Printer's code: S/002017

British Passport : Series 20 (1997 — 2006) European Union

The new series was first issued on 4 December 1997 introduced through a phased roll-out with the last issue was on 31 January 2008, when British passports were gradually issued as a biometric passport from 2006.

Until 4 October 1998, children under 16 years of age were able to be included on the passport of any family member. Since that date, all children have been required to hold their own passports. However, children whose particulars were already included in their parents' passports were not immediately affected by this change and were permitted to continue to travel with their parents until the passport concerned expires or needs to be replaced. 

In 1998 the first digital image passport was introduced with photographs being replaced with images printed directly on the datapage which was moved from the back endpaper to page number 31 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.

VARIETIES

TYPE 1. Design closely similar to EUROPEAN COMMUNITY edition.

1. First issued on 04/12/1997
2. Translation of all EU languages increased from 10 to 12
3. The photo was laminated on the interior side of the back cover

TYPE 2. New design with stark differences to EUROPEAN COMMUNITY edition.

1. Since 05/10/1998
2. Diplomatic Request Page
3. Page number 2 for child additions. No child additions were permitted after 05/10/1998, after which date children were required to obtain a separate passport.
4. Translation in all 12 EU languages on page 3
5. Datapage moved from back endpaper to page 31
6. Photograph and signature were digitally printed onto datapage
7. Observations on page 32
8. Emergency contact on back endpaper
9. Digital facial image rather than a laminated photograph, and intaglio or raised printing on the inside of the covers.
10. Bluish-greenish paper

PHYSICAL OBSERVATIONS: TYPE I


   
This document is the European Union version, which progressively replaced the European Community model from 4 December 1997. No further European Community passports were issued after January 1998.


Laminate safeguards showing faint yellow UV crowns. The pink visible safeguard is the style of crowns found in the laminate of this document until 17/6/98, after which a new style was gradually introduced. The laminate contains a yellow ultraviolet safeguard of one small crown at the centre-left of the photograph area and three down the right edge of the photograph area.


The large yellow crown is a page safeguard; the four fainter, smaller crowns are a laminate safeguard. A further crown at the bottom of the photograph may be present in some earlier versions of this document.

Page 2 for child additions but no child additions were permitted after 5 October 1998, after which date children were required to obtain a separate passport.

A standard passport is 32 pages. But a 48-page passport was also available for frequent travellers. It costs more than a 32-page passport and is not available for children.
 
PHYSICAL OBSERVATIONS: TYPE II


   
A new version of digital United Kingdom passport was introduced on 5 October 1998 at the Liverpool office. The technology captures a digital image of the photograph and signature and reproduces these onto the personal details page of the passport. It has also been enhanced with new security measures including the use of a digital facial image rather than a laminated photograph and intaglio or raised printing on the inside on the front and back covers.

Visa pages show a yellow daffodil flower; for passports issued between 05/10/1998 and 31/12/1998, it appears on pages 3,5 or 6,7 or 8,9,12,13,16,17,20,21,24,25 or 26,27 or 28 and 29 or 30. For passports issued from 01/01/1999, it appears on pages 4,5,8,9,12,13,16,17,20,21,24,25,28 and 29.

As children under 16 can no longer be included on new adult passports and must have a separate child passport, the page for children's information has been removed.

The name of the authority on the datapage was changed from United Kingdom Passport Agency to UKPA. 
 
Note: Since 10 September 2001, UK digital image passports are valid for up to 10 years and 9 months.

DATAPAGE

The biodata page contains five different designs of laser cut patterns in different positions.

VISA PAGE

A ribbon watermark on pages 1/2 and also 31/32.

A UV visible daffodil motif can be seen on some visa pages, but not all. The destriperf (laser perforation) creates a patterned hole through the page.

(Sub I) Visa pages show a yellow daffodil flower; for passports issued between 5 October 1998 and 31 December 1998, it appears on pages 3, 5 or 6, 7 or 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21, 24, 25 or 26, 27 or 28 and 29 or 30.

(Sub II) For passports issued from 1 January 1999, it appears on pages 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21, 24, 25, 28 and 29.

The holograms are on a photo-sized patch attached to the underside of the laminate.
The stitching thread is white and should fluoresce yellow in UV light.
The front and rear endpapers are printed in green and blue intaglio (raised printing).
The rear endpaper contains a border and has 5 lines of extra small print reading UNITEDKINGDOMPASSPORT.

LANGUAGES

The document was printed in English. The datapage was printed in English and French.

Community, country and document's name on page 1 as well as datapage field names' were printed in all twelve languages.

DOCUMENT & COUNTRY'S NAME
 
NATIONALITY
 
British citizens, British Overseas Territory citizens of Gibraltar and British subjects with the 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.

VALIDITY

Each document upon issuance will be valid for ten years unless stated differently by the issuing office.
Based on NOTES page 2,
 
Adults, normally 10 years up to a maximum of 10 years 9 months.
Children, normally 5 years up to a maximum of 5 years 9 months.

Version II
 
Since 10 September 2001, UK digital image passports have been valid for up to 10 years and 9 months

As of 16 June 2014, a children passport in this series which has just expired can have its validity extended, using a rubber stamp.



Extension stamp applied by British diplomatic posts to extend the validity of British passports for a period of 12 months from the date on which the extension is applied. Extension stamps will be applied only if there are at least three empty visa pages in the document. A note "Passport extension on page XX" will be written on the Observations page. If the Observations page is laminated this note will be written at the top of the page opposite the page with the photograph of the holder.

GEOGRAPHICAL VALIDITY & PERMITTED COUNTRIES No longer explicitly stating area or permitted country. It is a known fact that British passports are valid for all countries and territories.

However, there may be an administrative entry restriction by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the United Kingdom.
 
DIPLOMATIC REQUEST PAGE

The version I and Version II share similar wording on the diplomatic request page, except for the arrangement.
 


DIPLOMATIC REQUEST PAGE

Version I
 
Version II