Vatican City's flag is one of only two square national flags. It features two equal yellow and white vertical bands with the papal coat of arms on the white side.
The design
The Flag of Vatican City is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 1:1, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses Yellow, White, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Yellow | Usually denotes wealth, the sun, gold reserves, or a generous spirit. |
| White | White | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Source | Official flag law | The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions. |
Symbolism & heraldry
The keys of Saint Peter (gold and silver) and the papal tiara symbolise the spiritual authority of the Pope. Yellow and white evoke gold and silver keys.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of Vatican City — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.
Adoption & history
The current flag was adopted in 1929. Earlier banners flown by Vatican City reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.
Etiquette & protocol
The Flag of Vatican City should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.
Specifications
| Field | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Vatican City | — |
| Continent | Europe | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | VA | 2-letter code |
| ISO alpha-3 | VAT | 3-letter code |
| Adopted | 1929 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 1:1 | height : length |
| Colours | Yellow, White | — |
| Designer | — | |
| Emoji | 🇻🇦 | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
Vatican City and Switzerland are the only two countries in the world with perfectly square national flags.
