Passports in Europe

Last updated
Bosnia and Herzegovina Passport.png
Reisepass Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Einband Vorderseite 2017.jpg
Schweizer Pass 22.jpg
Ukrainian passport 2017.jpg
Examples of European biometric passports EPassport logo.svg

Passports in Europe are issued by each state individually, e.g. the Netherlands or United Kingdom. In general, passports issued in Europe either grant the holder the right of freedom of movement within the European Economic Area (EU and EFTA passports), to those that don't (EU candidate countries and other non-EU European states).[ clarification needed ] The majority of European states are members of the European Union, and therefore issue EU passports.

Contents

All passports issued in Europe are B7 size and (ISO/IEC 7810 ID-3, 88 mm × 125 mm). The overwhelming majority of European passports are biometric ( EPassport logo.svg ). These include all EU, EFTA, British, and EU candidate passports.

There are also several passports issued by partially-recognised and disputed states, such as Northern Cyprus and Kosovo.

Passports of the European Union

The EU itself does not issue ordinary[ clarification needed ] passports, but ordinary passports issued by the 27 member states follow a common format. [1] This includes a burgundy cover (not compulsory: Croatia is the only exception) emblazoned with the title "European Union", followed by the member state's name in their official language(s) (occasionally translation into English and French), their coat of arms, the word "PASSPORT", together with the biometric passport symbol ( EPassport logo.svg ). [2] Holders of EU passports are citizens of the European Union and entitled to exercise the rights of that citizenship, e.g. freedom of movement.

Some EU member states also issue non-EU passports to certain people who have a nationality which is not supplemented by European Union citizenship (e.g., Danish nationals residing in the Faroe Islands).

In addition, the European Commission issues European Union Laissez-Passers to the members and certain civil servants of its institutions. [3]

Member statePassport coverBiodata pageValidityIssuing authorityLatest version
Flag of Austria.svg Austria Passport of Austria (2024).png

Link to image

  • 10 years (aged 12 or over)
  • 5 years (aged 2–11)
  • 2 years (aged 0–2)
Municipal registration offices

If abroad, Austrian embassies and consulates

1 December 2023 [4]
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium 2022 Passeport Belge.jpg Link to image
  • 7 years (majors aged 18 or over)
  • 5 years (minors aged under 18)
  • Communes (in Belgium)
  • Belgian embassies and consulates (abroad)
1 May 2014 [5]
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria Passportbg.jpg Link to image
  • 5 years
Ministry of Interior Affairs29 March 2010
Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia Croatian biometric passport.jpg Link to image
  • 10 years (adults aged 21 or over)
  • 5 years (adults aged under 21)
  • Ministry of the Interior Affairs of the Republic of Croatia
3 August 2015
Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus Cestovni pas - Kypr.png Link to image
  • 10 years (adults)
  • 5 years (minors) [6]
  • Civil Registry and Migration Department, Ministry of the Interior; Embassies and High Commissions of the Republic of Cyprus
13 December 2010
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic Czech passport 2007 cover.jpg Link to image
  • 10 years (adults aged 15 or over)
  • 5 years (children under 15)
  • any of the 205 town halls with augmented authority
  • abroad: consulates of the Czech Republic (except honorary consulates)
1 September 2006
Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark DK Passport Cover.jpg Link to image
  • 10 years (adults)
  • 5 years (children under 18)
  • Kommune (Municipality)
1 January 2012
Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia Eesti pass 2021.jpg Link to image
  • 10 years (ages 15 and up)
  • 5 years (children under 15)
1 January 2021
Flag of Finland.svg Finland Finland passport 2023.jpg Link to image
  • 5 years
1 January 2017
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland Flag of Aland.svg Åland Islands [7] Aland passport.jpg Link to image
  • 5 years
1 January 2017
Flag of France.svg France Passeport electronique francais.jpg Link to image
  • 10 years (adults)
  • 5 years (children under 18)
  • Préfecture offices (but forms can be addressed to any city hall)
  • French consulates (abroad)
12 April 2006
Flag of Germany.svg Germany Reisepass Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Einband Vorderseite 2017.jpg Link to image
  • 10 years (aged 24 or over)
  • 6 years (applicants under 24 or second passport)
Municipal registration offices

