

All passports are now issued with the blue design and they are made by Thales DIS (formerly Gemalto) in Poland. This design was phased in over a number of months, and when introduced, the plan was that all passports issued should be blue by mid-2020. March 2020 saw the introduction of a new navy blue passport with a continuity design based on the previous blue passport last issued in 1992. At this time, the passport colour was also changed to burgundy red, to bring it into line with the European Community passports of the other member states.The previous blue hardback passport continued to be issued in tandem with the new design until stocks were exhausted in 1992. From 1988, the UK adopted machine readable passports in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization standard 9303.

British citizens can use their passport as evidence of right of abode in the United Kingdom.īetween 19, the standard design of British passports was a navy blue hardcover booklet featuring the royal coat of arms emblazoned in gold. All British passports enable the bearer to request consular assistance from British embassies and from certain Commonwealth embassies in some cases. Furthermore, each of the Crown dependencies and Overseas territories issue their own variants of British passports to those with links to their jurisdictions, which have small differences from the UK-variant passport. The legacy of the United Kingdom as an imperial power has resulted in several types of British nationality, and different types of British passport exist as a result. All passports issued in the UK since 2006 have been biometric.

British citizen passports have been issued in the UK by His Majesty's Passport Office, an agency of the Home Office, since 2014. Passports are issued using royal prerogative, which is exercised by His Majesty's Government this means that the grant of a passport is a privilege, not a right, and may be withdrawn in some circumstances. It also facilitates access to consular assistance from British embassies around the world. It grants the bearer international passage in accordance with visa requirements and serves as proof of citizenship.
Where to find place of issue on ritish passport series#
The polycarbonate data page of the current Series C British biometric passportġ414 ( First mention of 'passport' in an Act of Parliament) ġ5 August 1988 ( Machine-readable passport)Ħ March 2006 ( Series A biometric passport)įor most passport types, all countries British National (Overseas) passports not valid in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macauįees above are only for applications made online from within UKĪ British passport is a travel document issued by the United Kingdom or other British dependencies and territories to individuals holding any form of British nationality.
