British passport - wikipedia British passport British passport The front cover of a British citizen biometric passport issued since 2006 The data page of the 2015 version of the British biometric passport Date first issued 1414 ( first mention of ' passport ' in an Act of Parliament ) 1915 ( first ' modern ' passport ) 15 August 1988 ( machine - readable passport ) 6 February 2006 ( biometric passport ) 7 October 2015 ( current version ) Issued by United Kingdom -- HM Passport Office -- CSRO ( Gibraltar ) -- Crown dependencies -- Overseas Territories Type of document Passport Purpose Identification Eligibility requirements British citizenship or any of the various other forms of British nationality Expiration 10 years ( 16 or older ) 5 years ( under 16 ) Cost Adult Standard ( 32 pages ) : £ 85.00 Jumbo ( 48 pages ) : £ 95.00 Free if born before 2 September 1929 Child ( under 16 ) £ 58.50 British passports are passports issued by the United Kingdom to those holding any form of British nationality. There are different types of British nationality, and different types of British passports as a result. A British passport enables the bearer to travel worldwide and serves as proof of citizenship. It also facilitates access to consular assistance from British embassies around the world, or if also a citizen of the European Union, any embassy of another European Union member state. Passports are issued using royal prerogative, which is exercised by Her Majesty 's Government. British citizen passports have been issued by Her Majesty 's Passport Office in the UK since 2006. British citizens can use their passport as evidence of right of abode in the United Kingdom and EU citizenship. All passports issued in the UK since 2006 have been biometric. In 1988, the UK Government changed the colour of the passport to burgundy red, in line with most EU passports - the only exception being Croatia which is blue. The UK Government announced plans in December 2017 to return to the dark blue cover passport after Brexit. Contents 1 Types of British passports 1.1 British citizen, British overseas citizen, British subject, British protected person, British national ( overseas ) 1.2 Gibraltar 1.3 EU citizenship 1.4 Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories 1.5 Special British passports 2 History 2.1 Historical passports 2.2 Timeline 2.3 The pre-1988 passport 2.4 The British visitor 's passport 2.5 European format passports 2.6 Change to blue passport 3 Physical appearance 3.1 Generic design 3.1. 1 Front cover 3.1. 2 Passport note 3.1. 3 Information page 3.1. 4 Function - related passports 3.2 Passports issued to residents of the Crown dependencies and Gibraltar 3.3 Passports issued to residents of certain British Overseas Territories 4 Multiple passports 5 Endorsements 6 Abandoned plans for `` next generation '' biometric passports and national identity registration 7 Monarch 8 Visa requirements 9 Foreign travel statistics 10 Gallery of British passports 11 See also 12 References Types of British passports Owing to the many different categories in British nationality law, there are different types of passports for each class of British nationality. All categories of British passports are issued by Her Majesty 's Government under royal prerogative. Since all British passports are issued in the name of the Crown, the reigning monarch does not require a passport. The following table shows the number of valid British passports on the last day of 2017 and shows the different categories eligible to hold a British passport : Category Country code Valid passports as at 31 Dec 2017 Issuing authority Note British citizens GBR 49,728,584 In the UK : HM Passport Office ( HMPO ) In Gibraltar : Civil Status and Registration Office ( CSRO ) Individual Crown dependencies British Overseas Territories Citizens of Gibraltar GBD 2,202 CSRO formerly British Dependent Territories Citizens British Overseas Territories Citizens of other British Overseas Territories 30,252 Individual Overseas Territory HMPO British Overseas citizens GBO 13,379 HMPO British subjects with right of abode in UK GBS 36,029 HMPO British subjects without right of abode in UK 869 HMPO British protected persons GBP 1,408 HMPO British Nationals ( Overseas ) GBN 158,107 HMPO A British passport issued by Guernsey British citizen, British Overseas citizen, British subject, British protected person, British National ( Overseas ) British citizen, British overseas citizen, British subject, British protected person and British national ( overseas ) passports are issued by HM Passport Office in the UK. British nationals of these categories applying for passports outside the UK can apply for their passport online from HMPO. British passports were previously issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in British embassies around the world. However, in 2009, this was stopped and British citizen passports can now only be issued by the Passport Office in the UK. The FCO says : `` In their 2006 report on consular services, the National Audit Office recommended limiting passport production to fewer locations to increase security and reduce expenditure. '' Gibraltar British citizens and British Overseas Territory citizens of Gibraltar can apply for their passport in Gibraltar, where it will be issued by the Gibraltar Civil Status and Registration Office. EU citizenship British citizens, British Overseas Territory citizens of Gibraltar and British subjects with right of abode are considered to be UK nationals for the purpose of EU law. They are therefore considered to be EU citizens, allowing them to move freely within the European Economic Area and Switzerland. Other types of British nationals are not considered to be EU citizens, but may nevertheless enjoy visa - free travel to the European Union as tourists. Crown dependencies and Overseas Territories British passports in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are issued in the name of the Lieutenant - Governor of the respective Crown Dependencies on behalf of the States of Jersey, States of Guernsey and the Government of the Isle of Man respectively. Meanwhile, in British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territories Citizen passports are issued in the name of the respective territory 's governor. British emergency passport with its cream cover Special British