How does passport control work?

When you go through passport control. How does it work? You give them yourpassport and they check its you. But like how do they KNOW its you? What if you do like that thing in 007 where they cut the picture out of the id and change it? Or do they have like a massive database of photos lol xD. But yeah like also, if you lose your passport and dont have an entry stamp, how do you get out. Noob questions but im interested.

They don't really /know/ it's you, they just know that you've given them an official document claiming that the government of some country knows who you are.  Keeping passport technology a step ahead of forgers is tricky at best (same basic issue governs counterfeiting -- how do you /know/ that this $50 bill is actually worth fifty dollars?).  The exact technology required is dependent on the country of origin, but usually held to the same basic standards because other countries can just refuse access to people carrying insecure passports.  Passport officers are usually trained to spot a forged document, but high quality forgeries and even just old-fashioned disguises can still be enough to slip past the system.

The 'massive database of photos' would be maintained by the country that issued the passport, and the authenticity of a passport can be checked against the official records of the issuing country if a forgery is suspected.  Such procedures often take a long time, and aren't particularly efficient for busy locations.

If you lose your passport, you're screwed.  Without the passport to prove you're allowed to be in the country, you're pretty much an illegal alien.  Best bet is try convincing your nearest embassy that you're allowed to be there and hope they believe you, and they'll do all the rest.

PS: Cutting out a photo and changing it doesn't work so well nowadays -- most passports are printed on special material (not standard photo paper) which the 'common man' doesn't have ready access to, and embedded with watermarks that glow under ultraviolet light.  Unless you're an expert forger, the cut marks would be readily visible to anyone looking for them.

Passport control is to terrorist attacks as gun control is to school shootings. Borders should be totally open to economic migrants (this would require dismantling the social welfare system, but that's good too) and illegals (who must then be terrorists) should be shot on sight.

I believe that as of 2008 or 2009 all US passports will have RFID tags embedded in them.  Personally I find it creepy, which is I why I'm happy I got mine several years ago.  I suppose when I get my new passport later one I'll just throw it in the microwave for a few seconds.

>>4
make that 2006.