King Charles III’s coat of arms will feature on an upgraded passport design as reigning monarch.
Circulation of the new passport will begin in December, with the four nations of the UK represented through imagery of English natural landscapes. The motivation behind any passport change is always to modernise security and integrate the world’s best security features to safeguard identity and the passport is still, for now, the most essential and interoperable travel credential protecting the UK border from fraud and crime.
It incorporates the latest anti-forgery technology with “cutting-edge holographic and translucent features” making passports easier to verify and harder to forge.
Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Mike Tapp said, “The introduction of His Majesty’s Arms, iconic landscapes, and enhanced security features marks a new era in the history of the British passport”.
The last passport version was led by the Conservative party in 2020, changing burgundy passports back to the classic blue cover after Brexit.
Anyone eligible can apply after the date in December to be issued a new passport without waiting for their current one to expire, although unused time or early renewal will not extend the validity of the new passport.
Government decision makers and leading security providers are converging at Identity Week Europe 2026. This is Europe’s most trusted identity event, where physical identity is at the heart of the exhibition and content, supporting global law enforcement in their strategies to combat document fraud, discussing cutting-edge security features, and stopping counterfeiters in their tracks. With over 100 countries in attendance, Identity Week Europe 2026 is the top event for knowledge sharing and security advancement.