passports Diplomatic passports are issued in the UK by HMPO. They are issued to British diplomats and high - ranking government officials to facilitate travel abroad. Official passports are issued to those travelling abroad on official state business. Queen 's Messenger passports are issued to diplomatic couriers who transport documents on behalf of HM Government. Emergency passports are issued by British embassies across the world. Emergency passports may be issued to any person holding British nationality. Commonwealth citizens are also eligible to receive British emergency passports in countries where their country of nationality is unrepresented. Under a reciprocal agreement, British emergency passports may also be issued to EU citizens in countries where their own country does not have a diplomatic mission or is otherwise unable to assist. History Safe conduct documents, usually notes signed by the monarch, were issued to foreigners as well as English subjects in medieval times. They were first mentioned in an Act of Parliament, the Safe Conducts Act in 1414. Between 1540 and 1685, the Privy Council issued passports, although they were still signed by the monarch until the reign of Charles II when the Secretary of State could sign them instead. The Secretary of State signed all passports in place of the monarch from 1794 onwards, at which time formal records started to be kept. Passports were written in Latin or English until 1772, when French was used instead. From about 1855 English was used, with some sections translated into French for many years. In 1855 passports became a standardised document issued solely to British nationals. They were a simple single - sheet paper document, and by 1914 included a photograph of the holder. The British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act 1914 was passed on the outbreak of World War I. A new format was introduced in 1915 : a single sheet folded into eight with a cardboard cover. It included a description of the holder as well as a photograph, and had to be renewed after two years. Historical passports Some duplicate passports and passport records are available at the British Library ; for example IOR : L / P&J / 11 contain a few surviving passports of travelling ayahs for the 1930s. A passport issued on 18 June 1641 and signed by King Charles I still exists. Timeline Various changes to the design were made over the years : In 1927, the country name changed from `` United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland '' to `` United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland '' ( alternatively the name of the colony appeared here ) In 1954, the name of the Secretary of State was removed. In 1968 the validity was extended from five years renewable up to ten, to ten years non-renewable. At the end of 1972, several modifications were made. A special blue watermarked paper was introduced to make alteration and forgery more difficult. The number of pages was reduced from 32 to 30, and the holder 's eye colour and the maiden name of a married woman were removed. In May 1973, an optional 94 - page passport was made available which provided many more pages for immigration stamps and visas for frequent travellers. In 1975, lamination over the bearer 's photograph was introduced to make alteration harder. Overprinting of the laminate was added in 1981 to make removal easier to spot. In 1979, UK exchange controls were abolished, and the foreign exchange page was removed. In 1982, the holder 's occupation and country of residence were removed. In July 1988, changes were made to ease the introduction of machine - readable passports later in the year. Joint passports were no longer issued and the descriptions of distinguishing features and height were removed. In August 1988, the old style started to be replaced by the burgundy passport, which included the first - ever printed mention of the European Community on the cover and granted automatic free movement of labour to British citizens in the other 9 EEC countries ( at the time ), and reciprocally provided access for those nation 's workers into the UK economy. Some offices issued the remaining stock of old - style passports until as late as 1993. 1998 : Digital facial image rather than a laminated photograph, and intaglio or raised printing on the inside of the covers. Children under 16 are no longer included on new adult passports. 2006 : Biometric passports ( also called ePassports ) comply with the US Visa Waiver Program. 2010 : The Identity & Passport Service announced that the British passport was to be redesigned. Pages of the passport will contain well - known UK scenes including the White Cliffs of Dover, the Gower Peninsula, Ben Nevis and the Giant 's Causeway. There will also be new security features, namely moving the chip which stores the holder 's details to the inside of the passport cover where it will no longer be visible ( this gives additional physical protection as well as making it much harder to replace the chip without damage to the passport cover being spotted ), a secondary image of the holder printed onto the observations page, new designs now stretching across two pages and a new transparent covering which includes several holograms to protect the holder 's personal details. 2015 : HM Passport Office unveiled the design and theme of the new passport as ' Creative United Kingdom ' at Shakespeare 's Globe, London on November. The design features British cultural icons such as William Shakespeare, John Harrison, John Constable, Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace, Antony Gormley, Elisabeth Scott and Anish Kapoor ; iconic British innovations such as the Penny Black and the London Underground ; and UK landmark structures like the Houses of Parliament, London Eye, Edinburgh Castle, the Pierhead Building in Cardiff, Titanic Belfast and the Royal Observatory Greenwich. As part of the Press release the HM Passport Office said the new passport is the most secure in the world. The passport was released in December 2015. De La Rue has got a 10 - year contract with HM Passport Office designing and producing the British Passports starting in 2010 as well as the new ' Creative UK ' passport in 2015. The pre-1988 passport UK passport 1924 UK Passport from the final design before the change to Burgundy. ( Issued 1991 ) A 