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Why passports are red?


Passports come in different colors, but red is by far the most common. There are several reasons why red became the standard color for passports globally.

History of the Red Passport

Passports have existed in some form for centuries, but red passports are a relatively recent phenomenon. The first passports were handwritten documents issued by individual countries. They came in many colors and formats. It wasn’t until the 1920s that passports started to become more standardized globally.

In 1920, the League of Nations held an international conference on passports in Paris. They recommended that passports have a standardized format and be issued in French as well as the national language. This helped pave the way for more consistency in passport design.

The British Red Passport

It was the British who first introduced the red passport. In 1921, the British Passport Office switched from a simple black booklet to the now familiar navy color cover with gold script. They chose red and gold as these are the official colors of the British royal coat of arms.

The iconic British passport became associated worldwide with travel and safety. Other countries soon followed the British lead and adopted the red passport book.

Why Red?

But why specifically red? There are a few key reasons behind this choice of color:

  • Red stands out. It makes the passport easy to recognize and find.
  • Red is thought to represent patriotism and national pride in many cultures. This reinforces that the passport holder is a citizen.
  • The color red makes falsification more difficult. Red ink was once hard to reproduce or substitute.

The bold visual impact of the red passport made it hard to ignore and easy to control. For passport officers examining many books daily, red helped the official passport jump out.

Standardizing the Red Passport

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, more countries switched to red passports following Britain’s lead. But there were still variations in format, size, color shade, and other details. Standardization increased after World War II.

The League of Nations

In 1920, the League of Nations held a conference on passports and tried to establish guidelines for passport design. While they set out principles like having the passport in the national language and French, they did not issue firm requirements. The League of Nations was still pushing for passport standardization when it disbanded at the start of WWII.

The U.N. and ICAO Take Over

After WWII, the new United Nations took over coordination of passport standardization in 1946. The U.N. created a specialized agency focused on international aviation regulation, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

ICAO was given responsibility for passport standardization. In 1959, ICAO introduced a document for optional use by countries called Doc 9303. This defined passport specifications like size, layout, color, fonts, etc. ICAO updated the doc over the following decades.

Having a uniform worldwide passport design made border control and travel smoother. Machine-readable passports were also introduced. This allowed information to be scanned from standardized passports.

The E.U. and Biometric Passports

More recently, the European Union played a role in further standardizing passport designs among its member states. EU countries now issue burgundy-colored passports with the EU logo on the cover.

The EU also pioneered biometric passports with embedded computer chips. These contain digital copies of the passport photo and fingerprints. Biometric passports provide another layer of security and identification.

Today over 130 countries issue biometric e-passports meeting ICAO guidelines. Both the look and content of passports is now largely standardized worldwide.

Red Passport Advantages

Aside from history and tradition, there are some practical advantages to having a bold red passport:

Visibility

The red color is easy to spot. When many passports are stacked together, the red cover helps officials immediately locate and pull out a specific passport. The red stands out whether in a drawer full of documents or a rush at border control.

Difficult to Forge

The distinct red shade of official passports is hard for counterfeiters to reproduce. It also requires specific red inks not readily available. This makes any non-official document immediately obvious.

Durable Pigment

The pigments used to achieve the saturated red color are very durable. They hold up to rough treatment and do not fade over time. Even a well-used passport maintains its distinct red hue.

Sense of Nationality

While all passports share the red theme, each country designs unique national icons and script for their covers. The red color paired with national symbols helps affirm the bearers nationality and status as an official citizen.

Aesthetic Appeal

Say what you will, but the red passport has an undeniable aesthetic appeal. The crimson shade looks dignified against the gold foil stamping. The passport has a classic, elegant look fitting for an important international document.

Why Not Other Colors?

Given how widely used the red passport book is today, it can seem odd that any other colors would be used. But why did red become the standard when other options were available?

Different Colors Over Time

Passport colors have varied over the centuries. Some examples of previous passport color schemes include:

  • Prussian army passports (18th century) – orange color
  • Russian empire passports (19th century) – black
  • Luxembourg passports (prior to 1914) – green
  • Belgian passports (early 20th century) – blue

There was no consensus on a standard passport color before the 1920s. Different countries used different colors, often related to national identity.

Practical Limitations

While a wide spectrum of colors is available, some are not well suited to official travel documents:

  • White – Stains easily and does not stand out visually.
  • Black – Too somber and also stains easily.
  • Bright colors – Can be gaudy and fade over time.

