Passports of the European Economic Area

EU member states use a common passport booklet design, burgundy coloured with the name of the member state, its coat of arms and the title "European Union"
EEA and Switzerland

Passports issued by European Economic Area member states (the European Union, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) or Switzerland can be used by citizens to exercise the right of free movement within the European Economic Area and Switzerland.[1]

When going through border controls to enter an EEA country, EEA and Swiss citizens possessing valid biometric passports are sometimes able to use automated gates instead of immigration counters. For example, when entering the United Kingdom, at major airports, adult holders of EEA or Swiss biometric passports can use ePassport gates, whilst all other EEA citizens (such as those using a national identity card or a non-biometric passport) and non-EEA citizens must use an immigration counter. Anyone travelling with children must also use an immigration counter.[2]

As an alternative to holding a passport, EEA or Swiss citizens can also use a valid national identity card to exercise their right of free movement within the EEA and Switzerland.[3] Strictly speaking, it is not necessary for an EEA or Swiss citizen to possess a valid passport or national identity card to enter the EEA or Switzerland. In theory, if an EEA or Swiss citizen outside of both the EEA and Switzerland can prove his/her nationality by any other means (e.g. by presenting an expired passport or national identity card, or a citizenship certificate), he/she must be permitted to enter the EEA or Switzerland. An EEA or Swiss citizen who is unable to demonstrate his/her nationality satisfactorily must nonetheless be given 'every reasonable opportunity' to obtain the necessary documents or to have them delivered within a reasonable period of time.[4][5][6]

Common design features for EU member states

Since the 1980s, member states of the European Union have started to harmonise aspects of the designs of their ordinary passports (but not other types of passports, such as diplomatic, service and emergency passports), as well as common security features and biometrics.[7]

Overall format

Cover

Information on the cover, in this order, in the language(s) of the issuing state:

First page

Information on the first page, in one or more of the languages:

Identification page

In passports issued by the EU member states, information on the (possibly laminated) identification page, in the languages of the issuing state plus English and French, are accompanied by numbers that refer to an index that lists the meaning of these fields in all official EU languages. Passports issued in the EFTA member states do not necessarily list such references.

1. Surname 2. Forename(s)
3. Nationality 4. Date of birth
5. Sex 6. Place of birth
7. Date of issue     8. Date of expiry
9. Authority 10. Signature of holder

Personal name spelling differences

Names containing non-English letters are usually spelled in the correct way in the non-machine-readable zone of the passport, but are mapped according to the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in the machine-readable zone. For example, the German umlauts (ä, ö, ü) and the letter ß are mapped as AE / OE / UE and SS, so Müller becomes MUELLER, Groß becomes GROSS, and Gößmann becomes GOESSMANN.

The ICAO mapping is mostly used for computer-generated and internationally used documents such as air tickets, but sometimes (like in US visas) also simple letters are used (MULLER, GOSSMANN). German credit cards use in their non-machine-readable zone either the correct or the mapped spelling.

Some German names are always spelled with "old" spelling, such as the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe or the Third-Reich politician Paul Joseph Goebbels; however, in the name of the German football player Ulrich Hoeneß, the umlaut is spelled "old", but the letter ß is not (the spelling in the machine-readable passport zone is HOENESS, the ß being mapped here).

The three possible spelling variants of the same name (e.g. Müller / Mueller / Muller) in different documents sometimes lead to confusion, and the use of two different spellings within the same document (like in the passports of German-speaking countries) may give people who are unfamiliar with the foreign orthography the impression that the document is a forgery.

The Austrian passport can (but does not always) contain a note in German, English, and French that AE / OE / UE / SS are the common mappings of Ä / Ö / Ü / ß.

Names originally written in a non-Latin writing system may pose another problem if there are various internationally recognized transcription standards. For example, the Russian surname Горбачёв is transcribed

The machine-readable zone contains the name transliterated in a standardized (English-based) way, defined by the standard for machine readable travel documents (ICAO 9303). Горбачёв would be written GORBACHEV.