32 - page passport with a dark cover, commonly known as the old blue style, came into use in 1920 with the formation of the Passport Service following international agreement on a standard format for passports, and remained in use until replaced by the European Union - style machine - readable passport in late 1988. As with many documents worldwide and all booklet - format documents, details were handwritten into the passport and ( as of 1955 ) included : number, holder 's name, `` accompanied by his wife '' and her maiden name, `` and '' ( number ) `` children '', national status. For both bearer and wife : profession, place and date of birth, country of residence, height, eye and hair colour, special peculiarities, signature and photograph. Names, birth dates, and sexes of children, list of countries for which valid, issue place and date, expiry date, a page for renewals and, at the back, details of the amount of foreign exchange for travel expenses ( a limited amount of sterling, typically £ 50 but increasing with inflation, could be taken out of the country ). The bearer 's sex was not explicitly stated, although the name was written in with title ( `` Mr John Smith '' ). Descriptive text was printed in both English and French ( a practice which still continues ), e.g., `` Accompanied by his wife ( Maiden name ) / Accompagné de sa femme ( Née ) ''. Changed details were struck out and rewritten, with a rubber - stamped note confirming the change. If details and photograph of a man 's wife and details of children were entered ( this was not compulsory ), the passport could be used by the bearer, wife, and children under 16, if together ; separate passports were required for the wife or children to travel independently. The passport was valid for five years, renewable for another five, after which it had to be replaced. The passport had a printed list of countries for which it was valid, which was added to manually as validity increased. A passport of 1955 was valid for the British Commonwealth, USA, and all countries in Europe `` including the USSR, Turkey, Algeria, Azores, Canary Islands, Iceland, and Madeira '' ; during its period of validity restrictions eased and it was endorsed `` and for all other foreign countries ''. The British Visitor 's passport Cardboard identity card issued under arrangements regarding collective passports by the UK Passport Service in 2005 A new simplified type, the British Visitor 's Passport, was introduced in 1961. It was a single - page cardboard document valid for one year obtainable for many years from Employment Exchanges, as agents of the Passport Office, and then from a Post Office. It was accepted for travel by most west European countries ( excluding surface travel to West Berlin ), but was dropped in 1995 since it did not identify the holder 's nationality or meet new security standards. European format passports On 15 August 1988, the Glasgow passport office became the first to issue burgundy - coloured machine - readable passports. They followed a common format agreed amongst member states of the European Community, and had the words ' European Community ' on the cover, changed to ' European Union ' in 1997. The passport has 32 pages ; a 48 - page version is available with more space for stamps and visas. There are two lines of machine - readable text printed in a format agreed amongst members of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, and a section in which relevant terms ( `` surname '', `` date of issue '', etc. ) are translated into the official EU languages. Passports issued overseas did not all have a Machine Readable Zone but these was introduced gradually as appropriate equipment was made available overseas. In 1998 the first digital image passport was introduced with photographs being replaced with images printed directly on the bio-data page which was moved from the cover to an inside page to reduce the ease of fraud. These documents were all issued with machine readable zones and had a hologram over the photograph, which was the first time that British passports had been protected by an optically variable safeguard. These documents were issued until 2006 when the biometric passport was introduced. The bio-data page is printed with a finely detailed background including a drawing of a red grouse ( a native British bird ), and the entire page is protected from modification by a laminate which incorporates a holographic image of the kingfisher ; visa pages are numbered and printed with detailed backgrounds including drawings of other birds : a merlin, curlew, avocet, and red kite. An RFID chip and antenna are located on the obverse of the data page and hold the same visual information as is printed, including a digital copy of the photograph with biometric information for use with facial recognition systems. The Welsh and Scottish Gaelic languages were included in all British passports for the first time in 2005, and appear on the titles page replacing the official languages of the EU, although the EU languages still appear faintly as part of the background design. Welsh and Scottish Gaelic precede the official EU languages in the translations section. Change to blue passport Mockup released by HM Government showing what the new design could look like There was speculation regarding re-introduction of the old - style passport following completion of the United Kingdom 's exit from the European Union but the government denied any immediate plans. Such a change was supported by some due to its symbolic value, including Brexit Secretary David Davis, while others thought the undue weight put on such a trivial change raises the question of whether the government is able to prioritise its order of business ahead of Brexit. On 2 April 2017, Michael Fabricant MP said that security printing and banknote manufacturer De La Rue, who hold the current £ 400 million contract with HM Passport Office, had stated that the crest would `` contrast better on navy blue than it currently does on the maroon passports '' as part of their pre-tender discussions with the government. The Sun newspaper launched a campaign in August 2016, and a question was put to Home Secretary Amber Rudd in the House of Commons. In December 2017, the Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis announced that the blue passport would `` return '' after the United Kingdom 's exit from the European Union. The announcement led to controversy regarding the actual colour of the pre-1988 passport, with Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson calling the campaign `` baffling '' as she `` always thought ( the old passports ) were black '', and Channel 4 political journalist Michael Crick saying that `` any witness would describe ( the passport as black ) in court ''. The previous blue passport spotted the words `` British Passport '' above the crest, with the words `` United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland '' below it. The Home Office mock - up does not contain the word `` British '' at all. Physical appearance British passports are, until 2019, burgundy, with the coat of arms of the United Kingdom emblazoned in the centre of the front cover. With the sole exception of emergency passports which are printed and issued by the British diplomatic missions, all other types British passports have been printed and issued by Her Majesty 's Passport Office ( HMPO ) in the United Kingdom since May 2015, although some British Overseas Territories, such as Bermuda, did not start forwarding the applications to HMPO until June 2016 when its own passport book stock was depleted. There are three types of covers among British passports. Passports with the generic cover are issued to British citizens not residing in the Crown dependencies and Gibraltar, and persons holding all other types of British nationality. Passports issued to residents of the Crown dependencies and Gibraltar has a slightly variated cover. Passports issued to British Overseas Territories citizens residing in certain territories has a completely different cover, albeit with the same interior design. Generic design See also : British National ( Overseas ) passport Front cover The words `` UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND '' are inscribed above the coat of arms, whilst the word `` PASSPORT '' is inscribed below. The biometric passport symbol appears at the bottom of the front cover under the word `` PASSPORT ''. The words `` EUROPEAN UNION '' are printed at the top of British passports issued to British nationals who are considered `` United Kingdom nationals for European Community purposes '' ( i.e. British Citizens, British Subjects with the right of abode in the UK and British Overseas Territories Citizens connected with Gibraltar ). It is not included at the top of other British passports ( i.e. passports issued to British Nationals ( Overseas ), British Overseas Citizens, British Protected Persons, non-Gibraltarian British Overseas Territories Citizens and British Subjects without the right of abode in the UK ) Passport note Generic British passports contain on their inside cover the following words in English only : Her Britannic Majesty 's Secretary of State Requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary. In older passports, more specific reference was made to `` Her Britannic Majesty 's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs '', originally including the name of the incumbent. Information page British passports issued by HM Passport Office include the following data on the information page : Photograph of the owner / holder ( digital image printed on page ) Type ( P ) Code of issuing state ( GBR ) Passport number Surname ( see note below regarding titles ) Given names Nationality ( the class of British nationality, such as `` British Citizen '' or `` British Overseas Citizen '', or if issued on behalf of a Commonwealth country, `` Commonwealth Citizen '' ) Date of birth Sex ( Gender ) Place of birth ( only the city or town is listed, even if born outside the UK ; places of birth in Wales are entered in Welsh upon request ) Date of issue Authority Date of expiry Holder 's signature ( digital image printed on page ) Machine Readable Zone starting with P < GBR The items are identified by text in English and French ( e.g., `` Date of birth / Date de naissance '' ) ; there is a section in which all this text is translated into all official EU languages, as well as Welsh and Scottish Gaelic. According to the UK government, the current policy of using titles on passports requires that the applicant provides evidence that the Lord Lyon has recognised a feudal barony, or the title is included in Burke 's Peerage. If accepted ( and if the applicant wishes to include the title ), the correct form is for the applicant to include the territorial designation as part of their surname ( Surname of territorial designation e.g. Smith of Inverglen ). The Observation would then show the holder 's full name, followed by their feudal title e.g. The holder is John Smith, Baron of Inverglen. Function - related passports Besides the ordinary passports described above, special passports are issued to government officials from which diplomatic status may ( diplomatic passport ) or may not ( official passport ) be conferred by the text on the cover. A special passport is available for the Queen 's Messenger. The latter passport contains the text QUEEN 'S MESSENGER -- COURRIER DIPLOMATIQUE below the coat of arms, and the text `` BRITISH PASSPORT '' above it. Passports issued to residents of the Crown dependencies and Gibraltar See also : Gibraltar passport, Guernsey passport, Jersey passport, and Manx passport The front cover of a Gibraltar - issued biometric passport British passports issued directly by the Crown dependencies as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar are slightly different from those issued by HMPO to residents of the United Kingdom and to British nationals abroad. The words EUROPEAN UNION still appear across the front of their passports, signifying their citizenship of the EU. Passports for British citizens connected to the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man do not carry the words `` United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland '' on the front cover. In their place, these passports feature the words BRITISH ISLANDS -- BAILIWICK OF JERSEY or BAILIWICK OF GUERNSEY or ISLE OF MAN, as appropriate. Gibraltar passport covers are virtually identical to British passports issued by Her Majesty 's Passport Office, except that they feature the word GIBRALTAR directly above the coat of arms and below the words `` United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. '' In