There is evidence of passage documents far back in
time, but the formal and regulated issuing of passports originates from King Henry V in 1414. The passports are a means
of mobility for travelers, but authorities can also increase
control of “unwanted” travelers. Thus, over time, passports
have not only caused barriers for travelers, but also and
importantly created opportunities due to easy legitimization.
Passport standardization came about in 1980, and since 2006,
many countries have started to supply them with chips. Bio-
metric evidence for passports includes fingerprints or iris
recognition.