Paddington Bear has finally obtained a British passport, 66 years after arriving in London, according to the producers of the famous bear’s next film.

The filmmakers requested a passport for the Peruvian bear, in order to use it as a prop in Paddington, Peru.

“We wrote to the Home Office to ask if we could get a replica, and they actually issued Paddington an official passport – there’s only one,” co-producer Rob Silva told the Radio Times.

“You wouldn’t think the Home Office would have a sense of humor, but based on official observations they simply listed him as Bear.”

Paddington was created in 1958 by Michael Bond, who said the much-loved bear from “darkest Peru” was inspired by his childhood during World War II.

“When I was little I had memories of children being evacuated from London with a tag around their neck and all their belongings in a suitcase, and that also became part of Paddington,” he told the BBC in 2017.

“Paddington Bear was a refugee with a tag: ‘Please take care of this bear. Thank you,’ and he had a small suitcase.”

Paddington arrives as a stowaway on a ship from South America and takes up residence with the Brown family, who name him after the London train station where they found him.

The hit film series, based on the Bond books, sees Ben Whishaw voice the famous bear. Paddington in Peru, the third film, will be released in November.

Paddington also had tea with the late Queen Elizabeth II during her platinum jubilee celebrations.