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UK Unveils Redesigned Passport Featuring King’s Arms and New Security

Existing passports remain valid until their expiry, with officials urging travellers to check dates ahead of trips.

Overview

  • About 300 of the new passports entered circulation on 31 December 2025, marking the start of a phased rollout.
  • The cover now bears King Charles III’s coat of arms, the first time it has appeared on a British passport.
  • Interior pages feature Ben Nevis, the Lake District, Three Cliffs Bay and the Giant’s Causeway to represent the four UK nations.
  • The Home Office says new holographic and translucent elements make this the most secure British passport to date by improving verification and deterring forgery.
  • HM Passport Office completed a four‑year move of over a billion records to a secure cloud platform that has handled 350 million queries at roughly 200ms, supported around 4 million issuances and cut related emissions by 88%.