I t's official: Britain has left the European Union, and that means, among other things, a new blue UK passport. Here's everything you need to know about it.
Soon. The Government has announced that the new passports, which will switch from burgundy to blue, will be phased in over the next few months, starting in "early 2020". Anyone who renews their passport during this conversion period could receive one of either colour based on availability. New passports issued in recent months have retained their previous colour but have had the words "European Union" removed. Regardless, all are equally valid.
Wait a little. All British passports issued from mid-2020 will be blue, states the Passport Office. If you still have plenty of time before your current passport expires but fancy a blue one anyway, you could order one then – but you'll have to pay the standard renewal fee (from £75.50) and none of your remaining validity will be carried over.
Yes. Nothing will change at least until the end of the formal transition period, on December 30, 2020. What happens after than remains to be seen, and depends on negotiations between Britain and the EU that are ongoing.
However, British travellers will need a passport with at least six months of validity left to enter the EU from January 1, 2021. So, if yours runs out before July next year, and you are thinking of travelling to the EU in the early part of 2021, it would make sense to renew at least a month before the end of 2020. The passport office also states: "If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the 6 months needed."
Patriotism. The new blue and gold cover will be a return to the original appearance of the British passport, before it was changed in 1988 to match most other EU nations.
Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis, when the decision was declared in 2017, said: "Leaving the EU gives us a unique opportunity to restore our national identity and forge a new path for ourselves in the world.
"That is why I am delighted to announce that the British passport will be returning to the iconic blue and gold design. It will also be one of the most secure travel documents in the world, with a raft of new security measures to protect against fraud and forgery."
The current paper-based picture page will be replaced with a new, "super-strength plastic polycarbonate" material (the same used to make bulletproof glass) that will be more difficult to alter, according to the Government website.
Its 34 pages will most likely contain images that celebrate the UK's historic achievements in science, architecture and arts, similar to the ones we have now.
Somewhat controversially, it was a Franco-Dutch company that won the contract to produce the new passports; Gemalto, which already handles our driving licenses and has also been involved with the manufacture of US passports since 2006. Gemalto has stated that the new British passport will be the first in the world to achieve "CarbonNeutral certification".
Looking to the future, this report stated in October 2019: "With its exit from the EU, coupled with ongoing confusion about the terms of its departure, the UK's once-strong position looks increasingly uncertain."
Of sorts. The European Commission has said that from January 1, 2021, UK passport holders will need to apply for an online ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) visa waiver. This is similar to the American ESTA, will probably cost around £6, and should be valid for several years.
Despite this, we may well find – after December 30 – that it takes longer for British citizens to be processed at airports and other immigration points to the EU. The European Tourism Association has estimated that, even under the ETIAS scheme, additional checks could add an extra 90 seconds for each UK passport holder.
That would mean in theory that it would take an additional five hours to process a 737 full of British passengers. In practice it seems likely that most airports will bolster immigration staff to reduce delays. Once we are inside the EU of course, we will be free to travel within the Schengen area (which comprises most EU countries) as there are no further border controls.
Yes, until December 30. Our rights and privileges will remain the same until the transition period is over. After that, however, we will no longer be able to use the EU queue.
Telegraph Travel's Consumer Expert Nick Trend has written a comprehensive guide to all things holiday-related post Brexit. You can find it here.
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