Passports issued by the 27 member states of the European Union follow a common design and confer the rights of EU citizenship on their holders. The EU itself does not issue ordinary passports.
The design includes a burgundy cover (recommended by the EU; all member states except Croatia follow this recommendation). The front is stamped in the official language(s) of the issuing country, and sometimes also in English and French, with the title "European Union". This is followed by the name of the member state, the state's coat of arms, the word "PASSPORT", and the biometric passport symbol at the bottom centre of the cover.
Some member states also issue non-EU passports to people who hold a nationality that does not grant EU citizenship, such as Danish nationals resident in the Faroe Islands.
Separately, the European Commission issues the European Union Laissez-Passer to members and certain officials of its institutions.European Council regulations covering the issue of EULF documents, dated 17 December 2013, accessed 11 October 2016.
Use With a valid passport, EU citizens are entitled to exercise the right of free movement (meaning they do not need a visa, a certain amount of money, or a certain reason to travel freely and no residence permit for settling) in the European Economic Area (European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway), Switzerland and, before 31 December 2020 in the United Kingdom.Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 158/2007 of 7 December 2007 amending Annex V (Free movement of workers) and Annex VIII (Right of establishment) to the EEA Agreement, EUR-Lex. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
The passports of EU citizens are not stamped when entering and leaving the Schengen Area.Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code), Article 11 (OJ L 77, 23 March 2016, p. 1–52)Practical Handbook for Border Guards, Part II, Section I, Point 6.2 (C (2019) 7131)
When going through border controls to enter an aforementioned country, citizens possessing valid biometric passports are sometimes able to use automated gates instead of immigration counters. For example, when entering the United Kingdom, at major airports, holders of EU biometric passports who are twelve years of age or older can use ePassport gates, whilst all other EU citizens (such as those using a national identity card or a non-biometric passport) and some non-EEA citizens must use an immigration counter. Anyone travelling with children under the age of 12 must also use an immigration counter.
As an alternative to holding a passport, EU citizens can also use a valid national identity card to exercise their right of free movement within the EEA and Switzerland. Strictly speaking, it is not necessary for an EU citizen to possess a valid passport or national identity card to enter the EEA or Switzerland. In theory, if an EU citizen outside of both the EEA and Switzerland can prove their nationality by any other means (e.g. by presenting an expired passport or national identity card, or a citizenship certificate), they must be permitted to enter the EEA or Switzerland. An EU citizen who is unable to demonstrate their nationality satisfactorily must nonetheless be given 'every reasonable opportunity' to obtain the necessary documents or to have them delivered within a reasonable period of time.Article 5(4) of the Citizens' Rights Directive 2004/38/EC (L 158, pp. 77–123)Practical Handbook for Border Guards, Part II, section I, point 2.9 (C (2019) 7131)Judgment of the European Court of Justice of 17 February 2005, Case C 215/03, Salah Oulane vs. Minister voor Vreemdelingenzaken en Integratie
Common design features EU member states have harmonized passport designs since the 1980s. Most ordinary passports use a common layout: a burgundy cover with the words "European Union" and the name of the issuing state. Variants such as passport cards, diplomatic, service, and emergency passports are not standardized. Ireland is the only state to issue a passport card.
Since 28 February 2008, passports must contain fingerprint data. Croatia, which joined the EU in 2013, retained a dark blue cover when it updated its passport on 3 August 2015, making it the only member state not to use burgundy.
Council resolutions and EU regulations have guided the process: Resolution of 23 June 1981 on a uniform passport design Supplementary resolutions of 30 June 1982, 14 July 1986, 10 July 1995, and 8 June 2004 Resolution of 17 October 2000 on passport security Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004 of 13 December 2004 on biometric standards Regulation (EC) No 444/2009 of 28 May 2009 amending Regulation 2252/2004
Under Regulation 2252/2004, all EU passports must include a facial image and two fingerprints, except for children under 12 and people unable to provide them. Denmark and Ireland are exempt from the fingerprint rule, though Irish passports include other biometric data.
Format Passports follow the ISO 216 B7 format (ID-3, 88 × 125 mm). Most contain 32 pages; Finland issues 42 and Italy 48.
Cover The cover normally shows, in order: "EUROPEAN UNION" (before 1997: "EUROPEAN COMMUNITY"), the name of the issuing state, the word "PASSPORT", the Biometric Passport symbol, and the state emblem. Placement of the emblem varies: above the text in some states, centred in others.
Identification page The identification page presents information in the issuing state’s official language(s), plus English and usually French. Each field is numbered and explained in an index elsewhere in the booklet. The page includes the passport type ("P"), issuing country (ISO 3166-1 alpha-3) code, and passport number. The left side carries the main photo. Some passports also give height and a secondary security photo.
Irish passports show the county of birth for people born on the island of Ireland, and a three-letter country code for citizens born abroad.
Machine-readable zone All biometric passports contain a machine-readable zone (MRZ) that repeats the main data in a restricted format of A–Z letters, digits, and the symbol "<". Non-Latin characters are transliterated using International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rules. Examples include ß>SS, Ü>UE, Å>A, Ä>AE and Ö>OE.
Different transliterations can create multiple spellings of the same name (e.g. Müller / Mueller / Muller). Some states add the alternative spelling elsewhere in the passport. It is generally recommended to use the MRZ spelling for visas and airline tickets. The MRZ allows up to 39 characters.
Additional pages Other pages may record residence, height, eye colour, passport extensions, or a birth name. Family passports can include details and photos of a spouse or children. Further pages are reserved for official notes, translations of field numbers, visas, and entry or exit stamps. The inside back cover may contain notes from the issuing state.
