# Why are passport covers so boring? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2016, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-passport-covers-so-boring/762772 "2016-08-14T09:44:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-passport-covers-so-boring/762772/21 "2016-08-16T01:23:14Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > YMMV but that sounds a _lot_ more stressful than renewing a US passport. We don’t have to wait in line, hear other people’s disgruntlement, or deal with passport officers. Maybe it’s different in the US, but to renew a US passport in Canada we had to book it two weeks in advance on-line, go through three levels of security checks, one bag inspection which resulted in me having to throw out an errant memory stick or else miss the appointment, being wanded twice, escorted by three different security guards, and going through three different queues. And we certainly heard numerous times from the guy in front of us about how he was waiting for his Dad to arrive with the one document he needed. The passport people were not that sympathetic. For the Canadian passport office, I showed up when I wanted to without an appointment. Security consisted of one friendly commissioner who welcomed me in English and French, no wanding, gave me a number, and occasional announcements about whose number would be called next. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-passport-covers-so-boring/762772/22 "2016-08-16T01:27:09Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Maybe it’s different in the US, but to renew a US passport in Canada we had to go through three levels of security checks, being wanded twice, escorted by three different security guards, and going through three different queues. To renew a US passport in the US, you just mail the old one in with a form, or take the form to a post office. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-passport-covers-so-boring/762772/23 "2016-08-16T01:29:20Z")
Not an option for us in Canada at the US passport office. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-passport-covers-so-boring/762772/24 "2016-08-16T02:24:19Z")
The USA could generate revenue by selling ads on passport covers. Hey, it could happen. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-passport-covers-so-boring/762772/25 "2016-08-16T02:29:22Z")
Most everything about passports are subject to international agreements and a hidebound seriousness. It took the world decades to accept machine-readable passports. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-passport-covers-so-boring/762772/26 "2016-08-16T02:32:27Z")
At least our new Canuck passports have pretty pictures inside, like the US passports have had for a long time. Go Inukshuk! ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-passport-covers-so-boring/762772/27 "2016-08-16T03:59:00Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > While the United Nations held a travel conference in 1963, no passport guidelines resulted from it. Passport standardization came about in 1980, under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). \* Prior to1980, although passports were recognisably passports, our Aus pasports were a different size and shape than our American passports. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-passport-covers-so-boring/762772/28 "2016-08-16T12:11:44Z")
Norway have some pretty damn cool passports: [linky](http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/11/norways-new-passports-are-designed-to-make-every-other-country-feel-inferior/382848/) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-passport-covers-so-boring/762772/29 "2016-08-16T12:41:32Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Norway have some pretty damn cool passports: [linky](http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/11/norways-new-passports-are-designed-to-make-every-other-country-feel-inferior/382848/) And check out the link to the new Norwegian banknotes in that article! I know who I want to redesign _our_ money when the time comes… ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-passport-covers-so-boring/762772/30 "2016-08-16T12:58:16Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > Well maybe that will change back soon enough. #brexit I’m not so sure. I have a Bosnian friend who renewed his passport about 5 years ago and it still says Yugoslavia on the front. Another Russian friend has a passport with USSR on the front, even though she was born after the breakup. It seems they are still using up all of the old stock before ordering new ones. I can see how the former communist countries might have had warehouses full of these things as the planned economies weren’t as well planned as they hoped. They would have printed as many as possible while ink and paper was in surplus as there could well be a shortage next year. And it’s probably cheaper to just stamp the new country name under the old than to repulp them all. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-passport-covers-so-boring/762772/31 "2016-08-16T13:01:30Z")
The ICAO rules on Machine Readable Passports are very extensive. You can read the whole thing [here](http://www.icao.int/publications/Documents/9303_p1_cons_en.pdf) if you have a day or two to spare. Here is a small part of the rules on construction: (MRTD = Machine Readable Travel Document) > [@](#): > > Issuing States and organizations may choose the materials to be used in the production of their travel documents. > Nevertheless, no materials shall adversely affect any other component in the MRTD, and the MRTD shall, in normal use > throughout its period of validity, meet the following requirements: > • Deformation. The MRTD shall be of a material that bends (not creases), i.e., deformation due to > normal use can be flattened by the reading device without impairing the use of the MRTD or the > functioning of the reader; > • Toxicity. The MRTD shall present no toxic hazards in the course of normal use, as specified in > [ISO/IEC 7810]; > • Resistance to chemicals. The MRTD shall be resistant to chemical effects arising from normal > handling and use, except where chemical sensitivity is added for security reasons; > • Temperature stability. The MRTD shall remain machine readable at operating temperatures ranging > from –10°C to +50°C (14°F to 122°F). The MRTD should not lose its functionality after being exposed > to temperatures ranging from –35°C to +80°C (–31°F to 176°F); > • Humidity. The MRTD shall be machine readable at a relative air humidity ranging from 5 per cent to > 95 per cent, with a maximum wet bulb temperature of 25°C (77°F), as specified in [ISO/IEC 7810]. The > MRTD should not lose its reliability after being stored at, or exposed to, a relative air humidity ranging > from 0 per cent to 100 per cent (non-condensing); > • Light. The MRTD shall resist deterioration from exposure to light encountered during normal use, as > specified in [ISO/IEC 7810]. Also this: > [@](#): > > The MRP shall take the form of a book consisting of a cover and a minimum of eight pages and shall include a data > page onto which the issuing State or organization enters the personal data relating to the holder of the document and > data concerning the issuance and validity of the MRP. > 2.2 MRP Data Page Nominal Dimensions > The nominal dimensions shall be as specified in ISO/IEC 7810 (except thickness) for the TD3 size MRTD, i.e.: > 88.0 mm ± 0.75 mm × 125.0 mm ± 0.75 mm (3.46 in ± 0.03 in × 4.92 in ± 0.03 in). > 2 Machine Readable Travel Documents > 2.3 MRP Data Page Edge Tolerances > The edges of the data page following final preparation shall be within the area circumscribed by the concentric > rectangles as illustrated in Figure 1. > Inner rectangle: 87.25 mm × 124.25 mm (3.44 in × 4.89 in) > Outer rectangle: 88.75 mm × 125.75 mm (3.49 in × 4.95 in) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-passport-covers-so-boring/762772/32 "2016-08-16T13:06:28Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Norway have some pretty damn cool passports: [linky](http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/11/norways-new-passports-are-designed-to-make-every-other-country-feel-inferior/382848/) Mine has marine animals, the previous one had birds. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-passport-covers-so-boring/762772.md?page=1)