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A new British passport with many extra security features will be introduced in October, replacing the ePassport introduced in 2006
British passports issued after October will have a new look, which will include line drawings of classic landscapes from around the UK. Drawings of the White Cliffs of Dover, the Gower Peninsula, Ben Nevis and the Giant’s Causeway will replace the existing images of birds.
The biggest change in the new passport is the move of the personal details page from the last inside page to the second page. IPS says this will bring the design in line with other passports in Europe and around the world, such as the US, and “help speed up travellers’ passage through border controls”.
Other changes, which are intended to improve the security of the passport, include moving the chip which contains the holder’s biometric details into 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,” said the Identity and Passport Service.
The personal details page now also includes a second image of the passport holder while the passport itself is coated with a new transparent covering with embedded holograms.
IPS chief executive Sarah Rapson said: “Through its combination of physical and electronic security features, the UK passport remains one of the most secure and trusted documents in the world, meeting rigorous international standards.”
The new passport will replace the biometric ePassport introduced four years ago, of which there are 25 million in use. IPS issued 5.35 million passports last year.