PASSPORT COLORS
 

On my recent trip to Holland, I <BR>abandoned my newly purchased, leather <BR>passport cover in order to proudly <BR>display the dark blue passport that <BR>signified my American citizenship. Having <BR>done so I wondered what colors other <BR>nations used for their passports. <BR> <BR>Know of any? <BR> <BR>Cheers, and Happy Travels. <BR> <BR>Gerry K

American passports are also green! <BR> <BR>

I believe the green ones are official passports issued to diplomats, etc. The rest of us have the blue ones.

U.S. Passports used to be green (back in the Dark Ages when I was a young whippersnapper); now they are blue. Great Britain's are maroonish, I think. Does any country have a snazzy color, like bright red or cerulean?

CANADA=blue.

You can took a look at pictures of almost all passports, hear national anthems, see the new euro bills plus get a little helpful background info for a lot of countries at <BR>http://www.slawek.com

My US passport cover is green, and I'm definitely not a diplomat.

Passports from EU countries are dark (burgundy) red, Singaporean passports are bright red.

Japanese passports are bright red too, saw the one belonging to a train mate.

Belgian passports are bordeaux, the colour of a good wine!

Historically, American passports have always been green. And in the early 1960s they were larger than they are now... with a coin design on them. <BR> The blue ones were issued in honor of the Bicentennial in 1976. They're still using up the blue ones ! But they are going back to the green covers once again. When I renewed my passport in Marseille last year, I requested and received a green one. <BR> <BR>PB

Swiss passports are red with the white small cross on it.

Australian passports are also blue...or navy to be exact.

My first passport [issued in the early 60s] was larger and a lighter blue. Maybe now with all the focus on satifying consumer preferences we could pick our color? I'll take a gray-green please:)

In that case, I'll take a hot-pink one to match my travel apparel.

Hey, speaking of passports - when did they stop stamping them? I've been to Portugal, Italy, Canada, and France in the last few years and no one has stamped my passport. Did I miss something?

Ryan's right. Slawek.com does show <BR>'em all. But they're diappointingly <BR>drab. <BR> <BR>Happy Travels, <BR> <BR>Gerry K

I think we've hit on a plan here; a choice of colors for passport covers. Since the important identifying stuff is on the inside, the outside should be the customer's choice. Personally I'd like something in a deep purple suede, maybe with gold embellishments. I'd be willing to pay extra for the "vanity passport", and what a money-maker for the Feds. <BR> <BR>P.S. Has the expected tax rebate later this summer changed anybody's travel plans?

I received a new passport last summer, and it was blue. <BR> <BR>I like the customized passport color idea. I'd like mine in Tie-dye, please. <BR> <BR>Now the government just needs to hire Glamour Shots take our passport pictures.

How could a paltry few hundred dollars change anyone's travel plans?

The good old British passport was dark navy with a gold coat of arms on it and I loved it. Now we have the rather boring burgundy coloured EU passport which many of us do not like much...so much so that we have bought covers in in the old style and slip the offending EU passports inside. I do love Europe very much but I think our passports should express the individuality of each nation..if that is possible.

"I've been to Portugal, Italy, Canada, and France in the last few years and no one has stamped my passport. Did I miss something?" <BR> <BR>In general, European countries (except the U.K.) seem to have stopped stamping passports. This has to do largely with the creation of the EU, in my opinion.

Elvira, as usual you are the funniest! LOL vanity passport covers! <BR> <BR>To add to the blue vs. green US passport controversy - my passport is green, and it was issued in '93. So they have been issuing green passports for a while (and I didn't request it). And no, I am not a diplomat!

"In general, European countries (except the U.K.) seem to have stopped stamping passports. This has to do largely with the creation of the EU, in my opinion." <BR>There is a common immigration zone (called Schengen)in Europe consisting of all EU countries EXCEPT the UK and Ireland PLUS Norway and Iceland. Passports are only checked and stamped when entering / leaving this zone. For travellers from rich countries, they often don't bother to stamp the passport. But try to enter Schengen with a Sudanese passport and you will certainly get your stamp!

Yeah, designer passports, cool. Maybe one with Brittney Spears' picture on the front (Oops, I traveled again) or maybe the Teletubbies or a collector's Mr. Blobby passport with places inside where all the immigration people can stamp "Blobby" when you blobby through the blobby blobby. <BR> <BR>Or how about Visa or MasterCard passports, where you can swipe it at customs and they only charge you a couple of bucks to get in the country, or maybe you can get free miles every time you pay duty on your miniture Eiffel Towers or McVitties Digestives?

Angela, you're right, I travel on a pretty limited budget, and I had no right to assume others would find an additional $300 or so to be significant to their travel plans. It was a stupid question.

Mariarosa, I have a green passport issued in '93 also. It was a special one in honor of the bicentennial of the U.S. Consular Service. It’s explained on a page inside the back cover.

300 bucks huh, cool! <BR> <BR>anyway, mine is green, got it in 93 - I understand that they went to green for a while, but then back to navy blue. don't know if they will go back once again. <BR> <BR>having a different color passport from most folks is kinda cool - makes ya wonder what country they think I am from. <BR> <BR>I also shudder when I say that - cuz didn't they use the passport color as a criteria to single out that poor Navy SEAL, Robert Stetham if I remember correctly, on that hijacked plane 10-15 years ago - and dump him out on the tarmac? (in other words, they gathered all passports & picked on the Americans.) <BR> <BR>ugh. that story still makes me shudder.

Hi JP and Beth! Thanks for clearing up the mystery of the green passport! For our next trip, I can surprise my husband with one of those "hey-do-you-know-why-my-passport-is-green" trivia! Cool!

The US also has dark red passports. I don't know their overall purpose, except that when military are posted overseas their dependents get free passports in this color. They may be issued to other people too. By the way, my last passport was issued last year, and it's blue. There does not seem to be any consistency, does there? Another symptom of the US government?