OMG, i think i may have a problem!! Updated

[poppie123]

Hi everyone.

Right this is my dilemma and to be honest i never gave it a second thought as it has never been a problem before, now i am in a state of panic.

My passport is 8 years old so is not in pristine condition but the photo and information page is absolutely perfect.
However the opposite page where i have a couple of stamps is very slightly water damaged in the right hand corner.

Here is a picture of it

I have travelled to Europe and back with it a few times with no problems, it's never been mentioned, but a friend has told me that there is no way i would get into the US with it as they are very strict.

Does anyone know what constitues normal wear and tear and whether or not it would be ok.
I rang the passport office and was told that it probably would be fine but obviously they cannot say for sure.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[natalielongstaff]

if the photo/information page isn't damaged i can't see there being a problem

 

[Pegasus928]

Hi everyone.
I have travelled to Europe and back with it a few times with no problems, it's never been mentioned, but a friend has told me that there is no way i would get into the US with it as they are very strict.

I suppose my question is what qualifications does your friend have to make such a suggestion?
Unless someone has travelled with a water damaged passport and either been stopped or let through it is difficult to say what will happen.
My suggestion would be that if you are worried get a new passport. You will need to soon anyway - and at least this way you are sure you wont have a problem.

 

[taylor3297]

Your friend is right that US customs are very strict, but they are more concerned with the photo/id page then the pages with the stamps. I spilled water on mine on the way back from Ireland, and the customs agent told me he only was concerned with the photo/id part. He did ask me several questions but that is all. I really don't think it mattered that I was a US citizen either.

 

[poppie123]

I suppose my question is what qualifications does your friend have to make such a suggestion?
Unless someone has travelled with a water damaged passport and either been stopped or let through it is difficult to say what will happen.
My suggestion would be that if you are worried get a new passport. You will need to soon anyway - and at least this way you are sure you wont have a problem.

She has no qualifications, she has only been once herself.

I am worried sick but i don't have time now to get a new one, i go in 9 days. Obviously having travelled on it since the water damage i never even thought it could be a problem and if my friend hadn't of said anything i would have gone to the airport next Wednesday as normal.

 

[anthony2k7]

She has no qualifications, she has only been once herself.

I am worried sick but i don't have time now to get a new one, i go in 9 days. Obviously having travelled on it since the water damage i never even thought it could be a problem and if my friend hadn't of said anything i would have gone to the airport next Wednesday as normal.

I think you could get it replaced if you're willing to pay for the premium one day service and spend the day waiting around in either the peterborough or london passport office.

 

[poppie123]

I think you could get it replaced if you're willing to pay for the premium one day service and spend the day waiting around in either the peterborough or london passport office.

No you can't do the one day premium service for lost, stolen or damaged passports.
You can do a 1 week fast track but they have no appointments until Wednesay which is too late. I go the following Wednesday morning.

 

[Mad Mark]

I'm pretty sure you'll be fine, I base that on the fact that my passport is very "dog eared" and one page even has a corner missing after being torn off and I have never had an issue with it.

Like other posters have said its the photo page they are really interested in

 

[orangetiggs]

my husband went to orlando several times with his photo page lifting near the photo so i'm sure you will be fine

 

[poppie123]

OMG it just gets worse. Just noticed that there is a big blue blob underneath the laminated page. Don't know how i missed it before.

Rang passport office who said i would not be able to travel with it so i have an 8.45 appointment for tommorow to get the one week fast track service.

This is a nightmare!!

 

[Netty]

Hi everyone.

Right this is my dilemma and to be honest i never gave it a second thought as it has never been a problem before, now i am in a state of panic.

My passport is 8 years old so is not in pristine condition but the photo and information page is absolutely perfect.
However the opposite page where i have a couple of stamps is very slightly water damaged in the right hand corner.

Here is a picture of it

I have travelled to Europe and back with it a few times with no problems, it's never been mentioned, but a friend has told me that there is no way i would get into the US with it as they are very strict.

Does anyone know what constitues normal wear and tear and whether or not it would be ok.
I rang the passport office and was told that it probably would be fine but obviously they cannot say for sure.

