Norway’s new passport may just be the most stylish in the world

Norway has a set of attractive new passports and ID cards, which feature illustrations of the country's landscape that change from day to night under UV light. They were designed by Oslo-based Neue Design Studio, who won the design contract with a concept exploring Norway's sweeping landscapes.

The overall purpose for the redesign of the passports was to increase the security of Norwegian passports, ID cards and travel documents. Another important aspect was that the passport had to have a solid foundation with the Norwegian people. After six years of development, the final versions of the passport have now been launched. The design team created a comprehensive visual story where every page represents a unique story of Norway.

By using illustrations of single parts of a wide Norwegian panorama, Neue wanted to show the contrasts in landscapes and climates that have shaped Norwegians, offered opportunities and resources, places for recreation and the scenes of important historical events. "The design had to create a sense of belonging and connection across age, gender and regions in Norway," says Neue's senior designer Benjamin Stenmarck.

"Therefore we had to look at our historical foundation and what it is within the Norwegian culture that creates a sense of belonging. This something we found in nature. It is, and has always been, part of our history. The landscapes surrounding us give a sense of belonging and pride, and fill a symbolic function for the entire nation. Images of scenery and landscape can easily become clichés, but by being widely accepted and deeply rooted in Norwegian culture, they are also very easy to identify with."

You might also like:

New Zealand's passport is now the most powerful in the world
The reasons why these are the only passport colours you'll see
Why you should never travel with just a mobile boarding pass