King Charles’s coat of arms will feature on the cover of all new passports from December 2025, the Home Office has shared.

This will be part of the first wholly new design in five years, after they changed in colour from burgundy to blue following the UK leaving the European Union.

Passports featuring Queen Elizabeth II’s coat of arms would remain valid until their expiry date, the government said.

Since 2023, passports have been issued in the King’s name, but the late Queen’s coat of arms has remained on the cover.

The King’s coat of arms features the rounded Tudor crown he chose as his royal cypher.

New UK passport to feature additional design changes

Alongside that, design changes are also being made on the inside of the passport.

They will feature images of natural landscapes from across the UK in Ben Nevis, the Lake District, Three Cliffs Bay and the Giant’s Causeway.

The Home Office has said the new passport will be the “most secure passport ever produced”.

It will include the latest anti-forgery technology, including new holographic and translucent features.

These new features will make passports easier to verify and “even harder to forge or tamper with”, the Home Office explained.

Migration and citizenship minister 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.

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“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.”

UK passports in their modern form, with a photo and signature, have been issued since 1915.

The first security watermark was added in 1972, and machine-readable passports were introduced in 1988.