If abroad, German embassies and consulates, including some honorary consulates

1 March 2017
Flag of Greece.svg Greece Greek Passport.svg Link to image
  • 5 years (applicants aged 15 or over)
  • 2 years (children under 15)
National Passport Centre ("Διεύθυνση Διαβατηρίων/Αρχηγείο Ελληνικής Αστυνομίας")28 August 2006
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary Hungarian Passport Cover.jpg Link to image
  • 5 years
  • 10 years
Registration Office (Nyilvántartó Hivatal)1 March 2012
Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland Eirepas.JPG Link to image
  • 10 years (adults)
  • 5 years (children)
Consular and Passport Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs 3 October 2013
Flag of Italy.svg Italy Italian biometric passport.jpg Link to image
  • 10 years (adults)
  • 5 years (minors aged 3–18)
  • 3 years (children aged 0–3) [9]
Minister of Foreign Affairs through 20 May 2010
Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia LR Pase.jpg Link to image
  • 10 years (adults aged 20 or over)
  • 5 years (applicants aged 5–19)
  • 2 years (children under 5)
  • Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP)
29 January 2015 [11]
Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania Pasas2008.gif Link to image
  • 10 years (adults aged 16 or over)
  • 5 years (children aged 5–15)
  • 2 years (children under 5)
27 January 2011
Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg Luxembourgish Passport Front Cover.jpg Link to image
  • 5 years (applicants aged 4 or over)
  • 2 years (applicants under 4)
Bureau des passeports16 February 2015 [5]
Flag of Malta.svg Malta Link to image Link to image
  • 10 years (applicants aged 16 and over)
  • 5 years (applicants aged 10 to 15)
  • 2 years (applicants under 4)
Passport & Civil Registration Directorate29 September 2008
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Nederlanden paspoort 2011.jpg Link to image
  • 10 years (applicants aged 18 and over) [12]
  • 5 years (applicants aged under 18)
  • Gemeente (Municipality)
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Abroad)
23 December 2017
Flag of Poland.svg Poland PolishPassport2018.png Link to image
  • 10 years (applicants aged 13 and over)
  • 5 years (applicants aged under 13)
  • 1 year (temporary passport)
5 November 2018
Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal Portuguese Passport Cover.jpg Link to image
  • 5 years (applicants aged 5 or over)
  • 2 years (children under 5)
10 July 2017
Flag of Romania.svg Romania New Romanian Passport.jpg
  • 10 years (applicants aged 18 or over)
  • 5 years (applicants aged 12–18)
  • 3 years (applicants under 12)
  • 1-year (temporary passport)
Ministry of Internal Affairs (General Directorate for Passports)4 September 2024
Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia Slovak passport biometric.jpg Link to image
  • 10 years (adults aged 16 or over)
  • 5 years (children aged 5–15)
  • 2 years (children under 5)
  • Ministry of Interior
26 November 2014
Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia Passport of Republic of Slovenia.jpg Link to image
  • Ministry of the Interior
12 December 2016
Flag of Spain.svg Spain

Pasaporte ES.svg

Link to image
  • 10 years (applicants over 30)
  • 5 years (applicants between 5 and 30)
  • 2 years (applicants under 5)
2 January 2015
Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden Nya svensk pass.png Link to image
  • 5 years
  • Swedish Police Authority (in Sweden)
  • Swedish embassies and consulates (abroad)
1 January 2022

Passports of European Union candidate countries

Since the establishment of the European Economic Community, previous enlargements have seen the founding Inner Six states of 1958 [13] grow to the EU's current 27 member-states. Currently, there are nine recognised candidates for future membership of the EU: Turkey (applied in 1987), North Macedonia (applied in 2004), Montenegro (applied in 2008), Albania (applied in 2009), Serbia (applied in 2009), Bosnia and Herzegovina (applied in 2016), Ukraine (applied in 2022), Moldova (applied in 2022) and Georgia (applied in 2022). All except Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia have started accession negotiations. [14]

Unlike EU and EFTA passports, nationals carrying passports of EU candidate countries do not have free movement rights and are required to possess appropriate visas.

Candidate statePassport coverBiodata pageValidityIssuing authorityLatest version
Flag of Albania.svg Albania Albanian biometric passport (crop).jpg Link to image
  • 5 or 10 years
Ministry of the Interior2015
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Passport.png Link to image 1 October 2014
Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia Georgian passport.jpg Link to image 17 August 2016
Flag of Moldova.svg Moldova Moldovan passport 2023.jpg Link to image
  • 10 years (aged 16 or older) [15]
  • 7 years (aged at least 7 and under 16)
  • 4 years (under the age of 7 years)
Agency of public services [16] or

Moldovan foreign representations abroad

5 April 2023
Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro Passport of Montenegro.png Link to image
  • 10 years
Ministry of the Interior [17] 26 February 2021
Flag of North Macedonia.svg North Macedonia North Macedonian Passport.png Link to image
  • 5 or 10 years (aged 27 and older)
Ministry of the Interior [18] 2019
Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia Srpski Pasos.png Link to image
  • 10 years(adults)
  • 5 years(minors)
Ministry of the Interior [19] 7 July 2008
Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey Turkish Passport.svg Link to image
  • 6 months
  • 1–10 years
Ministry of the Interior [20] 25 August 2022
Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine Ukrainian passport 2017.jpg Link to image
  • 10 years: adults
  • 4 years: children
State Migration Service (part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs) [21] 1 January 2015

Passports of EFTA member-states

Like the EU, EFTA itself does not issue ordinary passports. It also does not issue any guidelines for a common passport design and format. The EFTA member states participate in the European Single Market and are part of the Schengen Area. [22] EFTA member-states include Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.

