The Ministry of Immigration has clarified that the colour of a passport cover should not be used to determine a person’s nationality, the country that issued the document, its category, or whether it is genuine.

Fiji issues passports in different colours depending on their classification. Ordinary and emergency passports have blue covers, while diplomatic passports are red and official passports are black.

The Ministry said passports should instead be verified using details such as the country of issue, passport classification, information contained in the document and its security features.

The clarification comes after images of passports and other travel documents were recently circulated on social media and other public platforms, with some showing only the cover colour and not enough information to establish the identity or type of document.

The Ministry is also urging the public to protect passport information and avoid posting clear images or copies online where sensitive details such as passport numbers, dates of birth, photographs, signatures or other identifying information can be seen.

Anyone with concerns about the validity or authenticity of a Fijian passport is encouraged to contact the Ministry of Immigration for verification.

The Ministry says it remains focused on protecting the security and integrity of Fiji’s travel documents and is encouraging the public to rely on official sources for accurate immigration and passport information.