I’m a mouse~ Last time when I was queuing up for customs clearance, I accidentally peeked at the passport cover of the passenger next to me, which was green! I was really curious about why everyone’s passport is not a “special edition” like pink, purple, or orange? As a result, I found out that passports around the world really only use four colors: red, blue, green, and black! Moreover, behind this is actually politics, culture, religion, history… the values of an entire country.
Red PassportIt is the color used by most countries. Many European countries (especially EU member states), countries that were once influenced by European colonization, and some communist countries use red. In these countries, red symbolizes history, political identity or European integration. For example, Türkiye also uses red passports in order to show goodwill and desire to join the EU.
blue passportMainly used by countries in the Americas and the Caribbean, such as the United States, Canada, Brazil, etc., it is also adopted by some “Oceania” and “New World” countries. Blue often symbolizes freedom and the spirit of the new world.
Green PassportGreen passports are mostly chosen by Islamic countries because green has a sacred meaning in Islamic culture. It is the favorite color of the Prophet Muhammad and also symbolizes nature and life. In addition, some African countries and other regions have also adopted green passports.
Black passports are less common. Some countries, such as New Zealand and Botswana, choose black. Black is generally considered to be dirt-resistant and formal, and is also used as the color of diplomatic passports by some countries.
Passports of countries around the world mainly come in four colors: red, blue, green and black. The main reason is that although there are no international regulations to limit the colors when choosing passport colors, countries usually choose these four colors based on their geographical location, political background, cultural traditions and even religious beliefs, forming a de facto “mainstream” color tone standard.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) does regulate passport size and technical standards, but it does not restrict colors. It is just that countries have a “visual understanding” with each other and a symbolic system that has evolved over a long period of time, and in the end, only these four major colors are left on the international stage.
Source: Travelpedia
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