passports issued by the Crown dependencies, the passport note request is slightly different from those issued by the UK, coming from the Lieutenant Governor of the respective island. This difference results from the Crown dependencies owing allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II rather than the Government of the United Kingdom. In Gibraltar passports, the `` request '' in the passport note is made by the Governor of Gibraltar instead of `` Her Britannic Majesty 's Secretary of State ''. The issuing of a British Passport by the authorities in the Crown Dependencies can not be inferred from the machine readable zone as the issuing country code and citizenship code ( both GBR ) is identical to passports issued by the United Kingdom for British Citizens. Passports issued to residents of certain British Overseas Territories See also : British passport ( Anguilla ), British passport ( Bermuda ), British passport ( British Virgin Islands ), British passport ( Cayman Islands ), British passport ( Montserrat ), British passport ( Saint Helena ), and British passport ( Turks and Caicos Islands ) Traditionally, British passports issued to BOTCs residing in certain British Overseas Territories ( Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, St. Helena, and Turks & Caicos Islands ) bear a different design, even when the HMPO assumed the responsibility of the manufacturing process of these passports in 2015. Passports issued to BOTCs of those territories do not bear the words `` UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND '', but instead have the words `` BRITISH PASSPORT '' above the royal coat of arms of Queen Elizabeth II and the name of the British Overseas Territory below it ( e.g. `` TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS '' ). The only exception is the design of Bermudian passports, which bears the wordings `` GOVERNMENT OF BERMUDA '' under the royal coat of arms. The nationality reads `` British Overseas Territories citizen '' regardless of the residence of the bearer. Previously, in the machine - readable zone, the three - letter ISO 3166 - 1 alpha - 3 code of the territory is given in the field of the code of issuing state, while GBD ( British Overseas Territories citizens, formerly British Dependent Territories citizens ) is shown in the nationality field. Either of these features enabled automatic distinction between BOTCs related to different territories. Ever since the HMPO assumed the responsibility of the issuance of BOTC passports in 2015, however, the code of issuing state is changed to GBD for all territories, thus making it impossible to identify the holder 's domicile without the aid of other features, such as the passport cover. Similar to passports issued to Crown dependencies and Gibraltar residents, the passport note request is made by the Governor of the British Overseas Territory on behalf of `` Her Majesty 's Secretary of State ''. Multiple passports People who have valid reasons may be allowed to hold more than one passport booklet. This applies usually to people who travel frequently on business, and may need to have a passport booklet to travel on while the other is awaiting a visa for another country. Some Muslim - majority countries including Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Yemen do not issue visas to visitors if their passports bear a stamp or visa issued by Israel, as a result of the Israeli -- Palestinian conflict. In that case, a person can apply for a second passport to avoid travel issues. Reasons and supporting documentation ( such as a letter from an employer ) must be provided. In addition, a person who has dual British citizenship and British Overseas Territories citizenship are allowed to hold two British passports under different statuses at the same time. Persons who acquired their BOTC status with a connection to Gibraltar or Falkland Islands, however, are not eligible due to differences in regulations, and their BOTC passports will be cancelled when their British citizen passports are issued even when they possess both citizenships. Endorsements Certain British passports are issued with printed endorsements on the Official Observations page, usually in upper case ( capital letters ). They form part of the passport when it is issued, as distinct from immigration stamps subsequently entered in the visa pages. Some examples are : The Holder is not entitled to benefit from European Union provisions relating to employment or establishment British citizens from Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man without a qualifying connection to the United Kingdom by descent or residency for more than five years have this endorsement in their passports. The Holder of this passport has Hong Kong permanent identity card no XXXXXXXX which states that the holder has the right of abode in Hong Kong British Nationals ( Overseas ) ( BN ( O ) s ) have this endorsement in their passports, as registration as a BN ( O ) before 1997 required the applicant to hold a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card, which guaranteed the holder 's right of abode in Hong Kong. Such persons would continue to have right of abode or right to land in Hong Kong after the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997 under the Immigration Ordinance. This endorsement is also found in a British citizen passport when the holder has both British citizenship and BN ( O ) status. The Holder is entitled to right of abode in the United Kingdom British Subjects with the right of abode ( usually from Ireland ) have this endorsement in their passports. The Holder is entitled to readmission in the United Kingdom British Overseas Citizens, British Subjects and British Protected Persons without the right of abode who have been granted indefinite leave to enter or remain retain this entitlement for life, and their passports are accordingly issued with this endorsement. The Holder is subject to control under the Immigration Act 1971 British nationals without the right of abode in the UK will have this endorsements in their passports unless they have been granted indefinite leave to enter or remain. However, even though a BN ( O ) passport does not entitle the holder the right of abode in the UK, this endorsement is not found in BN ( O ) passports ( 1999 and