Is your new passport ‘EU’ or ‘out’?

Britain has already ‘left’ the EU - if the wording on new British Passports is to be believed.
By The Newsroom
Published 7th Apr 2019, 16:04 BST
Updated 7th Apr 2019, 16:54 BST
Changing times - some new passports will continue to bear the wording in this version , while others will not. Later this year both styles will be replaced by a blue passport.Changing times - some new passports will continue to bear the wording in this version , while others will not. Later this year both styles will be replaced by a blue passport.
Changing times - some new passports will continue to bear the wording in this version , while others will not. Later this year both styles will be replaced by a blue passport.

The UK government started to to issue British passports without the words “European Union” at the top from March 30, even although it could be some time - and, some argue, possibly never - before the UK-wide referendum’s Leave vote result becomes a reality.

The home secretary, Sajid Javid, has justified the move on the grounds of efficiency, because some passport centres no longer have stocks of the previous design.

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The Home Office says the new EU-free wording is the first phase of a shakeup which will see the old-style blue UK passports being issued later this year - the Burgundy-colour passport will be history.

However to confuse things slightly, some new passports will still sport the words “European Union” for a short spell while this transition takes place, and anyone gaining a new passport won’t be able to choose whether they have the EU words or not.

This is so that passport centres which do have the old passport can use up stocks, avoiding waste of money.

Both types will be equally legal, as the transition slowly takes effect.

Related topics:PassportsBritainHome Office