King Charles’s coat of arms will feature on the front of all new passports from December, the Home Office has said.
Natural landscapes from all four UK nations will also feature inside the updated documents, including Ben Nevis, the Lake District, Three cliffs Bay and the Giant’s Causeway.
It is indeed the first full redesign of British passports in five years, when they changed from burgundy to dark blue following the UK’s departure from the European Union.
Passports featuring Queen Elizabeth II’s coat of arms would remain valid untill their expiry date, the government said.
Passports have been issued in the King’s name since 2023, with their pages referring to “His Majesty”, but the late Queen’s coat of arms has remained on the cover.
New British Passports with Royal Coat of Arms to be Rolled Out in December
British passports are set for a redesign, featuring the Royal Coat of Arms on the cover, starting in December 2024. The change marks a return to the dark blue cover used for five centuries,replacing the current burgundy color adopted in 1988.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67333999
The new passports will showcase the coat of arms embossed in gold, as shown in an image released by PA Media. The Home Office states the redesign also incorporates updated security features, including advanced anti-forgery technology, to enhance protection against counterfeiting and tampering.
Migration and citizenship minister Mike Tapp described the change as “a new era in the history of the British passport,” emphasizing the government’s commitment to both celebrating British heritage and maintaining the passport’s status as one of the most secure and trusted travel documents globally. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-blue-passports-to-be-rolled-out-in-december
The UK first introduced passports with photographs and signatures in 1915. Security watermarks were added in 1972, and machine-readable passports were implemented in 1988. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67333999
The government advises citizens to check their passport’s expiration date and renew it well in advance of any planned travel.