Passports

Do I need a passport to travel to/from Descubralía? 

It depends on where you are coming from and the duration and frequency of visits.

Visitors from most modernized nations will find the passport issued by their country to be sufficient for travel to and from Descubralía. A visa may be required for an extended stay.  Permanent Resident Cards are also available. 

Quanafi and Yawurenyi do not issue passports, but rather their monarch or representative to the nation in question will issue a letter of passage to the equivalent person in the receiving country. Subjects of these countries usually can get by with this for a short occasional visit or if they live in a Mutual Border Agreement area. However, this is not exactly sufficient for the Descubralían government if someone is coming and going repeatedly (as a merchant, student, or diplomat) so we will issue an alien's passport called a Descubralian Non-citizen Travel Document. Another form of this is the Descubralian Stateless Travel and Identification Document, which is generally used for those who are either actually stateless (though refugees are few) or fall into a class that grants them nearly automatic asylum if they choose to request it (background checks required of course). 

Who qualifies for a Stateless Travel and Identification Document or Asylum?

• Women and non-citizens from Praetiridifin (including those deemed by the descubralians to be slaves).

• Some women (rules are very specific) and most disabled individuals. Princess Whisper [see below] is a notable example who held a Stateless document but never took the offer of asylum, even though in her home country she could not attain legal adulthood due to her deafness and hence was a bit of a non-entity until laws changed. Interestingly with the exception of persons legally bound to work for another due to mutual agreement no other yawurenyi can become descubralian citizens.

• Quanafi cannot hold a stateless passport nor become descubralian citizens, unless they first become yawurenyi or praetiridifin subjects.

• Kelvia always get stateless passports but have very peculiar rules for becoming a descubralian citizen. Interestingly, a non-citizen part-descubralian but mostly kelvian individual can hold the cabinet level post Voice of International Affairs. In fact, a part-kelvian or part-praetiridifin citizen is a preferred candidate. This is due to a feature in the constitution that says that cabinet level positions must be held by experts in the field and they will speak for the best interests of their field and the Chief Mediators [president & spouse] will use that raw information to form a cohesive answer rather than having the cabinet pander to the CM.

• Myuri are cats. No one has found a good way to issue cats passports, although ideas are welcome. They cannot become descubralian citizens but they can travel freely (who's going to stop them?) throughout the planet. A Myuri incapable (due to injury or disability or other reasons) of living among Myuri can always find refuge and kitty treats among the other species/nations.

Can you give examples of what a Letter of Passage might look like?

Here is the English translation of the letters of passage issued Princess Whisper, first by her biological father the king, and second by her adoptive father her biological brother the crown prince/king.

The first letter:

By the four elements who shape our lives, I, King of the noble Yäwurenyi, do request that this child here named, be able to pass freely without hindrance and to afford her such assistance and protection as may be necessary. I furthermore call upon the sixth article of your eminent Constitution, and the provision therein that all who pass through your borders in good standing, regardless of gender, species or disability, be allowed protection by your noble government, and request that this child be granted all the applicable Rights of a Noncitizen stated within. Most especially I request that the Right of Education and the Right of Language be gifted her specially, as she travels to your nation as a student, to find her inner language and to better herself and both of our nations through her studies. I also request, being of my kin and my social emissary, that she be afforded diplomatic immunity, with the understanding that any infractions she may commit in your fair nation will be judged by me personally, and will not be ignored, and that if the infraction is too heinous that your nation may declare her persona non grata. In the eyes of my kingdom she is and will ever be a child, but may the four bless you and your noble nation should you make her into the woman she was born to be.

The second letter:

By the four elements who shape our lives, I, King of the noble Yäwurenyi, do request that this woman here named, be able to pass freely without hindrance and to afford her such assistance and protection as may be necessary. I also call upon your Noble Constitution, the sixth article, and request that all the provisions therein pertaining to the Rights of a Non-citizen be bestowed upon her like fragrant blossoms. This subject is my legal daughter, a princess by blood, law, and character; and should be given all the honor and dignity, as well as protection and assistance, that would be afforded to my royal personage should I visit your beautiful nation. She is my ambassador, not to your government, but to your people, and from your people to myself, my kingdom and my subjects. I request that she, as my daughter and as ambassador be granted diplomatic immunity, although she is of such pure and noble character that I cannot conceive of her trespassing against any of your most honorable laws, by intent or by accident.

She has finished her basic schooling by your leave and gracious hospitality, and has found the language of her soul, but I send her back to you, though it breaks my heart to be separated from her even for a time, to obtain a series of degrees, in Deaf Education and Terlu Niuvu Sign Language, with the intent of attaining her Doctorate and returning to my kingdom to serve as my trusted adviser in regards to my disabled subjects, and to found schools, as are natural in your nation and as of yet unheard of in my kingdom for the instruction of the Deaf, and to extend these provisions to those with other disabilities. May this noble endeavor be Blessed by the four elements, by your nation and constitution, and by your people. And may this cause prevail which is close to the hearts of both of our countries. Blessings, and gratitude for your care of my beloved daughter, princess of this fair nation, and princess of all those who will benefit from her studies.