Passports in Europe are issued by each state individually, e.g. the Netherlands or Germany. 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). The majority of European states are members of the European Union, and therefore issue EU passports.
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 (). These include all EU, EFTA, British, and EU candidate passports.
There are also several passports issued by partially-recognised and disputed states, such as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Kosovo.
Passports of the European Union
The EU itself does not issue ordinary passports, but ordinary passports issued by the 27 member states follow a common format. 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 (). 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.European Council regulations covering the issue of EULF documents, dated 17 December 2013, accessed 11 October 2016.
Member statePassport coverBiodata pageValidityIssuing authorityLatest version AustriaLink 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 BelgiumLink to image 7 years (majors aged 18 or over) 5 years (minors aged under 18) Communes (in Belgium) Belgian embassies and consulates (abroad) BulgariaLink to image 5 yearsMinistry of Interior Affairs CroatiaLink 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 CyprusLink to image 10 years (adults) 5 years (minors) Civil Registry and Migration Department, Ministry of the Interior; Embassies and High Commissions of the Republic of Cyprus Czech RepublicLink 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) DenmarkLink to image 10 years (adults) 5 years (children under 18) Kommune (Municipality) EstoniaLink to image 10 years (ages 15 and up) 5 years (children under 15) Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) FinlandLink to image 10 years Police of Finland Åland IslandsLink to image 10 years Police of Åland FranceLink to image 10 years (adults) 5 years (children under 18) Préfecture offices (but forms can be addressed to any city hall) French consulates (abroad) GermanyLink 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 GreeceLink to image 5 years (applicants aged 15 or over) 2 years (children under 15)National Passport Centre ("Διεύθυνση Διαβατηρίων/Αρχηγείο Ελληνικής Αστυνομίας") HungaryLink to image 5 years 10 yearsRegistration Office (Nyilvántartó Hivatal) IrelandLink to image 10 years (adults) 5 years (children)Consular and Passport Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ItalyLink to image 10 years (adults) 5 years (minors aged 3–18) 3 years (children aged 0–3)Minister of Foreign Affairs through
Local quaestor of the state police (in Italy) Consulates and embassies (abroad) LatviaLink 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) LithuaniaLink to image 10 years (adults aged 16 or over) 5 years (children aged 5–15) 2 years (children under 5) LuxembourgLink to image 5 years (applicants aged 4 or over) 2 years (applicants under 4)Bureau des passeports MaltaLink to imageLink to image 10 years (applicants aged 16 and over) 5 years (applicants aged 10 to 15) 2 years (applicants under 4)Passport & Civil Registration Directorate NetherlandsLink to image 10 years (applicants aged 18 and over) 5 years (applicants aged under 18) Gemeente (Municipality) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Abroad) PolandLink to image 10 years (applicants aged 13 and over) 5 years (applicants aged under 13) 1 year (temporary passport) Governor of a province (voivodeship) Consul PortugalLink to image 5 years (applicants aged 5 or over) 2 years (children under 5) Romania 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) SlovakiaLink to image 10 years (adults aged 16 or over) 5 years (children aged 5–15) 2 years (children under 5) Ministry of Interior SloveniaLink to image Ministry of the Interior12 December 2016 SpainLink to image 10 years (applicants over 30) 5 years (applicants between 5 and 30) 2 years (applicants under 5) National Police Corps of Spain SwedenLink to image 5 years Swedish Police Authority (in Sweden) Swedish embassies and consulates (abroad)
Passports of European Union candidate countries
Since the establishment of the European Economic Community, previous enlargements have seen the founding Inner Six states of 1958Current 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". 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.
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 AlbaniaLink to image 5 or 10 yearsMinistry of the Interior2015 Bosnia and HerzegovinaLink to image1 October 2014 GeorgiaLink to image17 August 2016 MoldovaLink to image 10 years (aged 16 or older) Eliberarea pașaportului cetățeanului Republicii Moldova (PA): Informații generale 7 years (aged at least 7 and under 16) 4 years (under the age of 7 years)Agency of public services Eliberarea pașaportului cetățeanului Republicii Moldova (PA) or Moldovan foreign representations abroad5 April 2023 MontenegroLink to image 10 yearsMinistry of the Interior Postupak i potrebni dokazi za izdavanje ličnih dokumenata -PASOŠ26 February 2021 North MacedoniaLink to image 5 or 10 years (aged 27 and older)Ministry of the Interior Издавање на патна исправа2019 SerbiaLink to image 10 years(adults) 5 years(minors)Ministry of the Interior ПУТНА ИСПРАВА – ПАСОШ01 July 2026 TurkeyLink to image 6 months 1–10 yearsMinistry of the Interior25 August 2022 UkraineLink to image10 years: adults 4 years: childrenState Migration Service (part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs) Видача паспорта громадянина України для виїзду за кордон1 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. 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. 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), 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. Member statePassport coverBiodata pageValidityIssuing authorityLatest version IcelandLink to image 10 years (adults) 5 years (under 18)Registers Iceland (Þjóðskrá Íslands)1 February 2019LiechtensteinLink to image 10 years adults and children over 12 5 years minors under 12Ausländer- und Passamt26 October 2006 NorwayLink 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 Service19 October 2020SwitzerlandLink 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 United KingdomLink to image 10 years (aged 16 or over) 5 years (under 16)HM Passport Office Isle of Man Jersey June 2020 GuernseyGibraltarGibraltar Civil Status and Registration OfficeOctober 2015
Other European passports
Member statePassport coverBiodata pageValidityIssuing authorityLatest version ArmeniaLink to image10 years (adults)Migration and Citizenship Service16 July 2012Azerbaijan Link to image1 year: children under age of 1
3 years: children under age of 3
5 years: children under age of 18
10 years: AdultsMinistry of Internal Affairs1 September 2013 BelarusLink to image10 yearsMinistry of Internal Affairs15 May 2006 Faroe IslandsLink to image10 years: adults
5 years: childrenFaroe Islands Police1 January 2012 Kazakhstan Link to image10 yearsMinistry of Internal Affairs1 January 2009 KosovoLink to image10 years: Adult 5 years: ChildMinistry of Internal Affairs1 January 2013 Sovereign Military Order of MaltaLink to imageLink to image MonacoLink to image5 yearsMinister of State26 October 2005 Northern Cyprus5 yearsMinistry of Interior2024 RussiaLink to image10 yearsMinistry of Internal Affairs1 March 2010 San MarinoLink to image10 years: over 14 5 years: aged 3–14
3 years: under 3Secretariat of State for Foreign Affairs12 October 2006 Vatican City5 yearsGovernorate of Vatican City State1 October 2020 See also Visa requirements for European Union citizens