(CNN) The UK will stop printing passports in the current European Union standardized burgundy after Brexit, the Home Office announced on Friday.

In a statement, Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis said that following the exit from the European Union, British passports would be changed back to their "original" appearance, a blue and gold design from before the UK joined the EU.

British passports will no longer be printed in the EU-standardized burgundy (r) after Brexit.

The blue passports will be issued from October 2019.

Lewis said he was "delighted" to announce the decision and called the move symbolic.

"Leaving the EU gives us a unique opportunity to restore our national identity and forge a new path for ourselves in the world," he said.

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