Annalisa12

It was in Lethal Weapon!

alpha5eight

Absolutely right. As a general rule, if you are travelling into Europe or North America it is far easier to use a national passport - in fact my US G4 visa is in my national passport, not my UNLP. UNLPs are accepted in the UK without a visa but trust me, the immigration people are very wary of them!

I believe that in theory, any UN member state should accept them, but...

Bottom line is that some countries don't like them because they are frequently misused and some countries don't like them for more...political reasons. And the reality is that a UNLP is not valid without a national passport as the UNLP is missing one vital piece of information that every country will ask for - nationality!

ironmanjt

Should, maybe, but don't. The US and Russia refuse to issue visas in them.


However, many countries will accept them without asking your nationality. Including....the Schengen.

erik123

I believe there may also be some tax exemptions - e.g. no need to pay airport tax, exit taxes, etc. Though maybe that also depends on specific treaties?

ROCAT

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Ssgogo1

my father in this case had a diplomatic passport from the us. the main purpose he was issued this was due to the fact he had a weapon and a diplomatic passport grants immunity from searches and seizures at least in this case.

Worcester

Don't try this in France. If they stop you they will just take you to a cash machine or impound the car.

GUWonder

I was referring to "out-of-country" car/driver.

It's not sufficient in all countries when dealing with all out-of-country cars/drivers, but it's sufficient for some.

In the very post of mine from which you clipped, I said: "That said, some states -- including in the US -- and some countries mandate payment of fine before being released by the police.".

Here is the full paragraph:

Wilbur

Apparently you can drive like a psychopath along residential streets where children are coming home from school, blow through stop signs, and threaten passers-by with death if you have diplomatic immunity and are an Arab prince.

http://jalopnik.com/laferrari-asshat...hbo-1730757102

GUWonder

Sounds like a guy who is wearing his big boss's rank.

Sovereign immunity is even more excessive than ordinary diplomatic immunity. What it must be like to be a King or Queen in the EU/Schengen area. But now that royalty thing tends to be less excessively abusive than sovereign immunity-covered exercises engaged in by big countries' non-hereditary heads of government/state.

captain_starwood

On a related note, does anyone know if SFO has a diplomatic line?

welltravelled88

I have a diplomatic passport and it doesn't mean much.

* I never got upgraded because of that and don't know anyone who was. Some airlines might upgrade diplomats, especially for new destinations. But that's pretty much a commercial consideration: you may spread good words about them since you are in some circles. The same would apply to people working for highly renowned private companies. Whether the airline's station manager in remote locations upgrades you taking into account that you are a diplomat when he/she happens to know you (in addition to FF status and whatever other considerations), will never know.

(Once when flying AZ, I witnessed an Italian MP, once he was already on board, flagging his MP credentials and demanding an upgrade. He was promptly told to sit down or he would be disembarked. Loved that !)

* Some countries, typically African countries, offer "protocol" lounges. But they are so crap, that you're better off using your FF card if you have one, or Priority Pass for a commercial lounge.

* Some countries have immigration lines for diplomats, but in my experience they don't necessarily go faster. Also, you may end the lengthy line, only to be told that it's only applicable to diplomats posted to that country.

* Can customs search your baggage ? Well, I was asked on several occasions for my baggage to be searched, and of course I duly complied. I wouldn't want to know what happens if you refuse... The only exception is countries e.g. in Africa where baggage searches are mainly intended to extort money, in which case flagging a diplomatic passport and some courtesy can help save time.

* Can security check your baggage ? Absolutely. Diplomatic privileges and immunities have nothing to do with flight safety.

* Do anything remotely illegal or stupid, and being a diplomat will mean you get not only relevant punishment, but also public embarrassment possibly including media attention.

* And of course, in most cases you can only use them for official travel -- though that will vary from issuing entity to issuing entity.

powerlifter

There was a case where I live when a Diplomat who was drunk hit a child and her mother in a crosswalk and killed them both. He claimed immunity and laughed at the police. The State dept. asked the country to revoke his status which they did, and he got life in prison. I wonder who is laughing now.

televisor

Probably worth keeping in mind that you might want to treat the EU as one country for the purposes of "out-of-country" cars/drivers:
http://etsc.eu/faq-eu-cross-border-e...ent-directive/

Ryank91

You do get a separate line, but the process is exactly the same just a little quicker (your government can give you a "waiver" so they won't check your bags but that is rare). You are technically only supposed to use it for official business, however some host countries require you to leave and enter on you dip passport no matter what. Obtaining one does give you immunity but ONLY in the country you are in for officia business, so you could get arrested in a country you're transferring through. While entering the US on a US dip passport doesn't get you into a special line it usually gets you a warm welcome from the customs officers.