UK to issue new passport with King’s coat of arms
The United Kingdom will issue revamped passports later this year that will feature King Charles III’s coat of arms.
These will be the first British passports to feature King Charles’s coat of arms, and they will be issued from December 2025.
On the new passports, the 4 nations of the UK will be represented through images of 4 UNESCO-protected natural landscapes: Ben Nevis, the Lake District, Three Cliffs Bay, and the Giant’s Causeway.
The government added that the new passport is also the most secure British passport ever produced, with the latest anti-forgery technology such as holographic and translucent features that make the documents easier to verify and harder to forge or tamper with.
It said this change will help to prevent illegal entry by people with no right to be in the UK as past of its plan to secure the country’s borders.
This updated passport is the first wholly new design issued since 2020. Passports issued with the coat of arms of Queen Elizabeth II will remain valid until their expiry date.
The first modern British passport was introduced in 1915 and the first watermark security feature was added in 1972. Many security measures have been added since, including complex patterns that are hard to replicate and features only visible under UV light.
“The introduction of His Majesty’s Arms, iconic landscapes, and enhanced security features marks a new era in the history of the British passport,” said Minister for Migration and Citizenship Mike Tapp.
“It also demonstrates our commitment to outstanding public service – celebrating British heritage while ensuring our passports remain among the most secure and trusted in the world for years to come.”