Letters with accents are often replaced by simple letters (ç → C, ê → E, etc.), but for some letters mappings are common:
å → AA
ä, æ → AE
ij (capital letter: IJ )→ IJ
ö, ø, œ → OE
ü → UE (German) or UXX (Spanish)
ñ → N or sometimes NXX
ß → SS
ð → DH or sometimes D
þ → TH

It is recommended to use the spelling used in the machine-readable passport zone for visas, airline tickets, etc., and to refer to that zone if being questioned.

Following page

Optional information on the following page:

11. Residence 12. Height
13. Colour of eyes     14. Extension of the passport
15. Name at birth (if now using married name or have legally changed names)

Remaining pages

Overview of passports

Member state Passport cover Biodata page Cost Validity Issuing authority Latest version EEA membership
Austria Austria

  • €75.90
  • 10 years (aged 12 or over)
  • 5 years (aged 2–11)
  • 2 years (aged 0–2)
 16 June 2006 Yes
Belgium Belgium

  • €71 (adults; 32 pages; in Belgium)
  • €41 (children; 32 pages; in Belgium)
  • €240 (adults; 64 pages; in Belgium)
  • €210 (children; 64 pages; in Belgium)
  • €79 (adults; 32 pages; overseas)
  • €35 (children; 32 pages; overseas)
  • €240 (adults; 64 pages; overseas)
  • €210 (children; 64 pages; overseas)[8]
  • 5 years
  • Communes (in Belgium)
  • Belgian embassies and consulates (overseas)
 1 February 2008 Yes
Bulgaria Bulgaria

Link to file
  • BGN40 / €20 (adults aged 14–58; 32 pages)
  • BGN40 / €10 (adults under 14; 32 pages)
  • 5 years

Ministry of Interior Affairs

 29 March 2010 Yes
Croatia Croatia

  • 390 HRK
  • 10 years (adults aged 21 or over)
  • 5 years (adults aged under 21)
  • Ministry of the Interior Affairs of the Republic of Croatia
 3 August 2015 EU member state Croatia finished negotiating their accession to the EEA in November 2013, and is since 12 April 2014 provisionally applying the agreement pending its ratification by all EEA countries.
Cyprus Cyprus
  • (€70; 32 pages)
  • 10 years
  • Civil Registry and Migration Department, Ministry of the Interior;
    Embassies and High Commissions of the Republic of Cyprus
 13 December 2010 Yes
Czech Republic Czech Republic[9]

  • CZK 600 (adults aged 15 or over)
  • CZK 100 (children under 15)
  • 10 years (adults aged 15 or over)
  • 5 years (children under 15)
  • the town hall of the applicant's place of permanent residence
  • abroad: consulates of the Czech Republic (except honorary consulates)
 1 September 2006 Yes
Denmark Denmark

  • DKK 625 (adults aged 18 or over; 32 pages)
  • DKK 140 (children aged under 18; 32 pages)
  • 10 years (adults)
  • 5 years (children under 18)
 1 August 2006 Yes
Estonia Estonia

  • €28.76
  • 5 years
 1 June 2014[10] Yes
Finland Finland

  • €48[11]
  • €24 for veterans of Finnish wars
  • €48 temporary passport
  • €65 fast-track passport
  • €83 express passport
  • €80 emergency passport
  • €48 alien passport
 21 August 2012 Yes
Åland Islands Åland Islands
  • 5 years
 21 August 2012 Yes
France France
  • 10 years (adults)
  • 5 years (children under 18)
  • Préfecture offices (but forms can be addressed to any city hall)
  • French consulates (abroad)
 12 April 2006 Yes
Germany Germany

  • €37.50 (applicants under 24; 32 pages)
  • €59 (applicants aged 24 or over; 32 pages)
  • 10 years (applicants aged 24 or over)
  • 6 years (applicants under 24)
 Municipal registration office 11 November 2007 Yes
Greece Greece

  • €84.40 (adults)
  • €73.60 (children)
  • 5 years (applicants aged 15 or over)
  • 2 years (children under 15)
 National Passport Centre ("Διεύθυνση Διαβατηρίων/Αρχηγείο Ελληνικής Αστυνομίας") 28 August 2006 Yes
Hungary Hungary

