By The European Times | Created at 2026-09-04 05:46:44 | Updated at 2026-09-04 08:22:14
2 hours ago
King Charles III and the Japanese imperial couple cross borders under a special diplomatic order, inaccessible even to their closest relatives
For almost everyone, a passport is a mandatory document when crossing an international border. However, there are three notable exceptions – the British King Charles III and the Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, writes the Polish publication Podróże Onet. The reasons for the privilege are different in Great Britain and Japan, but in both cases they are related to the unique constitutional and state status of these individuals. The most curious thing is that the right does not automatically extend to other members of the royal and imperial families.
Why Charles III does not have a British passport
The reason for the British monarch is almost paradoxical – passports for his subjects are issued precisely in the name of the king. The official website of the British royal family confirms that the sovereign does not need a British passport when traveling abroad.
British passports contain an official letter from the Secretary of State on behalf of His Majesty to foreign authorities requesting that the holder of the document be granted free passage and, if necessary, assistance and protection. Precisely because this request is made on behalf of the monarch, it is not necessary for the monarch himself to hold such a passport. The new generation of British passports now also bear the coat of arms of Charles III.
This privilege did not belong to Elizabeth II personally. After her death, it passed to the new sovereign – Charles III. If one day the British crown has another monarch, the rule will apply to him.
Even Queen Camilla must carry a passport
Here comes one of the most interesting details. The king’s wife does not have the same exemption. The official website of the royal family explicitly specifies that all its other members, including Queen Camilla and Prince of Wales William, hold passports.
Therefore, when traveling abroad, two members of the same royal family can find themselves in completely different documentary situations – Charles III does not have a passport, while the accompanying family members do.
Japan has an even more unusual rule
The other two exceptions are Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako. Japan’s Imperial Household Agency confirms their current status as emperor and empress, and the special order for their international travel has a history of more than half a century.
The rule is related to a decision by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1971, when Emperor Hirohito and Empress Kojun were preparing for their historic trip abroad. According to quoted data from the ministry, at that time it was accepted that issuing an ordinary or diplomatic passport to the emperor and subjecting him to standard passport and visa procedures would be “highly inappropriate”. The exception has been extended to the empress.
The 1971 trip itself was historic – it was the first time a sitting Japanese emperor had left the country. American archives from the same year record the imperial couple’s visit to Alaska on their way to Europe.
How Naruhito and Masako Cross Borders
The lack of a passport does not mean that the imperial couple simply turn up at a foreign airport without prior documentation. Before a visit, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs notifies the host country through diplomatic channels, and identification and formalities are arranged through special interstate documentation.
Thus, the standard procedure of passport checks is replaced by prior diplomatic coordination between Tokyo and the host country.
The privilege ends for the other Japanese princes
As in Britain, the exception is extremely narrow. Other members of the Japanese imperial family cannot simply travel without documents. Diplomatic passports are used for them, including on official visits abroad.
This makes the situation of Naruhito and Masako particularly curious – the Japanese exception covers not only the head of state, but also his wife. Britain applies a stricter rule, whereby the sovereign is not the only one who owns a passport.
A passport is actually a request from one country to another
There is also an interesting side to the story that we rarely notice when we show our document at the border. A passport is not just a booklet with a photo and personal data. Traditionally, it represents an official certification by the issuing country and a request to foreign authorities to recognize and protect its holder.
In the case of Charles III, it is this old principle that creates the unusual exception – the British passport is issued in his name. In the case of the Japanese imperial couple, the mechanism is different and is based on a diplomatic protocol specially established by Tokyo.
Thus, among the billions of international travelers, King Charles III, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako remain the three most frequently mentioned active figures for whom a passport is not part of the usual ritual when traveling abroad.
Illustrative photo: pexels-jakubzerdzicki-33497885
