Sovereign Military Order of Malta is the rarest passport in the world

This passport is so exclusive, it's held by only a few hundred people in the world. Photo / Getty Images

Our passports aren't seeing much action at the moment, but we still know the pain of applying for one.

But our efforts are nothing compared to what it takes to secure a copy of the world's rarest passport.

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a Catholic order so exclusive that its passports are granted to only a few hundred people in the world.

At the last count, in February 2018, there were only about 500 of the diplomatic passports in circulation.

Even without COVID-19 travelling restrictions, those who do have this passport can't go too far with it.

The United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand, for example, don't accept the passport for travel, along with many other countries and territories who have similar rules.

Malta passport. Photo / Getty Images

Only 23 of the 26 member countries of the Schengen Area recognise the passport.

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta was officially recognised by Pope Paschal in 1113 and is one of the oldest institutions in the Christian world.

There are more than 13,500 knights, dames and chaplains in the Order, along with 80,000 volunteers and 25,000 medical employees.

It operates as a charitable organisation offering medical aid around the globe, and doesn't control any territory of its own, despite having diplomatic relations with more than 100 states.

Passports are granted for four year terms so passport-holders can carry out diplomatic assignments. As well as passports, the order also issues its own postage stamps and currency.

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta passport isn't close to being one of the most powerful passports in the world.

That top spot used to belong to New Zealand but the country has recently lost it to Japan.

Citizenship firm Henley and Partners, which periodically ranks passports according to the level of travel freedom they allow citizens, has published its first Henley Passport Index of 2021.

Even though international travel remains off the cards for millions of people, including Australians, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the index continues to ranks nations according to the number of countries they theoretically allow visa-free access to.

The previously quarterly ranking saw New Zealand's black book in number one spot, followed by Australia and 11 other nations at number two.

This time around, Japan is back on top, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 191 destinations. It's the third time Japan has held the number 1 spot, either alone or tied with Singapore.

Singapore is in second place with a score of 190 and South Korea and Germany have come in third, both with scores of 189.