Major changes to UK passports take effect from today
British passports will have a brand new look from today with a new cover, images and many security features
The Home Office said the new passport, the first completely new design in five years, will be the “most secure passport ever produced” and will feature the latest anti-counterfeiting technology, including new holographic and translucent features.
Nearly 300 of the newly designed travel documents, which feature King Charles’s emblem on the front and depict nature spots from four countries (Ben Nevis, the Lake District, the Bay of the Three Cliffs and the Giant’s Causeway) on the inside pages, are in circulation.
The Home Office said these new features will make passports easier to verify and “more difficult to counterfeit or falsify.”
Immigration and Citizenship Minister Mike Tapp said: “I’m proud to see our new British passports in circulation.
“Featuring Her Majesty’s Coat of Arms and views of the four countries, these structures celebrate our heritage while providing enhanced security.
“These are also the most secure British passports ever produced, helping us protect our borders and deliver an outstanding public service.”
Home Office, Queen Elizabeth II. He said passports bearing Elizabeth’s coat of arms will be valid until the expiry date specified on the passport.
However, he urged people to check the validity of their passports before planned travel and apply in time.
The first modern-style British passport was issued in 1915, more than a century ago.
And the first security feature, watermarking, was added in 1972; “Dozens” of additional security measures have been implemented since then.
