There are just four colors available for passports worldwide: black, blue, red, and green. Surprisingly, there aren't any formal guidelines or criteria that specify what colors passports must be.
There are many different hues of blue, black, green, and red used for passports, and nations are free to choose any color they like. So why are passports only available in variations of these four colors?
They contend that the four colors used in passport production look the most official. Additionally, the dark hues conceal grime and wear and tear.
Countries prefer them because they appear more official than, say, neon pink. They are blue, green, red, and black.
Along with historical relevance, culture can influence a nation's choice of color. For Islamic nations, the color green, for instance, has religious importance. The chosen color for passports in the European Union is burgundy, a shade of red, while India uses blue.
There are, nevertheless, standards that every nation must go by. For example, passports must be constructed of a material that can flex, won't wrinkle, and can withstand chemicals, extremely high or low temperatures, humidity, and light. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), according to Mental Floss, offers advice on typeface, type size, and font.
According to William Waldron, Vice President of Security Products at Holliston, LLC, which produces passports for more than 60 countries, "we can make any hue that's in the Pantone book."
Passports (or any official machine-readable travel document) must be composed of a material that bends rather than folds, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). They also need to be readable in environments with humidity levels between 5 and 95% and stable between 14 and 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, there are no rules in existence that specify how a passport should look. Although the ICAO offers recommendations for typeface, size, and font, even the specifics are left to the issuing state's discretion. However, they strongly advise printing information in uppercase characters.
Anthony Philbin, the ICAO's principal communications officer, said that "nothing specifies the cover color."
What accounts for this widespread preference for navy blues, maroons, forest greens, and black? Geopolitics and religion undoubtedly factor into how a nation chooses the color of its passport, as we've already discussed.
Blue: The so-called "new-world" League of Nations is said to be comprised of countries with blue passports. These countries include, among others, Australia, North America, South America, and India.
Red: According to legend, the communist movement is represented globally by the color red. This color is typically associated with nations that are well-known for having a communist past or present. China, Russia, Serbia, and Latvia are notable instances of this type.
Green: According to Business Insider, the color of the passport is influenced by religious beliefs. Because of this, Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan opt for various shades of green for their passports. Islam associates the color green with the Prophet Muhammad. Green colorations are also utilized in West African nations including Nigeria, Niger, and Senegal as a sign of ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) membership.
Black: When it comes to passport colors, black is the most distinctive. New Zealand is one of the primary countries with black passports. This color was chosen by the nation to match its flag. The majority of the other nations with black passports are African nations like Zambia and Angola.
In fact, US has seemingly, tried all four colors for passports. The temporary passport of Canada is white in color. This is also an exception.
Source: TravelAndLeisure.com, NDTV.com, paidforarticles.com
