British Passport : Series 19 (1988 — 1997) European Community Between 1974 and 1975, the member states developed a common format. Member states agreed that passports should be burgundy in colour and feature the heading "European Community" in addition to the country name. Adoption was by member states was voluntary. While most of the Community adopted the format by 1985, the UK continued to issue the traditional blue booklet.
The rapid growth of air travel and technological change led to the International Civil Aviation Organization defining a new international standard for machine-readable passports, ICAO Doc 9303, in 1980. An ICAO standard machine-readable passport was a significant departure from the traditional British passport layout, and the British government did not immediately adopt it. In 1986, the United States announced the US Visa Waiver Program. The concept allowed for passport holders of certain countries to enter the US for business or tourism without applying for a visitor visa. The UK was the first country to join the scheme in 1988, however, a requirement was that the traveller holds a machine-readable passport. Thus, the British government was, after nearly 70 years, forced to retire the traditional navy blue League of Nations format passport.
With the move to machine-readable passports, the UK decided to adopt the
European Community format. On 15 August 1988, the Glasgow passport office became the first to issue burgundy-coloured machine-readable passports. They had the words 'European Community' on the cover, later changed to 'European Union' from 04/12/1997. No further
European Community passports were issued after January 1998. The passport had 32 pages; while a 48-page version was made available with more space for stamps and visas.
Two lines of machine-readable text were printed in ICAO format, and a section was included in which relevant terms ("surname", "date of issue", etc.) were translated into the official EU languages. Passports issued overseas did not all have a Machine Readable Zone but these were introduced gradually as appropriate equipment was made available overseas. On the biodata page, if it was a consular issue may be typewritten, in which case the machine-readable zone will be empty.
PHYSICAL OBSERVATIONS
| Predominant Colour |
Cover: Burgundy
Pages: Purplish-Yellowish |
| Perforations |
No perforations. |
| Dimension |
ISO/IEC 7810 or ID-3 or B7
ICAO Standard Passport Booklet Size
88 × 125 mm |
| Total Pages |
Standard issue: 32 pages |
| Photograph |
Laminated |
| Page |
Description |
| Front Cover |
Community's Name
EUROPEAN UNION
Country's Name
UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
Coat-of-Arms: Royal Heraldic Crest of the Government of the United Kingdom
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Document's Name
PASSPORT
Golden hot foil stamping. |
| Front Cover - Interior Side |
Diplomatic Request Page |
| Page 1 |
Community's Name
Country's Name
Document's Name
Document's Number |
| Page 2 |
Accompanying Children Information (Below 16-year-old) |
| Page 3 |
Notes & Regulations |
| Page 4 |
Translations in all Twelve EU Official Languages |
| Page 5 to Page 31 |
Visas & Immigration |
| Back Cover - Interior Side / Endpaper |
Datapage |
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.
VALIDITY
Each document upon issuance will be valid for ten years unless stated differently by the issuing office.
Based on NOTES page 2,
| 1 Validity A passport is valid for ten years, unless otherwise stated. If issued to a child |
| AGE GROUP (YEAR) |
MAXIMUM VALIDITY (YEAR) |
EXTENSION |
| 16 and above |
10 |
Not permitted |
| 15 and below |
5 |
Not permitted |
No longer explicitly stating area or permitted country. It is a known fact that British passports are valid for all countries and territories.
administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the United Kingdom.
DIPLOMATIC REQUEST PAGE
Her Britannic Majesty's
Secretary of State
Requests and requires
in the Name of Her Majesty
all those whom it may concern
to allow the bearer to pass freely
without let or hindrance,
and to afford the bearer
such assistance and protection
as may be necessary. |
NOTES
Observaciones - Bemærkninger - Hinweise - Σημειώσεις - Avis - Nótaí - Avviso - Opmerkingen - Anotações - Lisämerkintöjä - Anmärkningar
1 Validity A passport is valid for ten years, unless otherwise stated. If issued to a child under sixteen years of age it is normally valid for five years in the first instance but may be extended by the issue of a new book for a further five years. A passport which is ten years old or has no further space for visas must be replaced by a new one.
2 Citizenship and National Status British citizens have the right of abode in the United Kingdom. No right of abode in the United Kingdom derives from the status, as British nationals, of British Dependent Territories citizen, British Nationals (Overseas), British Overseas citizens, British protected persons and British subjects.
3 Immigration and Visa Requirements The possession of a passport does not exempt the holder from compliance with any immigration regulations in force in any territory or from the necessity of obtaining a visa or permit where required. It should be noted in this connection that the majority of British territories overseas have immigration restrictions applicable to British nationals as well as aliens.
4 Children Children who have reached the age of sixteen years require separate passports.
5 Registration Overseas British nationals resident overseas who are entitled to the protection of the United Kingdom authorities should contact the nearest British High Commission, Embassy or Consulate to enquire about any arrangements for registration of their names and addresses. Failure to do so may in an emergency result in difficulty or delay in according them assistance and protection.
6 Dual Nationality British nationals who are nationals of another country cannot be protected by Her Majesty's Representatives against the authorities of that country. If, under the law of that country, they are liable for any obligation (such as military service), the fact that they are British nationals does not exempt them from it. A person having some connection with a Commonwealth or foreign country (eg by birth, by descent through either parent, by marriage or by residence) may be a national of that country, in addition to being a British national. Acquisition of British nationality or citizenship by a foreigner does not necessarily cause the loss of nationality of origin.
7 Caution This passport remains the property of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and may be withdrawn at any time. It should not be tampered with or passed to an unauthorised person. Any case of loss or destruction should be immediately reported to the local police and to the nearest British passport issuing authority (eg Office of the United Kingdom Passport Agency; British Consulate; British Embassy or British High Commission); only after exhaustive enquiries can a replacement be issued in such circumstances. The passport of a deceased person should be submitted for cancellation to the nearest such passport authority; it will be returned on request. |