This is the new passport design, 'Flight of the Eagle,' created by the U.S. Department of State in collaboration with National Design Studio. Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled it at an America.gov announcement event on September 29. Targeting introduction in 2028, the design connects American history with the eagle at its center, spanning from the cover to the inside pages.
The cover retains the existing blue color while rearranging the layout of the text and sentences. 'United States of America' is placed at the top, and the U.S. coat of arms, featuring an eagle, is depicted larger. The emphasis on the gold coat of arms has been increased so that the country name and symbol are visible first.
Alternatively, it is a method of moving through historical scenes of America following the gaze of an eagle. It captures scenes of the Revolutionary War in Lexington, a family heading west, railroads connecting the continent, and the flight of the Wright brothers. It also includes the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima and the return of Artemis by sea. Events from different eras are bound together by the flow of the eagle's flight.
When you quickly turn the pages, an animation of a flying eagle appears. The sequence of images printed on each page combines with the action of turning the pages to create movement. The composition extends the national symbols on the cover to the story inside and the tactile experience.
Passport specifications are also scheduled to change. According to an announcement released by the State Department, the current two types of next-generation passports—26-page and 50-page—will be consolidated into a single 38-page standard. This decision aims to increase production efficiency and reduce waste. Emergency passports will maintain 12 pages.
This announcement also included a revamp of the online application process. During the demonstration, users took or uploaded photos using mobile phones and previewed how they would look in the final passport. Payment and checking the processing status were also presented as a single workflow. The State Department stated its goal is to enable the majority of Americans to apply for passports on America.gov by the end of 2027.
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