministry of Internal Affair ...

* Finland –

Alien's Passport A certificate of identity, sometimes called an alien's passport, is a travel document issued by a country to non-citizens (also called aliens) residing within their borders who are stateless persons or otherwise unable to obtain a passport fr ...

* Hong Kong –

Hong Kong Document of Identity for Visa Purposes The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Document of Identity for Visa Purposes () is a biometric travel document issued by the Hong Kong Immigration Department to residents of Hong Kong who are unable to obtain a national passport. I ...

** before handover –

Hong Kong Certificate of Identity The Hong Kong Certificate of Identity (CI) was a formal travel document and passport, issued by the Hong Kong Government's Immigration Department until 30 June 1997 (See transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong). It is no longer possible to p ...

* India –

Indian Identity Certificate An Indian Identity Certificate, simply known as Identity Certificate (IC), is a travel document issued by the Passport Seva (Passport Service), Consular, Passport & Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India to ...

* Indonesia – * Japan –

Japan Re-entry Permit The , (or "Re-entry Permit to Japan") is a travel document similar to a certificate of identity, issued by Japan's Ministry of Justice. It is a passport-like booklet with a light brown cover with the words "再入国許可書 RE-ENTRY PERMIT T ...

* Latvia –

Non-citizens (Latvia) Non-citizens or Aliens ( lv, nepilsoņi) in Latvian law are individuals who are not citizens of Latvia or any other country, but who, in accordance with the Latvian law "Regarding the status of citizens of the former USSR who possess neither Latv ...

* Macau –

Macau Special Administrative Region Travel Permit The Macao Special Administrative Region Travel Permit ( pt, Título de Viagem da Região Administrativa Especial de Macau; Traditional Chinese: 澳門特別行政區旅行證) is a biometric international travel document issued to non-permanent ...

** before handover – ('Passport for foreigners') * Malaysia –

Malaysian Certificate of Identity The Malaysian Certificate of Identity ( ms, Surat Akuan Pengenalan) is an international travel document issued by the Immigration Department of Malaysia to Malaysian permanent residents who are stateless. Use A holder of a Certificate of Identit ...

* New Zealand –

New Zealand Certificate of Identity The New Zealand Certificate of Identity is an international biometric travel document issued by the Department of Internal Affairs to an alien resident of or visitor to New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in t ...

* Singapore –

Singapore Certificate of Identity The Singaporean Certificate of Identity is an international travel document issued by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to Singaporean permanent residents who are stateless. Use A holder of a Certificate of Identity can enter Germany and ...

* United Kingdom –

British Certificate of Travel The British Certificate of Travel is an international travel document and a type of Home Office travel document issued by the UK Home Office to non-citizen residents of United Kingdom who are unable to obtain a national passport or other con ...

* United States – U.S. Re-entry Permit

References

External links

Travel documents
Passport Canada
Certificate of identity
Fijian embassy to the United States
Certificates of identity
Legalization of Identity Certificate
Certificate of identity
Malaysia
Refugee travel documents and certificates of identity
New Zealand Dept. of Internal Affairs
Certificates of identity
Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
Certificate of travel
United Kingdom Home Office {{Passports International travel documents Identity documents