British passports to feature His Majesty’s Coat of Arms
New British passports featuring His Majesty’s Coat of Arms to launch in December.
The first British passports bearing His Majesty King Charles III’s Coat of Arms will be issued from December as part of a revamped design.
The 4 nations of the UK will be represented through images of 4 UNESCO-protected natural landscapes – Ben Nevis, the Lake District, Three Cliffs Bay, and the Giant’s Causeway.
Incorporating the latest anti-forgery technology, it is also the most secure British passport ever produced.
This includes cutting-edge holographic and translucent features, making passports easier to verify and even harder to forge or tamper with.
This helps prevent illegal entry by people with no right to be in the UK, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change to secure Britain’s borders.
Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Mike Tapp said:
The introduction of His Majesty’s Arms, iconic landscapes, and enhanced security features marks a new era in the history of the British passport.
It also demonstrates our commitment to outstanding public service – celebrating British heritage while ensuring our passports remain among the most secure and trusted in the world for years to come.
The updated passport is the first wholly new design since 2020. It comes as His Majesty’s Passport Office continues to deliver exceptional service to British citizens. In the first 6 months of 2025 over 3.8 million passports were issued, with 99.7% of applications where no further information was required being processed within 3 weeks, above the target of 98.5%.
People should check their passport’s validity and apply in good time ahead of any planned travel. Passports issued with the Coat of Arms of Queen Elizabeth II remain valid until the expiry date.
The first modern-style British passport was introduced in 1915, with the first security feature, a watermark, added in 1972. Since then, HM Passport Office has added dozens of further security measures to ensure British passports stay ahead of criminals, including complex patterns that are hard to replicate and features only visible under UV light.