Member states' passports Member state Passport cover Biodata page Cost Validity Issuing authority Latest version Austria €112 (12+) €44 (0–11) Free (0–2, first issue) 10 years (12+) 5 years (2–11) 2 years (0–2) Municipal offices; Austrian embassies and consulates Belgium Belgium €65 (adults, 32 pp) €35 (children, 32 pp) €240 (adults, 64 pp) €210 (children, 64 pp) Abroad €75 (adults, 32 pp) €35 (children, 32 pp) €240 (adults, 64 pp) €210 (children, 64 pp) 7 years (18+) 5 years (under 18) Communes; Belgian embassies and consulates Bulgaria €20.45 (14–58) €10.23 (under 14; 58–70) €5.11 (70+) 5 or 10 years Ministry of Interior Croatia 75€ (21+, 34 pages) 10 years (21+) 5 years (under 21) Ministry of the Interior Cyprus €70 (adults) €45 (minors) 10 years (adults) 5 years (minors) Civil Registry and Migration Department; Embassies and High Commissions Czech Republic CZK 600 (15+, in 30 d) CZK 100 (under 15) CZK 1200 (15+, abroad) CZK 400 (under 15, abroad) 10 years (15+) 5 years (under 15) Town halls; Consulates Denmark DKK 890 (18–64) DKK 378 (65+) DKK 178 (12–17) DKK 150 (0–11) 10 years (18+) 5 years (2–18) 2 years (0–2) Municipalities Estonia €40 (15+) €20 (under 15) €60 (15+ abroad) €20 (under 15 abroad) 10 years (15+) 5 years (under 15) Police and Border Guard Board Finland €50 (€44 online) €25 veterans (€22 online) €93 temporary 5 years Police of Finland , Åland Islands 5 years Police of Åland France €86 (adults, France/territories) €89 (adults abroad) €17 (0–14) €42 (15–17) 10 years (18+) 5 years (under 18) Town halls; French consulates Germany €70 (24+, 32 pp) €37.50 (under 24, 32 pp) €92 (24+, 48 pp) €59.50 (under 24, 48 pp) 10 years (24+) 6 years (under 24 or 2nd passport) Municipal offices; Embassies and consulates Greece €84.40 (adults) €73.60 (children) 10 years (14+) 3 years (under 14) National Passport Centre Hungary HUF 8,500 (under 12) HUF 12,500 (12-18) HUF 17,000 (18+) 3 years (under 6) 5 years (6-18) 10 years (18+) Registration Office Ireland €75 (adults, 32 pp) €20 (minors) €105 (adults, 66 pp) 10 years (adults) 5 years (children) Passport Service, Department of Foreign Affairs Italy €116 (48 pp, incl. revenue stamp) 10 years (18+) 5 years (3–18) 3 years (0–3) Italian State Police; Poste Italiane; Consulates/embassies Latvia €34 (21+) €15 (under 20, pensioners, disabled) 10 years (21+) 5 years (5–20) 2 years (under 5) Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs Lithuania €50 (adults) €25 (minors) €10 (persons of retirement age) 10 years (16+) 5 years (5–15) 2 years (under 5) 1 year (if fingerprints temporarily cannot be captured) Migration Department, Ministry of the Interior Luxembourg €50 (5-year) €30 (2-year) 5 years (4+) 2 years (under 4) Bureau des passeports Malta €70–80 (16+, higher fee Apr–Aug) €40 (10–15) €16 (under 4) 10 years (16+) 5 years (10–15) 2 years (under 4) Identity Malta; Embassies/High Commissions Netherlands €83.87 (adults, 34 pp) €63.42 (minors, 34 pp) €139.40 (minors, abroad) €159.95 (adults, abroad) US$112.47 (minors, Caribbean Netherlands) US$134.78 (adults, Caribbean Netherlands) 10 years (18+) 5 years (under 18) Municipalities; Ministry of Foreign Affairs Poland PLN 140 (13–70) PLN 30 (under 13; 1-yr temporary) €110 (13–70 abroad) €70 (under 13 abroad) €40 (1-yr abroad) €15 (1-yr abroad, with regular application) Free (70+) 10 years (13+) 5 years (under 13) 1 year (temporary) Provincial governors; Consuls Portugal €65 5 years (5+) 2 years (under 5) Portuguese consulates Romania RON 265 10 years (18+) 5 years (12–18) 3 years (under 12) 1 year (temporary) Ministry of Internal Affairs Slovakia €50 (16+) €20 (6–16) €12 (under 6) 10 years (16+) 5 years (5–15) 2 years (under 5) Ministry of Interior Slovenia €46.10 (18+) €39.30 (3–18) €35.20 (under 3) €34.80 (1-yr special) 10 years (18+) 5 years (3–18) 3 years (under 3) Ministry of the Interior Spain €30 10 years (30+) 5 years (5–30) 2 years (under 5) National Police Corps of Spain Sweden SEK 500 SEK 1400 (embassies) SEK 1600 (temporary) 5 years Swedish Police Authority; Embassies and consulates
Former passports of the European Union Following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union in January 2020, the UK and Gibraltar ceased to issue EU passports. British passports have now returned to their previous navy blue design, which first appeared in 1921. Non-EU navy blue passports were first issued in March 2020. Unlike previous designs the biodata page is now made of polycarbonate.
During the transition period, UK and Gibraltar passport were considered de facto EU passports, conferring on their holders the rights of EU citizens. After the end of the transition period on 1 January 2021, all UK passports have now lost this status.