What color exactly is the new UK passport? Blue or black?

[critcher]

does it matter?

[Steve Walker]

Yes, airports will want photo ID, but ports and ferries (to and from Ireland), even if they state it in their Ts & Cs, generally do not actually check it at all - and it is certainly not a legal requirement.

[NY]

Beige? I don't remember those. I've had a passport since I was about 16 (the first time we went on a family holiday abroad) and each passport (renewed every ten years) has either been "black" (I think it's actually *very* dark navy) or else the EU-standard burgundy red.

When people talk about a "blue" passport, are they referring to the navy blue (which looks black) or was there a lighter (eg royal) blue passport at one time?

I wonder how I missed out on getting a beige passport at one of the renewals. Maybe they were introduced and discontinued within the lifetime of one of my passports.

[Andrew]

My 1986-issued passport looks as though it is black now, but I'm sure it used to be a very dark blue.

Doesn't the eye's perception of 'blue' alter with age anyway ?

[JNugent]

No, there wasn't.

But there was a buff-coloured temporary "British Visitor's Passport", available with less formality from Post Offices, but valid only for nearby countries.

See (and note restrictons):

[NY]

Well I never knew about the BVP. I thought the only passport for UK citizens was the full 10-year blue/black or burgundy passport.

I wonder how countries can get away with describing the validity period of a passport as 10 years when some/many countries insist that there must be at least one year's validity left on the passport to allow you into their country - so the validity period is 9 years in that you must renew before the end of the 9th year in order to still use the passport.

[Mark Carver]

My 1985 issued passport I'd say was very very very dark blue. I've just shown it to Mrs C and she said it's black.

My 2021 issued passport is not quite as dark blue but very close, Mrs C said, 'Blue'.

[Alan J. Wylie]

Vatican passports seem to be either that colour or green.

[Jock]

I don't get that effect and have quite dark navy T shirts and a lighter blue fleece that all look just like they always have. I have been wearing dark navy blue T shirts for something like 40 years now.

[Andy Burns]

Did she think *that* dress was gold & white'?

[JNugent]

It wouldn't matter how long the passport was dated for. If a third party country insisted that it has to have a year's (more often six months, I think) validity for entry to their territory, there is nothing the issuing country can do to get around that. There will always be a final year (or six months) of currency.

The one possible exception would be to issue a passport for life (with no specific expiry date). But even then, a country to which entry is sought would (logically) ask the traveller to prove that they have a year left to live!

[The Natural Philosopher]

That is my recollection also. They were never black to me, but a very dark navy certainly fits.

Only beige docs I had were international driving license..

Not to my recollection

a few variations on a theme.

I think he is mis remebering.

[JNugent]

The beige document was the PO-issued British Visitors' Passport. It was only valid for certain European countries.

[Robin]

Sounds to me like a British Visitors Passport. Many millions were issued from the 1960s when holidays to Europe took off. Could be bought from post offices without delay or formalities. Single bit of thin card with

2 folds. And beige(-ish).

[Steve Walker]

My father had the (very) dark blue passport, but in a beige leather cover, with the coat of arms printed on the leather and with slots to read the name and passport number without opening it.

[JNugent]

I've had both. I got a 10 year passport at 20 (direct from the Liverpool Passport Office). After it ran out, and for a while, a BVP was quite sufficient.