History of passports - an overview - Identity and Passport Service

The history of passports

History of UK passports – an overview

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Date	Event
1414	A reference is made to ‘Safe Conducts’ (the earliest passports) in an Act of Parliament during the reign of King Henry V.
1540	The Privy Council Register begins, leaving us a record of Privy Council business. According to the Register, this includes granting passports.
1641	A passport from this date still exists. It was issued on 18 June and signed by King Charles I.
1644-1649	References in the Commons Journal show that both the House of Commons and the House of Lords grants passes to foreign and British subjects during these years.
1772	Until this date, passports were written in Latin or English. From this date onwards they are written in French (but see 1858).
1794	From this date, all passports are issued by the Secretary of State and their issue is recorded. (Before this date some passports were issued and signed by the king or queen.)
1858	From this date, passports are restricted to United Kingdom nationals. (Before this date a ‘passport’ could be issued to a person of any nationality as a promise of ‘safe conduct’ from the king or queen.) Passports start to be written in English again from this date, having been written in French since 1772.
1914	Start of the First World War. By this point British passports are printed on paper and contain a photograph of the passport holder. The British Nationality and Status Aliens Act is passed. Around the world, states start issuing passports as a way of distinguishing their citizens from others they think of as ‘foreign nationals’.
1915	The first modern UK passport is issued. It is a folded one-page document valid for two years.
1918	End of the First World War.
1920	The League of Nations International Conference on Passports agrees on a new book format for passports.
1954	From this date UK passports no longer show the name of the Secretary of State.
1961	The British Visitor’s Passport is introduced. It is available from Crown Post Offices and can be used for visiting Western Europe.
1968	The first 10-year UK passports are issued.
1972	Passports are changed slightly, for example the paper used now has a special watermark for security.
1973	A 94-page passport is introduced for frequent travellers.
1975	Passport photographs are now laminated for security - it is harder to change the photograph.
1981	An overprint is added to the laminate to further increase security.
1984	Occupation and country of residence details are no longer included on passports.
1988	‘Family’ or ‘joint’ passports are no longer issued. The first burgundy-coloured machine-readable UK passports are issued. A common format is introduced for European Community member states' passports.
1995	The British Visitor’s Passport is discontinued.
1997	The first UK passports with references to the European Union are issued.
1998	New security measures include the use of a digital facial image rather than a laminated photograph, and intaglio or raised printing on the inside on the front and back covers. Children under 16 can no longer be included on new adult passports but must have a separate child passport.
2005	The UKPS is planning to use a facial recognition image biometric in British passports from late 2005/early 2006.
2006	26 October – The Identity and Passport Service started producing 100% fully biometric passports that comply with the US visa waiver programme.

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