…first time in 25 years a change this big happens to British passports – now the most secure
Huge changes to British passports has now been effected – with a new cover, new images inside and a raft of security features to beat criminals and forgers.
Inside, the latest design includes pictures of 4 UNESCO-protected natural landscapes – Ben Nevis, the Lake District, Three Cliffs Bay, and the Giant’s Causeway – representing all four UK nations.
It is the first time the UK Passport has been completely redesigned since 2020 and the Home Office say it uses advanced anti-forgery technology, making it the most secure passport ever produced.
Mike Tapp, the Minister for Migration and Citizenship said: “I’m proud to see our new British passports in circulation. Featuring His Majesty’s Coat of Arms and landscapes from all four nations, they celebrate our heritage while delivering enhanced security.
“They are also the most secure British passports ever produced, helping us protect our borders and deliver outstanding public service.”
For the first time British Passports feature the King’s coat of arms.
The HM Passport Office (HMPO) has added dozens of security measures to passports since the first modern version was introduced in 1915.
The first security feature, a watermark, was added in 1972. New passports feature complex patterns that are hard to replicate and features only visible under UV light, in order to stay ahead of criminals.
Meanwhile, the Home Office has just completed four years of work to migrate more than a billion UK passport records – including names, dates of birth, and facial images – to a secure cloud-based platform.
The new system has already processed more than 350 million successful queries – taking just 200 milliseconds on average – which has so far allowed HMPO to make 4 million passports more smoothly.
The Home Office say this move has reduced carbon emissions by 88%, saving the equivalent of driving 57,000 miles in an average petrol car every year.
Some 5.1 million passports were issued on time in the first nine months of 2025, with 99.7% of simple applications processed.
Source: Daily Mirror
