British passports will be blue and gold after Brexit

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• The British blue passport was introduced in 1921 and was changed to burgundy in 1988.
• New blue passports will be available from October 2019.
• Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis said: “Leaving the EU gives us a unique opportunity to restore our national identity and forge a new path for ourselves in the world.”

LONDON – British passports will revert back to blue from burgundy once the UK leaves the European Union, the Home Office said.

The new passports will be available from October 2019. Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis 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 after we have left the European Union in 2019,” Lewis said.

The British blue passport was introduced in 1921 and was changed to burgundy in 1988 – 15 years after the UK joined the European Union in 1973.

The redesigned passports will also have updated security features. The Home Office said “the current paper-based picture page will be replaced with a new, super-strength plastic polycarbonate material that will be more difficult to alter.”

A supplier for the passports will be announced in spring next year, in a deal that could be worth up to £500 million.