Belgium passports to feature Tintin and Smurfs from 7 February

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.”

🔴 We lanceren een nieuw paspoort met als designthema onze stripfiguren.

Het nieuwe Belgische paspoort is nog veiliger dankzij nieuwe technieken inzake beveiliging en verpersoonlijking.

➡️ Meer info: https://t.co/A3RF0xVOcw pic.twitter.com/rX3R0hF6ZP

— 🇧🇪 Belgium MFA (@BelgiumMFA) January 27, 2022

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.

I hereby officially apply for the Belgian citizenship. @BelgiumMFA https://t.co/dbWbkaXOfd

— Fred vom Jupiter, non PhD (@bugix13) January 28, 2022

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.

The Belgians are known for their love of comics. And while the Tintin & Milou may display some questionable attitudes … the option of having your passport in comic-book design is appealing. 😉 https://t.co/rjkhs7GiAj

— Vera Mark (@VeraMark2010) January 29, 2022

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.

This is cool!The Belgian passport now carries images of Belgium’s beloved comics.India too can feature it’s great historical monuments. My top 6 are Konark Sun Temple,Kailasha temple Ellora,Taj Mahal,Red Fort, Hampi & Mahabalipuram monuments. What’s yours? https://t.co/v5vaLWc9FY

— Simanta Mohanty (@OdishaSimanta) January 30, 2022

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