The new King Charles III UK passport will be rolled out this week. PA
The new King Charles III UK passport will be rolled out this week. PA
The new King Charles III UK passport will be rolled out this week. PA
The new King Charles III UK passport will be rolled out this week. PA

First British passports issued under King Charles to go out this week


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

The first British passports issued in the name of King Charles III and bearing the title “his majesty” will start being rolled out this week.

The official travel documents – revived with dark blue covers post-Brexit – were supplied in the name of “her majesty” during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II for more than 70 years.

It is the first time since the end of the reign of the last male monarch, King Charles’ grandfather King George VI in 1952 that they have been issued under the title “his majesty”.

“For 70 years, her majesty has appeared on British passports and many of us will not remember a time when she did not feature,” Home Secretary Suella Braverman said, adding it is a “new era in history”.

“Today marks a significant moment in UK history as the first British passports since 1952 start featuring the title of his majesty, the king.”

The king, however, does not own a passport or require one when he travels overseas.

He did as the Prince of Wales, but as sovereign he no longer needs one, because British passports are issued in the monarch’s name.

The first page contains a representation of the Royal Arms and will now read: “His Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of His Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.”

Henley Passport Index 2023: World's most powerful – in pictures

  • 1. Singapore has the world's most powerful passport, according to the latest Henley Passport Index. Photo: Unsplash
    1. Singapore has the world's most powerful passport, according to the latest Henley Passport Index. Photo: Unsplash
  • 2. Germany, Italy and Spain are joint second in the top 12. Photo: Unsplash
    2. Germany, Italy and Spain are joint second in the top 12. Photo: Unsplash
  • 3. Austria, Finland, France, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, Sweden. Photo: Unsplash
    3. Austria, Finland, France, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, Sweden. Photo: Unsplash
  • 4. Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom. Photo: Unsplash
    4. Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom. Photo: Unsplash
  • 5. Belgium, Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland. Photo: Unsplash
    5. Belgium, Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland. Photo: Unsplash
  • 6. Australia, Hungary, Poland. Photo: Unsplash
    6. Australia, Hungary, Poland. Photo: Unsplash
  • 7. Canada, Greece. Photo: Unsplash
    7. Canada, Greece. Photo: Unsplash
  • 8. Lithuania, United States. Photos: Getty Images; Unsplash
    8. Lithuania, United States. Photos: Getty Images; Unsplash
  • 9. Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia. Photo: Unsplash
    9. Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia. Photo: Unsplash
  • 10. Estonia, Iceland. Photo: Unsplash
    10. Estonia, Iceland. Photo: Unsplash
  • 11. Lichtenstein, Malaysia. Photo: Unsplash
    11. Lichtenstein, Malaysia. Photo: Unsplash
  • 12. Cyprus, United Arab Emirates. Photos: Unsplash; Victor Besa/ The National
    12. Cyprus, United Arab Emirates. Photos: Unsplash; Victor Besa/ The National

The new passports will be introduced in a phased approach until all remaining stock featuring “Her Majesty” are exhausted.

It follows the approach of Royal Mail, whose stamps bearing the image of the late queen will be used up over time – at the request of the king, who wanted to ensure there was no wastage.

British passports issued in the name of the late queen remain valid travel documents.

Her Majesty’s Passport Office is now known as His Majesty’s Passport Office following the death of Elizabeth II – the nation’s longest reigning monarch – in September 2022.

The Home Office said, in the first six months of 2023, more than 99 per cent of the five million passports processed were sent out within the standard UK service of 10 weeks, and the vast majority were well within this timeline.

Ms Braverman still called on people to apply well in advance.

“While vast improvements have been made, I continue to urge the public to make sure they apply for passports in good time,” she said.

Last year, 95.4 per cent of passports were issued within the 10-week time frame.

A damning report by the Public Accounts Committee found hundreds of thousands of passport applicants were let down by “unacceptable delays” in 2022.

It said people were unable to travel for family emergencies, lost money spent on holidays or had difficulty proving their identity, and that the “confusion and frustration of customers” was exacerbated by weaknesses in how the Passport Office tracked processing times and the performance of its contractors.

Blue passports were brought back in 2020 – for the first time in almost three decades – to mark Britain’s departure from the European Union.

Championed by Brexiteers, the new-look documents returned to the original colour, replacing the burgundy passports which were introduced in 1988.

How to get there

Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
 

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

Company%20profile
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Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

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At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

NATIONAL%20SELECTIONS
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Updated: July 18, 2023, 8:05 PM