  • 7500 HUF (5 years)
  • 14000 HUF (10 years)
  • 5 years
  • 10 years

Registration Office (Nyilvántartó Hivatal)

 1 March 2012 Yes
Iceland Iceland

  • 10 years (adults)
 Yes
Republic of Ireland Ireland

  • 10 years (adults)
  • 3 or 5 years (children)
 Consular and Passport Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs Yes
Italy Italy

  • 10 years (adults aged 18 or over)
  • 5 years (applicants aged 3–17)
  • 3 years (children under 3)[14]
 Minister of Foreign Affairs through
  • Local quaestor (in Italy)
  • Consulates and embassies (abroad)[15]
 20 May 2010 Yes
Latvia Latvia
  • €28.46 (adults)
  • €14.23 (pensioners, disabled and aged under 20)[16]
  • 10 years (adults aged 60 or over)
  • 5 years (applicants aged 5–59)
  • 2 years (children under 5)
 29 January 2015[17] Yes
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein

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    		Yes
    Lithuania Lithuania

    • 1LTL150/€48 (adults; 32 pages;)
    • LTL75/€24 (children; 32 pages;)
    • LTL200/€65 (adults; 32 pages; issued in five working days)
    • LTL250/€79 (adults; 32 pages; issued in 24 hours)
    • 10 years (adults aged 16 or over)
    • 5 years (children aged 5–15)
    • 2 years (children under 5)
    		 27 January 2011 Yes
    Luxembourg Luxembourg
    • €30 (5 year passports)
    • €20 (2 year passports)
    • 5 years (applicants aged 4 or over)
    • 2 years (applicants under 4)
    		 Passport Office, Luxembourg 1 July 2011 Yes
    Malta Malta 29 September 2008 Yes
    Netherlands The Netherlands

    • €64.40 (maximum, all ages 34-page passport; individual municipalities determine the rate[18])
    • €99.05 (adults; 34 pages; overseas[19])
    • 10 years for adults
    • 5 years for minors[20]
    • Gemeente (Municipality)
    		 9 March 2014 Yes
    Norway Norway

    • NOK 270 (children under 16)
    • NOK 450 (adults aged 16 or older)
    • 2 years (aged 0–4)
    • 3 years (aged 5–9)
    • 5 years (aged 10–15)
    • 10 years (aged 16 and older)
    		 Norwegian Police Service 1 April 2011 Yes
    Poland Poland

    		Application made within Poland:
    • 140 zł (for applicants aged between 13 and 70)
    • 30 zł (for applicants aged under 13)

    Application made through a Polish consulate:

    • €106 (applicants aged between 13 and 70)
    • €36 (applicants aged under 13)

    In both cases:

    • free for applicants aged 70 and over
    • certain classes of applicants qualify for a 50% discount of a relevant fee
    • 10 years (applicants aged 13 and over)
    • 5 years (applicants aged under 13)
    		 1 January 2006 Yes
    Portugal Portugal
    • 5 years (applicants aged 5 or over)
    • 2 years (children under 5)
    		 25 May 2009 Yes
    Romania Romania

    • RON276 / €59 (5 years passports)
    • RON116 / €25 (1 year passports)
    • 5 years (applicants aged 6 or over)
    • 3 years (applicants under 6)
    • 1 year (temporary passport)
    		 Ministry of Administration and Interior (General Directorate for Passports) 26 April 2006 Yes
    Slovakia Slovakia

    • €33/66/99 (16 or older up to 30/10/2 days processing time)
    • €13/26/39 (6-16 year olds up to 30/10/2 days)
    • €8/16/24 (6 or younger up to 30/12/2 days)
    • 50% discount exists for seriously ill applicants; 10% discount exists for applicants whose fingerprints cannot be taken and who obtain a passport valid for 1 year.
    • 10 years (adults aged 16 or over)
    • 5 years (children aged 5–15)
    • 2 years (children under 5)
    		 15 January 2008 Yes
    Slovenia Slovenia 28 August 2006 Yes
    Spain Spain

