FROM KANGAROOS THAT JUMP OFF THE PAGE TO HOLOGRAPHIC IMAGES OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Passports are powerful documents, no doubt. But look beyond their utility, and you will find tiny, beautiful secrets you never knew existed. Designers across countries have taken passports from boring old legal documents to innovative, exciting pieces of art that represent the best of a destination. Here are the ten most beautiful passports in the world.
10 most beautiful passports in the world
Norway
Flip through the Norwegian passport and you can see everything from the fjords and mountains to lakes, rivers and forests. Under ultraviolet lights, these pages come to life with vivid holographic images of the night skies and the Northern Lights. The passport got a refreshed identity in 2020, with a new design by Neue Design Studio. “Using illustrations of single parts of a wide Norwegian panorama, from north to south, we want to show the contrasts in landscapes and climates that have shaped us, offered opportunities and resources, places for recreation and the scenes of important historical events,” the studio says of the design on their official website.
Finland
For a long time, a moose strut through the pages of the Finnish passport. Designed as a flipbook by the Thales group, Finland’s burgundy passport exhibits the best of Scandinavian design. Finland is known for its stunning natural landscapes, sustainability and conservation efforts, and wildlife diversity. In 2017, the moose was replaced with images of snowflakes, scenes from Lapland and other classic symbols of a Finnish winter.
New Zealand
Along with being one of the most powerful passports in the world, New Zealand is also among the most beautiful. A black background creates a stunning contrast with the silver letterings and illustrations. Look closer and you will see silver ferns along the side—a plant found only in New Zealand and considered a symbol of strength and endurance. Cricket fans might just find the symbol familiar—it features prominently on the jerseys of the country’s cricket team.
United Kingdom
A UK passport grants holders visa-free access to 187 countries and is one of the ten most powerful passports in the world, as per the Henley Passport Index. Along with the royal coat of arms on the cover, the British passport showcases Great Britain’s best-known attractions, such as the London Eye, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Houses of Parliament, and even the LondonUnderground. Until 1988, UK passports were blue but were later changed to burgundy to be in line with other European passports. Post-Brexit, the passports were changed back to blue.
Canada
Canada’s navy blue passport is embossed with the Royal Coat of Arms of Canada and printed in two languages: English and French. Open it up and place it under a UV light, and you can spot several of Canada’s national treasures in bright neon, from their signature maple leaves to fireworks over Ottawa and the iconic Niagara Falls. Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, these holographic images also protect against fraud as they are difficult to replicate.
Belgium
The Belgian passport was redesigned in January 2022. While the burgundy cover retains the traditional gilded crest and embossed outline of the country, the pages inside offer a more playful take. While illustrations of famous landmarks adorned the pages earlier, now, they have been replaced with popular characters from famous Belgiancomic strips. So, don’t be surprised if you spot TinTin or the Smurfs in there.
