If you're born in North Korea, you'll probably never be allowed to leave North Korea.Under KimJong-Un's totalitarian regime, it's illegal foranyone who lives in the isolated nation to leave without the state's consent.Very few people ever receive such consent because they must either be visiting relatives in China or be travelling for professional purposes.Those who are lucky enoughor pay enoughto be allowed to leave are issued an "ordinary" passport. These travel documents are only temporary and must be given back upon returning to the country.There are also diplomatic and official passports given to high-ranking politicians and economic bureaucrats, but even these are only valid for five years and must be returned after each travel.Because of this, the North Korean passport is one of the rarest in the world.But thanks toTom Topol, an expert on passports and their history, we've been given a glimpse inside one of these elusive travel documents.Topol's website, Passport-collector,is a goldmine of information on historic and important travel documents.Inside, the passport isn't dissimilar to what we're used to seeing in Britain.The first pages show the national emblem on one side and a declaration of privileges provided by the document on the other.It reads: "The holder of this passport is under the protection of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. All those whom it may concern are hereby requested to allow the holder to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the holder with assistance and protection as may be necessary."According to the Passport Index, the North Korean passport grants its bearers access to just 41 countries, making it one of the weakest in the world.A large number of North Koreans resort to bribing officials to have their documents approved, which means a passport can cost up to $3,000a sum of money mostcan only dream of in a country where widespread poverty is regularly reported.According to Passport-collector, many of those who can afford one still save for at least 40 years before they apply, and it can take more than six months for the passport to arrive.Obviously the government has to abide by international standards, otherwise, the passport would be invalid. This is why very little looks out of the ordinary.In total, it consists of 36 pagesNorth Korea has since clamped down on the number of citizens travelling to neighbouring China for family-related purposes. No visas have been issued since March, according to Radio Free Asia. This is most likely an effort to prevent the common practice of unauthorised trade between the two nations. Many North Koreans who don't have relatives in China bribe officials for documents and bring Chinese goods back to their home country to sell for profit.Passports for professional trips are still being issued.Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: Scientists discovered something 'shocking' that could rewrite a key part of human evolution
Click here to read full news..
