Isabella Miller The majority of countries across the globe select from four basic passport colors which include red and blue and green and black because international law does not specify a mandatory passport color. Countries select their passport colors based on national geographical features and historical political events and religious traditions. Travelers can determine a person’s worldwide political affiliation by observing their passport color before the traveler starts to read the first page.
The Power of Red
Red serves as the most frequently used passport color throughout all countries in the world. Countries which possess a communist governmental system either in the past or present, such as China and Russia, use this color as their official passport shade. The European Union adopted this standard because most member countries decided to use “burgundy” as their passport color to establish a common European identity.
The Andean Group’s Red
The three South American countries of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru choose to issue red passports. The decision established a common bond which united all members of the Andean Community of Nations. The countries in this region use this common color to display their trade agreements and their geographical boundaries with each other.
Blue and the New World
The second most prevalent passport color, blue, typically represents countries from the New World region and the United States changed its passport to blue in 1976 to match the shade found in the American flag. The Caribbean nations use blue color to symbolize their connection to the ocean which surrounds their countries.
The Mercosur Blue
The Mercosur trade bloc member nations, including Brazil and Argentina and Paraguay, issue blue passports to their citizens and the South American countries use blue as their official passport color to denote their membership in the specific economic and political alliance, which resembles how the European Union designates red.
Green and Religious Identity
The majority of Islamic countries from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and Morocco select green as their official passport color and Islamic countries choose green as their national passport color because it represents the Prophet Muhammad’s preferred color and serves as a symbol of nature and life in Islamic culture.
ECOWAS Green
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member nations in West Africa use green passports as their identification documents. The color represents their regional alliance and shared goals for economic growth and free movement across borders which both Nigeria and Senegal adopted as their national color.
The Rarity of Black
Black represents the least common passport color among all existing passport colors. The African countries of Zambia and Botswana select black color because it appears to be formal while concealing signs of damage. New Zealand uses black as their official color because it matches their national identity and their rugby team “All Blacks” wears this color.
Diplomatic and Special Status
Black passports belong to high-ranking government officials and diplomats who serve in multiple countries. Special Passports grant their holders legal rights and protections during international travel which distinguishes their holder rights from those of citizens who possess standard blue or red passports.
Branding and Practicality
The choice exists between two options, which include brand selection and product durability. The airlines select navy blue and burgundy as their preferred colors because these darker shades create an official appearance while preventing dirt and stains from becoming visible throughout multiple international flights.
International Standardization
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requires all passports to have their specific dimensions and design templates which remain unchanged across different color variations. All passports can be scanned at any airport in the world because the scanning technology operates with green and blue and red and black passports equally.
