Travellers need no action as Estonia keeps passports valid amid 2030 cover switch

Estonia's Ministry of the Interior plans to update the design of the country's passports and bring back blue covers for citizens' documents from 2030. New security features will appear earlier, starting in January 2027, while passports already in use remain valid until they expire.

Key facts

• January 2027: new security features begin appearing in so-called grey passports
• July 2027: new security features begin appearing in citizens' passports
• From 2030: blue covers return for citizens' passports
• Current passports stay valid until their expiry date; no extra steps are required
• Personal data in the documents will not change

What is changing?

The redesign introduces new security features, including a partially transparent window shaped like a boulder and a chip antenna in the form of an oak leaf. The image of the holder's signature will move from the second to the third page of the passport. Personal data recorded in the documents will not change.

Blue covers will return for citizens' passports from 2030, replacing the burgundy covers currently used. The change will be phased in gradually as documents are naturally renewed.

Who is affected?

The security updates apply first to holders of so-called grey passports from January 2027, and then to citizens' passports from July 2027. Estonia's Ministry of the Interior said current passports will remain valid until their expiry date, and holders will not have to take any additional steps because of the design change.

Why is the cover colour changing?

Blue covers were used in Estonia after the restoration of independence in 1991. After the country joined the European Union in 2004, they were replaced with burgundy covers recommended for passports of EU member states, although that colour scheme is not mandatory.

Interior Minister Igor Taro said the idea emerged while preparing a new generation of passports, and that the appearance of the document, the main proof of identity when travelling, should reflect the colours of the Estonian state. Taro said the phased introduction follows from the passport production contract, which is valid until 2030 and allows the switch to the new colour without additional costs.

What this means for travellers

Travellers holding Estonian passports do not need to replace their documents or take any action because of the redesign. Existing passports remain valid until their stated expiry date, and blue covers will appear only as passports are renewed in the normal course.

The proposal drew criticism from former Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets, who said attention should instead go to countering Russian hybrid attacks, staffing problems in the police and rescue service, and migration issues. Member of the European Parliament and former Prime Minister Jüri Ratas said that discussing passport colours ahead of the Riigikogu elections in March looks like a pre-election distraction.

No further dates beyond those announced have been made public.