The Meaning Behind Blue, Red, Green, and Black Passports
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There only four major passport colors in the world: red, blue, green, and black. Each country can choose from varying hues within the said color spectrum, which results in a multitude of colors in the world passport map. Here, we delve into the story behind these color choices. Blue Passports To date, there are more than 70 countries with a blue passport. Blue symbolizes the “new world” and has been the color of choice of the United States since 1976. Before then, it had several color changes, from red to green. The blue hue that is used by the States today is one that matches the blue on its flag. ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW View this post on Instagram A post shared by Spaceist (@spaceist) on May 2, 2017 at 4:30am PDT Meanwhile, Britain will soon be transitioning to a post-Brexit passport beginning October of this year, and will be trading in its burgundy cover for a dominantly blue one. This move is regarded as symbolic of the United Kingdom’s reclamation of its national identity. After the Brexit vote, the new passport design was put up for a competition. A Scottish graphic designer’s rendition of a burgundy cover transitioning to blue was decided the winner. Red Passports About 68 countries have red passport covers, which is the second most common color. Burgundy is one of the most common shades of red used, with our own Philippine passport as an example. Red is also associated with a country’s historical or current communist beliefs and used in passports of people from Slovenia, China, and Russia. ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW View this post on Instagram A post shared by PassportIndex™ (@passportindex) on May 24, 2018 at 9:14am PDT The top two most powerful passports of 2019 are also part of the red passport group. Holding the top spot is Japan’s dark red citizen passport with a 10-year validity and access to 190 countries. Singapore’s passport, which shares the second spot with South Korea’s, sports an eye-catching orange-red hue. Meanwhile, Switzerland’s is in a bright red with a white cross in a minimalist cover design that mirrors its flag. ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW Most Muslim countries prefer green-covered passports as green is believed to be the preferred color of the Prophet Muhammad, who wore a green cloak and turban. Green is also used to color the binding of Qurans and the domes of mosques. Because the color green is found in the middle of the color spectrum, it may also be symbolic of the Quran’s description of the Muslim community as a “midmost nation.” As such, green has also become a prominent color on the national flags of Islamic countries such as Afghanistan and Iran. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Air Indemnité (@air_indemnite) on Feb 28, 2019 at 1:45am PST Countries that belong to the ECOWAS or the Economic Community of West African States like Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, the Ivory Coast, and Senegal also have passports in different shades of green. Likewise, the passport of South Korea, which grants entry to 189 countries, is in a dark green shade. Back in the 1970s, our Philippine passport also used to be in a shade of green. It was sized similarly to that of the United States’, which, at that time, was green as well. To date, there are about 40 countries with passports in hues of green. ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW Only 10 countries have chosen to have black passports. Black passports are said to appear more official, provide a stark contrast with the country’s gold-embossed coat of arms, and are a practical option as they hide dirt. African countries such as Republic of the Congo, Botswana, Zambia, Angola, among others have black passports. As one of New Zealand’s national colors is black, it has chosen a black passport cover, too. Others Provisional passports usually come in a different color, and there are select countries that have chosen hues beyond blue, red, green, and black. For instance, the Swedish are issued a temporary document called the emergency alien’s passport which comes with a pink cover; while Canada’s temporary passport comes with a white cover. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Siobhan (@explorergal) on Oct 24, 2017 at 6:20am PDT Norway’s proposed new passport is one to envy. Oslo-based design studio, Neue, won the contract to design its revamped passports. The winning design features a white cover for immigrants, blue for diplomats, and bright red for citizens and will be launched in the next coming years. ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW More from Townandcountry.ph A Second Passport Is The Ultra Rich's New Currency 11 Countries That Offer Foreigners a Second Passport in Less Than a Year's Time The Best Places to Travel with Kids in 2019 12 Luxury Travel Agencies That Will Help You Plan a Trip of a Lifetime I AGREE