biometric versions ). In accordance with the United Kingdom immigration rules the holder of this passport does not require an entry certificate or visa to visit the United Kingdom This endorsement is found in BN ( O ) passports, and accordingly holders of BN ( O ) passports are allowed to enter the UK as a visitor without an entry certificate or visa for up to six months per entry. The Holder is also a British National ( Overseas ) British citizens who also possess BN ( O ) status will have this endorsement in their passports to signify their additional status, as the two passports can not be held at the same time. The Holder is or The Holder is also known as... This endorsement is found in passports where the holder uses or retains another professional, stage or religious name and is known by it `` for all purposes '', or has a recognised form of address, academic, feudal or legal title ( e.g. Doctor, Judge, Queen 's Counsel, Professor, Minister of Religion ) regarded as important identifiers of an individual. The styling ' Dr... ', ' Professor... ' or similar is recorded here, or the alternative professional / stage / religious name, usually on request by the passport holder. For example, Cliff Richard 's birth name was Harry Webb, and the passport Observations page would read : `` The Holder is also known as Cliff Richard '' This endorsement is also found if the passport holder 's name is too long to fit within the 30 - character limits ( including spaces ) on the passport information page ; applies to each line reserved for the surname and the first given name including any middle name ( s ). In this scenario the holder 's full name will be written out in full on the Observations page. According to the UK passport agency guidelines, a person with a long or multiple given name, which can not fit within the 30 - character passport information page limits, should enter as much of the first given name, followed by the initials of all middle names ( if any ). The same advice applies to a long or multiple surname. The holder 's full name is then shown printed out in its entirety on the passport Observations page. For example, Kiefer Sutherland 's birth name would read on the passport information page : Surname : `` Sutherland '' Given names : `` Kiefer WFDG R '' Observations page : `` The Holder is Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland '' The holder 's name in Chinese Commercial Code : XXXX XXXX XXXX This endorsement was found in BN ( O ) and Hong Kong British Dependent Territories Citizen passports held by BN ( O ) s and British Dependent Territories Citizens with a connection to Hong Kong who have a Chinese name recognised by the Hong Kong Immigration Department before the handover. After the handover, British passport issued in Hong Kong can only be issued at the British Consulate - General, and this endorsement is no longer in use. ( See also : Chinese commercial code ) Holder is a dependant of a member of Her Britannic Majesty 's Diplomatic Service This endorsement is found in British passports held by people who are dependants or spouses of British diplomats. Abandoned plans for `` next generation '' biometric passports and National Identity registration Main article : Identity Cards Act 2006 There had been plans, under the Identity Cards Act 2006, to link passports to the Identity Cards scheme. However, in the Conservative -- Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement that followed the 2010 General Election, the new government announced that they planned to scrap the ID card scheme, the National Identity Register, and the next generation of biometric passports, as part of their measures ' to reverse the substantial erosion of civil liberties under the Labour Government and roll back state intrusion. ' The Identity Cards Act 2006 would have required any person applying for a passport to have their details entered into a centralised computer database, the National Identity Register, part of the National Identity Scheme associated with identity cards and passports. Once registered, they would also have been obliged to update any change to their address and personal details. The identity card was expected to cost up to £ 60 ( with £ 30 going to the Government, and the remainder charged as processing fees by the companies that would be collecting the fingerprints and photographs ). In May 2005 the Government said that the cost for a combined identity card and passport would be £ 93 plus processing fees. The next generation of biometric passports, which would have contained chips holding facial images and fingerprints, were to have been issued from 2012. Everyone applying for a passport from 2012 would have had their 10 fingerprints digitally scanned and stored on a database, although only two would have been recorded in the passport. Monarch The Queen, Elizabeth II, does not have a passport because passports are issued in her name and on her authority, thus making it superfluous for her to hold one. All other members of the royal family, however, including the Queen 's husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and their son, heir apparent Charles, Prince of Wales, do have passports. Visa requirements Visa requirements for British citizens United Kingdom Freedom of movement Visa not required Visa on arrival eVisa Visa available both on arrival or online Visa required prior to arrival Main article : Visa requirements for British citizens See also : Visa requirements for British Overseas Territories Citizens See also : Visa requirements for British Overseas Citizens See also : Visa requirements for British Nationals ( Overseas ) Visa requirements for British citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the United Kingdom. As of 2 July 2018, British citizens had visa - free or visa on arrival access to 186 countries and territories, ranking the British passport 4th in the world in terms of travel freedom ( tied with Austrian, Dutch, Luxembourgish, Norwegian, Portuguese and United States passports ) according to the Henley visa restrictions index. Additionally, the World Tourism Organization also published a report on 15 January 2016 ranking the British passport 1st in the world ( tied with Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Singapore ) in terms of travel freedom, with a mobility index of 160 ( out of 215 