British passports are going to have brand new look from today, with a new cover, images, and host of security features
The Home Office said the new passport, the first wholly new design in five years, will be the âmost secure passport ever producedâ and will include the latest anti-forgery technology, including new holographic and translucent features.
Some 300 of the newly designed travel document are in circulation, bearing King Charlesâ emblem on the front and pages inside depicting nature spots from across the four nations â Ben Nevis, the Lake District, Three Cliffs Bay and the Giantâs Causeway.
These new features will make passports easier to verify and âeven harder to forge or tamper withâ, the Home Office said.
Migration and citizenship minister Mike Tapp said: âIâm proud to see our new British passports in circulation.
âFeaturing His Majestyâs Coat of Arms and landscapes from all four nations, they celebrate our heritage while delivering enhanced security.
âThey are also the most secure British passports ever produced, helping us protect our borders and deliver outstanding public service.â
The Home Office said that passports with Queen Elizabeth IIâs coat of arms remain valid until the expiry date listed inside the passport.
But it urged people to check the validity of their passports and apply in good time ahead of planned travel.
The first modern-style British passport was issued more than a century ago in 1915.
And the first security feature, a watermark, was added in 1972; since then, âdozensâ of further security measures have been introduced.