In accordance with the EFTA convention, nationals of EFTA member-states enjoy freedom of movement in each other's territory. [23] EFTA nationals also enjoy freedom of movement with the EU. EFTA nationals and EU citizens and are not only visa-exempt but are legally entitled to enter and reside in each other's countries. The right of freedom of movement is defined by the Citizens’ Rights Directive, which defines the right of free movement for citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA), [24] [25] which includes the three EFTA members Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein and EU member-states. Switzerland, which is a member of EFTA but not of the EEA, is not bound by the Directive but rather has a separate bilateral agreement on free movement with the EU. [26]

Member statePassport coverBiodata pageValidityIssuing authorityLatest version
Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland Icelandic Passport Front Cover.jpg Link to image 10 years (adults) Registers Iceland (Þjóðskrá Íslands)23 May 2006 [27] (biometric)

June 2013 [28] (current version)

Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Liechtenstein FurstentumLiechtensteinReisepassCover.jpg Link to image
  • 10 years adults and children over 12
  • 5 years minors under 12
Ausländer- und Passamt26 October 2006 [29]
Flag of Norway.svg Norway Norwegian Passport, New Design.jpg Link to image
  • 2 years (aged 0–4)
  • 3 years (aged 5–9)
  • 5 years (aged 10–15)
  • 10 years (aged 16 and older)
Norwegian Police Service 19 October 2020 [30]
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland Schweizer Pass 22.jpg Link to image
  • 10 years (aged 18 or over)
  • 5 years (aged 0–17)
Canton passport office

(Federal Office of Police)

31 October 2022

British passports

Following the end of the UK's EU withdrawal transition period on 31 December 2020, British passports no longer grant holders the right to free movement within the EEA. British passports are issued to all types of British nationals. These include British Nationals (Overseas), British Overseas Territories Citizens (BOTCs), and British citizens resident in the Crown Dependencies.

The UK also participates in the Five Nations Passport Group, along with Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the US.

In Europe, British passports are issued to British citizens, BOTCs in Gibraltar, and British citizens resident in the Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man).

CountryPassport coverBiodata pageValidityIssuing authorityLatest version
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom British Passport 2020.svg Link to image
  • 10 years (aged 16 or over)
  • 5 years (under 16)
HM Passport Office March 2020
Flag of the Isle of Man.svg Isle of Man Isle of Man Passport (Blue).png
Flag of Jersey.svg Jersey Jersey Passport (Blue).png June 2020
Flag of Guernsey.svg Guernsey Guernsey Passport (Blue).png
Flag of Gibraltar.svg Gibraltar British Passport Series C (Gibraltar).jpg Gibraltar Civil Status and Registration OfficeOctober 2015

Other European passports

Member statePassport coverBiodata pageValidityLatest version
Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia Haykakan andznagir.jpg Link to image 10 years (adults)16 July 2012
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Passport.svg Link to image 1 year: children under age of 1

3 years: children under age of 3

5 years: children under age of 18

10 years: Adults

1 September 2013
Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus Belarus biometric passport cover 01.png Link to image 10 years15 May 2006
Flag of the Faroe Islands.svg Faroe Islands Passeport Iles Feroe.jpg Link to image 10 years: adults

5 years: children

1 January 2012
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Passport.svg Link to image 10 years1 January 2009
Flag of Kosovo.svg Kosovo Passaporta e Kosoves.jpg Link to image 10 years: Adult

5 years: Child

1 January 2013
Flag of the Order of St. John (various).svg Sovereign Military Order of Malta Link to image Link to image
Flag of Monaco.svg Monaco Passeport monegasque.jpg Link to image 5 years26 October 200
Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.svg Northern Cyprus Passport Northern Cyprus.jpg 5 years
Flag of Russia.svg Russia Russian ePassport.jpg Link to image 10 years1 March 2010
Flag of San Marino.svg San Marino Link to image 10 years: over 14

5 years: aged 3–14

3 years: under 3

12 October 2006

See also

Notes

    References

    1. "EUR-Lex - 41981X0919 - EN".
    2. "L_2004385EN.01000101.xml". eur-lex.europa.eu.
    3. European Council regulations covering the issue of EULF documents, dated 17 December 2013, accessed 11 October 2016.
    4. "Council of the European Union - PRADO - AUT-AO-02002". consilium.europa.eu. Retrieved 2017-08-02.
    5. 1 2 "Home". www.consilium.europa.eu.
    6. "CIVIL REGISTRY AND MIGRATION DEPARTMENT - Civil Registry Section". www.moi.gov.cy.
    7. "Council of the European Union - PRADO - FIN-AO-05002 - <Outside front cover>".
    8. "Polisen.ax - Pass". www.polisen.ax.
    9. "Passaporto per i minori". Poliziadistato.it. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
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    12. "Paspoort wordt 10 jaar geldig". Rijksoverheid.nl. 2012-09-28. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
    13. Current Article 1 of the Treaty on European Union reads: "The Union shall be founded on the present Treaty and on the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Those two Treaties shall have the same legal value. The Union shall replace and succeed the European Community".
    14. "EU candidate status for Albania and North Macedonia". European Commission. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
    15. Eliberarea pașaportului cetățeanului Republicii Moldova (PA): Informații generale
    16. Eliberarea pașaportului cetățeanului Republicii Moldova (PA)
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    18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 April 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Издавање на патна исправа
    19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 August 2010. Retrieved 2013-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) ПУТНА ИСПРАВА – ПАСОШ
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