Colors like pink, yellow, or light blue would be unwise choices for frequently used, durable passports. Bold primary colors stand up better to stains and wear.

Symbolism of Colors

Deeper symbolic meanings tied to colors also factor into the choice:

  • Blue – Often tied to royalty, formality, or conservatism.
  • Green – Associated with nature, renewal, and inexperience.
  • Red – Evokes passion, urgency, danger, or patriotism.

Red is bold while avoiding any unfortunate color symbolism. It has connotations of importance and patriotism fitting for an international travel document.

Recent Changes to the Red Passport

While red remains the gold standard, some tweaks to the iconic red passport have emerged in recent years:

European Union Passports

EU member nations now issue passports with burgundy covers. These retain the red color scheme but are a darker wine red shade. The EU gold stars appear on the cover, but national symbols and colors are still included.

E-Passports

Electronic passports provide biometric data like fingerprints and photos on an embedded computer chip. This enhanced security feature gets integrated into the traditional red book.

Two-Toned Covers

Some countries like the U.S. and U.K. have shifted to two-tone designs. The bottom third of the cover incorporates another color like blue or black. Different colors distinguish types of passports like regular, official, or diplomatic versions.

Color Photos and Pages

The interior pages have changed more noticeably than the covers. Color photos and printing are now standard for passports. Interior pages incorporate more security features like watermarks and holograms.

The Future of the Red Passport

What does the future hold for the tried and true red passport? Here are some possibilities:

Digital Passports

Digital passports that function like a mobile app could replace physical documents. But replicating that iconic red cover in digital form may still be important.

More Biometric Integration

Additional biometric data like iris scans or facial recognition could get integrated into e-passport chips. This will increase security and identification capabilities.

Panel Displays

Displays could allow some passport data to change dynamically like a digital panel. This offers more flexibility than static printed pages.

New Security Features

Ongoing innovation will provide new security features and technology to reduce fraud. Features like photochromic ink that appears under UV light are already being adopted.

More Standardization

Continued standardization could reduce variations between nations further. Consistent size, page layouts, and design elements may emerge across all passports.

But increased standardization will likely retain the red cover that unites passport books globally. The many functional and symbolic merits of red make it hard to displace. The future may bring changes to passport book contents and technology but is unlikely to shake the ubiquitous red cover.

Fun Facts About Red Passports

Before exploring why red was ultimately chosen, here are some interesting facts about the history of the iconic red passport book:

  • The first versions of a British passport in the 1400s were simply a signed letter of request from the monarch.
  • Early United States passports took the form of a joint letter issued by the Secretary of State and an official from the destination country.
  • The Ottoman Empire initiated the first handwritten passport booklets in the 17th century for pilgrims on the Hajj to Mecca.
  • The earliest Russian passports were made from stone tablets carried by envoys in the 13th century.
  • Chinese passports were block-printed on rice paper as early as the Ming dynasty in the 1600s.
  • During the American Civil War, the Confederate States had their own passports separate from the Union.
  • The modern booklet format developed by the British became the gold standard by the early 20th century.
  • The League of Nations held the first international conference on passports in 1920.
  • The British passport is the world’s oldest still in continuous use dating from 1921.
  • The red cover was conceptualized as representing the nation “binding its citizens to its protection wherever they may go.”

The distinct red passport is now recognized globally as the official travel document to cross borders. But passports have evolved greatly over the centuries. The red color only came to prominence internationally in the 1920s.

Conclusion

In summary, passports are red for several key reasons:

  • Red was first adopted in 1921 for British passports. It reflects their national colors and stood out against other nations’ passports.
  • The eye-catching red was hard to counterfeit at the time and made passports easy to control.
  • After WWI, standardization increased including the British-inspired red color being adopted internationally.
  • Global organizations like the U.N., ICAO, and E.U. further standardized passport formats and designs.
  • Red is bold and patriotic. It grabs attention as a visual identifier and symbol of nationality.
  • The red pigment is durable and difficult to reproduce accurately.

The many practical and symbolic attributes make red a natural fit for important travel documents. The instant visual recognition travelers worldwide have of the red passport is why it remains the standard today and will continue as such into the future. It effectively demonstrates citizenship and identity. While details may evolve over time, expect the timeless red passport to live on for generations to come.