What does it mean to have passport privilege?
To me, it’s one less thing to worry about. One more reason to book a flight and plan a trip on a short(ish) notice.
Passport privilege is cutting people off when they say, “Your visa will allow you to…” with “I don’t need a visa.” It’s removing my passport holder while I’m in line at the border control because I know the cover of my passport will save me from unnecessary scrutiny from the start. It’s refraining from saying “I know” when the immigration officer tells me, “Your visa is gratis.”
Passport privilege is forgetting to check if I need a transit visa for layovers. Oops.
It’s avoiding or delaying visits to the few countries where I need to apply for a visa. And being slightly annoyed when I have to process and pay for a visa on arrival.
It’s telling someone, “Sorry, I can’t help you with that,” when they ask how I secured a visa to visit certain countries. It’s being bewildered by the idea that I need a letter of invitation just to visit a country.
Having passport privilege, to me, is understanding that I’m accorded more freedom of movement than some, if not most, travelers. It is recognizing the stamped pages of my passport and my travel history put me in a better position to advance my travel goals.
Passport privilege is knowing I lucked out in the lottery of life and should not waste the opportunity to see the world.
muneerahb 