TRUE – Unlike many European countries, the United Kingdom does not currently issue a mandatory national identity card for its citizens. Instead, the primary official identity document is the British passport, which is used both for international travel and often as proof of identity in formal situations.

Why the UK does not have a national ID card

Historically, the UK has relied on a combination of different documents for identity verification rather than a single nationwide ID card system. These typically include:

• Passports
• Driver´s licenses
• Various age verification cards

There have been attempts to introduce a national ID system. In 2006, the government introduced identity cards under the Identity Cards Act 2006. These biometric cards were intended to provide a secure and standardized form of identification. However, the program was controversial due to concerns about privacy, cost, and the creation of a national identity register.

In 2010, the UK government repealed the scheme through the Identity Documents Act 2010, cancelling the identity cards that had already been issued. Since then, the UK has returned to its traditional system without a universal national ID card.

Image source: CitizenCard – www.citizencard.com

What is a PASS or CitizenCard?
The CitizenCard is an official UK photo ID and proof-of-age card, recognised by the Home Office and accepted by most UK retailers, public transport providers, and airlines. Adult cards (18+) display the Police and Security Industry Authority logos, and all cards feature the PASS hologram for verification.

While the CitizenCard functions as a widely recognised domestic ID for age verification and everyday transactions, it is not an international travel document and cannot be used as an identity document outside the UK. Essentially, it serves as a practical, government-recognised proof-of-age ID rather than a passport or national ID card.

Information adapted from: CitizenCard & Post Office UK

FALSE – Members of the British Royal Family do not automatically travel with diplomatic passports. In fact, most of them travel using standard British passports, just like other citizens of the United Kingdom.

Image source: PRADO – Public Register of Authentic Identity & Travel Documents Online published by the European Council

An interesting exception applies to the British monarch. King Charles III, as the reigning monarch, does not require a passport at all. This is because all British passports are officially issued in the name of the monarch. The opening line of every British passport states:

“His Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires… that the bearer be allowed to pass freely…”

Since the monarch is the authority in whose name passports are issued, the King himself does not need one when travelling internationally.

Other members of the British Royal Family, however, do carry passports when they travel abroad. In most cases, these are regular British passports, identical to those issued to other citizens. Diplomatic passports are not automatically granted simply because someone is part of the Royal Family.

A diplomatic passport may only be issued when a person is travelling on official diplomatic business on behalf of the UK government. In such situations, certain senior royals representing the United Kingdom abroad could receive a diplomatic passport for the specific trip.

In practice, this means that while members of the Royal Family frequently travel internationally, they usually do so using standard passports unless they are undertaking an official diplomatic mission.

For more information also visit: www.royal.uk/encyclopedia/passports

FALSE – The British passport remains one of the world’s most powerful travel documents, but it is not currently ranked third globally.

According to international passport rankings such as the Passport Index (published by Arton Capital), the UK passport has slipped in the rankings in recent years. Recent rankings place the UK passport around 8th place globally, depending on the specific index and update period.

Passport rankings evaluate how many destinations a passport holder can visit without needing a visa in advance.

Access typically falls into three categories:

• Visa-free travel
• Visa on arrival
• Electronic travel authorization (eTA)

The more destinations accessible without a traditional visa application, the stronger the passport’s ranking.

FALSE – There is no separate Scottish passport. Citizens living in Scotland use the same passport as all other UK citizens: the British passport.

Passports in the UK are issued centrally by the HM Passport Office, which operates under the UK Home Office. This means that regardless of whether someone lives in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, the same passport document is issued.

Why people think Scotland has its own passport
The misconception sometimes arises because Scotland has its own parliament and devolved government, giving it a distinct political and cultural identity within the United Kingdom. However, international travel documents remain the responsibility of the UK government. Only sovereign states issue passports recognized internationally, and Scotland is not an independent state.

The blue passport design
Another reason for confusion may be the blue cover of the current British passport. After the UK left the European Union, the design changed from the burgundy EU-style passport to a dark blue cover, reflecting an earlier British passport design used before EU standardization.

Latest model of British passport issued since 2020.

Image source: PRADO – Public Register of Authentic Identity & Travel Documents Online published by the European Council

Old, but still valid, version of British passport.

Image source: PRADO – Public Register of Authentic Identity & Travel Documents Online published by the European Council