Any advice would be appreciated.

my dh had most of the passport pages water damaged and he was told to replace it before going to the usa.
ring the passport office and see what they say

 

[sara969]

OMG it just gets worse. Just noticed that there is a big blue blob underneath the laminated page. Don't know how i missed it before.

Rang passport office who said i would not be able to travel with it so i have an 8.45 appointment for tommorow to get the one week fast track service.

This is a nightmare!!

Oh my goodness, what a nightmare
I am glad that the passport office have sorted you a appointment quickly hope it all gets sorted very quickly

 

[wayneg]

Where yours is water damaged DW has whole corner of page torn out where an airline tore out green stub, been 3 or 4 times since no problem.
At least you will travel happier if its renewed before you go.

 

[Lisa x]

My sister had some face cream in her bag which leaked all over the pages of her passport. They said that as long as the picture page is good and not damaged and will swipe through the electronic reader she would be fine........and she was!

I understand the panic but judging from what I can see in the picture you have posted, im sure you would be fine with that!!

 

[Lizzybear]

Sorry to hear you're having to go through this stress, but relieved you found out before it was too late to do anything. Hope all is sorted soon

 

[OrlandoMagic]

Sorry to hear about the passport, at least you will get a new one in time and wont have to worry about it!

No sure if you have remembered this but you will need to update your ESTA with the new passport details once you get a new one issued. This is very important so I would suggest making a note in your diary!

 

[poppie123]

Right quick update.

I rang my Dad and told him everything, that i was scared stiff that if i got to London passport office tommorow and there was something wrong with my documentation then i would not get a replacement and they could well take my damaged passport off me (this is hat i was told on the phone) leaving me with no passport at all.

He had the bright idea of taking me and my passport to my local airport to see what they said.

So that is what i did, there was no customs official but i showed a flight attendant who checks people in for their flight who checked it over and over and then held it up to the light. She asked who said it was water damaged on the information page and i told her that the passport office said that it was.
She said it was absolutely fine and there would be no problem at all to travel with it. That the blue mark didn't look like water damage as nothing was smudged smeared or anything and if it was damaged by water then she would expect the laminate would have lifted slightly which is hasn't. That she has seen far worse damage and that she would have no worries at all about travelling with it if she were me.

So i have cancelled my appointment at the passport office and i am going to go with it. i can't take the risk that i may not have any passport at all to travel with.

 

[natalielongstaff]

Right quick update.

I rang my Dad and told him everything, that i was scared stiff that if i got to London passport office tommorow and there was something wrong with my documentation then i would not get a replacement and they could well take my damaged passport off me (this is hat i was told on the phone) leaving me with no passport at all.

He had the bright idea of taking me and my passport to my local airport to see what they said.

So that is what i did, there was no customs official but i showed a flight attendant who checks people in for their flight who checked it over and over and then held it up to the light. She asked who said it was water damaged on the information page and i told her that the passport office said that it was.
She said it was absolutely fine and there would be no problem at all to travel with it. That the blue mark didn't look like water damage as nothing was smudged smeared or anything and if it was damaged by water then she would expect the laminate would have lifted slightly which is hasn't. That she has seen far worse damage and that she would have no worries at all about travelling with it if she were me.

So i have cancelled my appointment at the passport office and i am going to go with it. i can't take the risk that i may not have any passport at all to travel with.

great idea Dads are useful sometimes !!!

 

[Stitch's Greatest Fa]

I am sure that as long as your photo and details are clear and your machine will swipe through the passport reader that all will be well. Relax, have a great holiday and please do not spend the entire time worrying about it on the flight.

 

[kristieuk]

If it in any way puts your mind at rest, I once had a bottle of coke leak all over my passport, so a lot of the pages were coke stained, but I never had a problem entering the US - the laminated photo page was not damaged, and no-one ever mentioned it. It sounds as though you would be absolutely fine - and remember, the damage could easily have been caused on the flight, and I'm sure this has happened to lots of people. If the UK authorities say it's ok, I would rest happy.