Take the 2-minute tour ×  Based on this question, why do
passports expire? What possible function does it serve to limit
their validity in time?  share|improve this question from
philosophy perspective : nothing is eternal in this life, my
friend. –  Rudy Gunawan Oct 8 '13 at 2:55 To see the other side
of the coin, consider what happens with drivers' licenses. In
the EU, countries have to recognize each other licenses and some
had no expiration until recently. You have hundreds of different
documents with different formats, some from states that do not
exist anymore (e.g. the GDR), with a photo dating back decades
or that could easily be forged. It's very difficult to control
or enforce in any meaningful way, which is why new regulation
makes expiration mandatory EU-wide (there is a grace period for
older ones). –  Annoyed Oct 8 '13 at 10:08 Also, beside the good
reasons provided in the answer, some countries do seem to use it
as a source of income (I know one that charges several hundreds
euros for a passpor