The decision to incorporate comic book characters has been taken not only to pay them tribute but also its unique design makes it harder to duplicate, according to the Belgian government
As per the Belgian government, the price of the new passport will remain unchanged at 35 Euros for minors and 65 Euros for adults. Twitter/@BelgiumMFA
Belgium has launched its new passport with some unique changes. The European nation has tried to make the travel document stand out by incorporating comic book characters such as Tintin and the Smurfs in the passport design.
The new passport can be requested from 7 February, as per the Belgian government.
The new design pays homage to several iconic comic books such as The Adventures of Tintin, Willy and Wanda and The Smurfs. The unique design of the new document also makes it harder to duplicate, according to the Belgian government.
In a statement, the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation asserted that the new passport was “even more secure thanks to new security and personalisation techniques.”
The Ministry also stated that the new design gave them an opportunity “to highlight the 9th art, the comic strip” which is central to the country’s culture and influence abroad.
As per the Belgian government, the price of the new passport will remain unchanged at 35 Euros for minors and 65 Euros for adults. The 34-page document has been developed in collaboration with anti-fraud specialists of the Federal Police. It is being manufactured by a consortium of companies including Thales and Zetes.
On a related note, the Belgian foreign ministry also added that a temporary exhibition on the history of the country’s passports will be open till 6 February at the Comics Museum in Brussels.
The announcement of the new Belgian passports was met with great joy and appreciation by comic book lovers worldwide. Some internet users joked that the new passports have convinced them to apply for Belgian citizenship.
Others said that while Tintin and some other comic book characters may have been criticised for some of their “questionable attitudes”, the idea of having these fictional icons in the design of the passport was an appealing idea.
Several people also put forward suggestion s on how India can modify its own passport to incorporate some of its historical sites in the design.
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