The Andean passport is a

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 personal ...

for

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...

countries A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state (polity), state, nation, or other polity, political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, so ...

that are members of the

Andean Community of Nations The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

(ACN).

Origin and use

The Andean passport was created in June 2001 pursuant to ACN Decisión 504. This passport is based on a standard model containing harmonised features of nomenclature and security based on the recommendations of the

International Civil Aviation Organization 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 a ...

(ICAO). The member states of the ACN agreed to phase in new Andean passports bearing the official name of the regional body in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

by January 2005, although previously issued national passports will be valid until their expiry date. The passport is effective in

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

and formerly, in

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

. Because

left the ACN in 2006, the country no longer issues Andean passports, and it is most likely to start issuing a new

MERCOSUR The Southern Common Market, commonly known by Spanish abbreviation Mercosur, and Portuguese Mercosul, is a South American trade bloc established by the Treaty of Asunción in 1991 and Protocol of Ouro Preto in 1994. Its full members are Arge ...

-style passport as the country became a full member of that organization. Venezuelan ACN passports issued are valid until its expiration date. The last Venezuelan ACN passports were more likely to expire between 2011 and 2012.

Basic features

The Andean passport features: * a passbook type format with rounded edges measuring by . * a cover and back cover in “bordeaux”

color Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...

. * legends printed in

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

color. * Above the national seal of the issuing country, the cover has the legend "COMUNIDAD ANDINA", which is centered and printed in larger

font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a typeface. Each font is a matched set of type, with a piece (a " sort") for each glyph. A typeface consists of a range of such fonts that shared an overall design. In mo ...

s. Below the seal is printed the official name of the member country. * the bottom of the cover has the word "PASAPORTE" (

), with "PASSPORT" (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

) immediately below in smaller type.

Gallery of Andean passports

File:Pasaporte boliviano biometrico.jpg, File:Pasaporte Biométrico Ecuatoriano.jpg, File:Biometric Passport Peru.jpg, File:PasaporteColombiaBiometrico.jpg, Colombian Passport

External links

DECISION 525: Minimum specific technical characteristics of Andean Passport nomenclature and security
{{Passports Passports Andean Community 2001 establishments in South America Foreign relations of Bolivia Foreign relations of Colombia Foreign relations of Ecuador Foreign relations of Peru