    • €25
    • No expiry (adults over 70)
    • 10 years (adults aged 30–70)
    • 5 years (applicants under 30)
    		 2 January 2015 Yes
    Sweden Sweden

    Link to file

    Link to file
    • 350 SEK (in Sweden)
    • 1400 SEK (abroad, paid in local currency)
    • 5 years
    • Swedish Police Authority (in Sweden)
    • Swedish embassies and consulates (abroad)
    		 2 January 2012 Yes
    Switzerland Switzerland

    • CHF 60 (children)
    • CHF 140 (adults)
    • 10 years (aged 18 or over)
    • 5 years (aged 0–17)
    		 1 March 2010 EFTA member state Switzerland is not a part of the EEA, but is through a bilateral series of agreements a part of the area in a practical sense.
    United Kingdom United Kingdom

    • £72.50 (adults; 32 pages)
    • £85.50 (adults; 48 pages)
    • £46 (children)
    • 10 years (adults aged 16 or over)
    • 5 years (children under 16)
    		 December 2015 Yes
    Gibraltar Gibraltar

    • £42.00 (adults)
    • £25.00 (children)
    • 10 years (adults aged 16 or over)
    • 5 years (children under 16)
    		 Civil Status and Registration Office, Gibraltar Yes

    Passport rankings

    Passport rankings by the number of countries and territories their holders could visit without a visa or by obtaining visa on arrival in 2016 were as follows (sourced from Henley Visa Restrictions Index 2016):

    By country

    For details, click on the name of the country:

    EU countries:

    EFTA countries:

    By rank

    • 01. Germany: 177
    • 02. Sweden: 176
    • 03. Finland, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom (British Citizen Passport): 175
    • 04. Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands: 174
    • 05. Austria: 173
    • 06. Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland: 172
    • 07. Greece: 171
    • 09. Malta: 168
    • 10. Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland: 167
    • 11. Slovakia: 165
    • 12. Liechtenstein, Slovenia: 164
    • 13. Latvia: 163
    • 14. Estonia, Lithuania: 162
    • 15. Poland: 161
    • 17. Cyprus: 159
    • 21. Bulgaria, Romania: 153
    • 24. Croatia: 149

    See also

    References

    1. ↑ Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 158/2007 of 7 December 2007 amending Annex V (Free movement of workers) and Annex VIII (Right of establishment) to the EEA Agreement, EUR-Lex. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
    2. ↑ UK Border Agency: Using e-passport gates
    3. ↑ http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/guidance/ecg/ecb/ecb8/
    4. ↑ Article 6.3.2 of the Practical Handbook for Border Guards (C (2006) 5186)
    5. ↑ Judgement of the European Court of Justice of 17 February 2005, Case C 215/03, Salah Oulane vs. Ministervoor Vreemdelingenzaken en Integratie ()
    6. ↑ UK Border Force Operations Manual: Processing British and EEA Passengers without a valid Passport or Travel Document
    7. ↑ "Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004 on standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by Member States".
    8. ↑ http://diplomatie.belgium.be/fr/binaries/prijs_Paspoorten_FR_tcm313-122220.pdf
    9. ↑ Travel documents, website of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic
    10. ↑
    11. ↑ "Service prices 2014". Poliisi.fi. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
    12. ↑ http://www.poliisi.fi/poliisi/home.nsf/pages/10F984985C574838C225780D00304F72?opendocument
    13. ↑ http://www.poliziadistato.it/articolo/view/10301/
    14. ↑ http://www.poliziadistato.it/articolo/view/191/
    15. ↑ http://www.esteri.it/MAE/IT/Italiani_nel_Mondo/ServiziConsolari/Documenti_di_Viaggio/Passaporto.htm
    16. ↑ STATE FEES FOR ISSUANCE OF PASSPORT
    17. ↑
    18. ↑ Tarieven 2013
    19. ↑ Paspoort en identiteitskaart voor Nederlanders in het buitenland
    20. ↑ Paspoort wordt 10 jaar geldig
    21. ↑ http://www.pep.pt/faqs.html
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