with no visa weighted by 1, visa on arrival weighted by 0.7, eVisa by 0.5, and traditional visa weighted by 0 ). Visa requirements for other categories of British nationals, namely British Nationals ( Overseas ), British Overseas Citizens, British Overseas Territories Citizens, British Protected Persons, and British Subjects, are different. Foreign travel Statistics According to the Foreign travel advice provided by the British Government ( unless otherwise noted ) these are the numbers of British visitors to various countries per annum in 2015 ( unless otherwise noted ) : show Foreign travel statistics Country Number of visitors Albania 80,000 American Samoa 133 Angola 14,267 / 12,319 ? Andorra 150,000 Angola 12,319 Anguilla 5,021 Antarctica 3,915 Antigua and Barbuda 70,701 Aruba 10,447 Australia 731,900 Austria 919,500 Azerbaijan 29,514 Bahamas 28,022 Bangladesh 150,000 Barbados 218,638 Belarus 6,000 Belgium 868,173 Belize 13,342 Bermuda 41,348 Bhutan 3,246 Bolivia 17,528 Bosnia and Herzegovina 12,715 Botswana 41,011 Brazil 185,858 Brunei 18,222 Bulgaria 352,054 Burkina Faso 1,343 Cambodia 159,489 Cameroon 16,008 Canada 819,530 Cape Verde 126,685 Cayman Islands 14,017 Chile 54,714 China 579,600 Colombia 39,715 Congo 6,115 Cook Islands 2,568 Costa Rica 76,173 Croatia 750,675 Cuba 155,802 Curacao 2,806 Cyprus 1,253,839 Czech Republic 470,576 Denmark 150,000 Dominica 4,951 Dominican Republic 177,534 Ecuador 27,126 Egypt 865,000 Ethiopia 20,000 Estonia 58,402 Fiji 16,925 Finland 226,927 France 12,235,713 French Polynesia 2,840 Gambia 60,424 Ghana 90,000 Georgia 26,852 Germany 2,551,061 Greece 2,397,169 Greenland 1,595 Grenada 25,351 Guadeloupe < 1,000 Hong Kong 555,353 Hungary 376,573 Iceland 322,543 Indonesia 352,017 India 941,883 Ireland 3,547,000 Israel 197,100 Italy 4,922,000 Jamaica 217,647 Japan 310,500 Jordan 64,776 Kazakhstan 20,166 Kiribati 60 Kuwait 7,000 Kenya 100,000 Kyrgyzstan 6,600 Laos 39,170 Latvia 95,357 Lebanon 61,994 Lesotho 2,380 Liechtenstein 2,200 Lithuania 58,200 Luxembourg 69,350 Macau 57,121 Macedonia 8,856 Madagascar 3,167 Malaysia 358,818 Malawi 51,145 Maldives 103,977 Malta 560,893 Mali 900 Mauritius 149,807 Mexico 563,099 Moldova 11,555 Mongolia 6,012 Montenegro 37,464 Montserrat 1,380 Morocco 554,000 Myanmar 51,051 Namibia 27,365 Nepal 29,730 Nigeria 117,000 Niue 47 Norway 581,000 Netherlands 2,195,000 New Zealand 249,264 Nicaragua 16,923 Oman 133,529 Pakistan 275,400 Palau 852 Panama 16,338 Papua New Guinea 6,974 Peru 69,302 Philippines 182,708 Poland 796,900 Portugal 2,600,000 Qatar 132,301 Romania 179,265 Russia 193,522 Saba 200 Saint Lucia 68,175 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17,045 Samoa 1,773 San Marino 5,750 São Tomé and Príncipe 83 Serbia 31,658 Seychelles 21,906 Singapore 518,903 Sint Eustatius 200 Slovakia 77,837 Slovenia 118,508 Solomon Islands 387 South Africa 407,486 South Korea 126,024 Spain 18,779,466 Sri Lanka 201,879 Suriname 1,077 Swaziland 15,503 Switzerland 709,925 Sweden 603,000 Taiwan 104,911 Tanzania 67,742 Thailand 994,468 Timor - Leste 548 Tonga 787 Trinidad and Tobago 37,473 Turkey 1,658,715 Turks and Caicos 6,399 Tuvalu 43 Uganda 43,009 Uruguay 20,000 Ukraine 78,603 United Arab Emirates 1,265,000 United States 5,216,692 Uzbekistan 1,800 Venezuela 20,837 Vietnam 283,537 Zambia 36,997 ^ Jump up to : Data for 2014 ^ Jump up to : Data for 2016 ^ Jump up to : Data for 2015 ^ Jump up to : Data for 2017 ^ Jump up to : Counting only guests in tourist accommodation establishments. Jump up ^ Data for 2011 ^ Jump up to : Data for arrivals by air only. ^ Jump up to : Data for 2012 ^ Jump up to : Data for 2013 ^ Jump up to : Data for 2009 Jump up ^ Data for 2010 Jump up ^ Data for 2005 Jump up ^ Total number includes tourists, business travelers, students, exchange visitors, temporary workers and families, diplomats and other representatives and all other classes of nonimmigrant admissions ( I - 94 ). Gallery of British passports Passport gallery Anguilla passport Bermuda passport British National ( Overseas ) passport Guernsey passport Jersey passport Manx passport Saint Helena passport Queen 's Messenger passport Turks and Caicos Islands passport Virgin Islands passport Passport gallery ( defunct types and older versions ) 1920s United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland passport 1939 Mandatory Palestine passport 1949 Maltese passport 1949 New Zealand passport 1951 Singapore passport 1957 Federation of Malaya passport 1958 British Hong Kong passport 1959 Grenadian passport Pre-1990 Hong Kong British Dependent Territories Citizen ( BDTC ) passports 1997 Hong Kong BDTC passport British Indian passport Cypriot passport Mauritian passport Trinidad and Tobago passport 1942 British consular emergency travel document issued to a refugee in Turkey during WWII Cardboard identity card issued under arrangements regarding collective passports by the UK Passport Agency in 2001 See also United Kingdom portal Visa requirements for British citizens References Jump up ^ https://thewest.com.au/news/the-history-of-the-passport-ng-ya-377959 ^ Jump up to : `` Passport fees - GOV.UK ''. ^ Jump up to : `` Blue passport to return after Brexit ''. 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British passports British citizens ( BCs ) British subjects ( BSs ) ( under Part IV of the British Nationality Act 1981, Chapter 61 ) British Overseas citizens ( BOCs ) British Protected Persons ( BPPs ) Main article : British passport ( United Kingdom ) Isle of Man passport Jersey passport Guernsey passport British passport ( Gibraltar ) British Overseas Territories citizens ( BOTCs ) formerly British Dependent Territories citizens ( BDTCs ) See British Overseas Territories citizenship British passport ( Gibraltar ) British passport ( Anguilla ) British passport ( Bermuda ) British passport ( Cayman Islands ) British passport ( Montserrat ) British passport ( Saint Helena ) British passport ( Turks and Caicos Islands ) British passport ( British Virgin Islands ) British Nationals ( Overseas ) ( BN ( O ) s ) Main article : British National ( Overseas ) passport Emergency passports British emergency passport Passports Africa Central CEMAC Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Congo, Republic of the Equatorial Guinea Gabon Angola Congo, Democratic Republic of the São Tomé and Príncipe Eastern Burundi Comoros Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Kenya Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Rwanda Seychelles Somalia Somaliland South Sudan Tanzania Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Northern Algeria Egypt Libya Morocco Sudan Tunisia Western Sahara Southern Botswana Lesotho Namibia South Africa Swaziland Western Mauritania Saint Helena ECOWAS Benin Burkina Faso Cape Verde Côte d'Ivoire Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea - Bissau Liberia Mali Niger Nigeria Senegal Sierra Leone Togo Americas Caribbean Anguilla British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Cuba Dominican Republic Montserrat Turks and Caicos Islands CARICOM Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Dominica Grenada Haiti Jamaica Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Central Costa Rica Panama CARICOM Belize Central America - 4 El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua North Bermuda Canada Greenland France ( Saint Pierre and Miquelon ) Mexico United States Iroquois League South Chile Venezuela Andean Bolivia Colombia Ecuador Peru CARICOM Guyana Suriname Mercosur Argentina Brazil Paraguay Uruguay Asia Central & North Afghanistan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Russia Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan East China Hong Kong ( SAR, BN ( O ) ) Macao Japan Korea, North Korea, South Mongolia Taiwan South Bangladesh Bhutan India Maldives Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka Southeast Brunei Burma Cambodia East Timor Indonesia Laos Malaysia Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam West Abkhazia Armenia Artsakh Azerbaijan Bahrain Cyprus Egypt Georgia Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kurdistan Kuwait Lebanon Northern Cyprus Oman Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia South Ossetia Syria Turkey United Arab Emirates Yemen Europe Other Europe Abkhazia Albania Andorra Armenia Artsakh Azerbaijan Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Faroe Islands Georgia Guernsey Iceland Isle of Man Jersey Kazakhstan Kosovo Liechtenstein Macedonia Malta, Sovereign Military Order of Moldova Monaco Montenegro Northern Cyprus Norway Russia San Marino Serbia South Ossetia Switzerland Transnistria Turkey Ukraine Vatican City European Union Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom Oceania Australia Aboriginal Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Micronesia, Federated States of Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Pitcairn Islands Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu International organizations Defunct passports Passport types International organizations European Union laissez - passer International Committee of the Red Cross Interpol United Nations laissez - passer Defunct British Indian Empire Czechoslovakia East Germany Korean Empire Nansen ( refugee ) Mandatory Palestine Rhodesia Soviet Union UNMIK Travel Document Yugoslavia Types Biometric Camouflage Diplomatic Fake Fantasy passport Hajj Horse Internal International Machine - readable Pet Travel document alien refugee stateless person World Notes A ) Includes Crown dependencies, British Overseas Territories, and former British plantations, crown colonies, colonies, protectorates, protected states, mandates, trust territories and other British possessions. B) The Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey are not part of the European Union, but Manxmen and Channel Islanders are citizens of the European Union ; the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey, and Manxmen and Channel Islanders themselves ( unless they qualify and apply for recognition of a change in status ), are however excluded from the benefits of the Four Freedoms of the European Union. C ) The Government of the United Kingdom also issue passports to British nationals who are not British citizens with the right of abode in the United Kingdom and who are also not otherwise citizens of the European Union. Non-EU country that has open border with Schengen Area. Russia is a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. The vast majority of its population ( 80 % ) lives in European Russia, therefore Russia as a whole is included as a European country here. Turkey is a transcontinental country in the Middle East and Southeast Europe. Turkey has a small part of its territory ( 3 % ) in Southeast Europe called Turkish Thrace. Azerbaijan and Georgia ( Abkhazia ; South Ossetia ) are transcontinental countries. Both have a small part of their territories in the European part of the Caucasus. Kazakhstan is a transcontinental country. Kazakhstan has a small part of its territories located west of the Urals in Eastern Europe. Armenia ( Artsakh ) and Cyprus ( Northern Cyprus ) are entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio - political connections with Europe. Egypt is a transcontinental country in North Africa and Western Asia. Egypt has a small part of its territory in Western Asia called Sinai Peninsula. Partially recognized. Not recognized by any other state. Special administrative regions of China The Soviet Union was a transcontinental country located in Eurasia Category Commons List Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_passport&oldid=854343391 '' Categories : Passports by country British passports European Union passports Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links CS1 maint : Unrecognized language Articles with French - language external links Pages with citations lacking titles Pages with citations having bare URLs Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2010 All articles containing potentially dated statements All pages needing factual verification Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from May 2017 All articles with failed verification Articles with failed verification from May 2017 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2013 Use British English from October 2015 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Hrvatski Italiano Bahasa Melayu Русский Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Türkçe Українська 粵語 中文 4 more Edit links This page was last edited on 10 August 2018, at 16 : 51 ( UTC ). 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Question: when was the first passport issued in uk
Answer: Between 1540 and 1685