Slightly damaged passport

[barnesn]

Hi All,

I'm travelling to the United States in 10 days. I have everything sorted and paid for (inclduing my ESTA) but have just noticed that there is a small (what appears to be mould) stain inside the front cover in the upper left corner of my passport. The stain has also bled through on to two or three additional pages (it almost looks like a coffee stain). The total area covered would be about 1cm and is pretty much transparent. There is a small stain on my photo page as a result although it doesn't cover any information or my photograph (it only covers a blank area). I've shown a few people who've travelled to the USA who think it will be fine however when I showed the passport office they recommended replacing it (the guy seemed full of self importance though so who knows).

It’s an expensive holiday jammed packed in to a short period of time so can’t really afford to be turned away at the airport. Has anyone had experience with stained/slightly damaged passports entering the US?

Thanks in advance….

 

[RooFlyer]

Based on what you have said, I would travel with it. As long as the photo is not affected and still clear, and the 'machine readable' info along the edge of the main page is also unaffected AND the passport itself is in good repair, I can't see any reason why an immigration officer would quibble.

Of course the passport office would recommend replacement - I don't think ' no worries mate' is in their vocabulary.

 

[dk4]

Your photo is saved in the data on your passport chip, so immigration officers do have a cross reference to be able to deal with some small amount of damage to the physical image, when processing you at their booth.

However AFAIK the TSA do not, and they will scan it under a UV light to assess validity/tampering (when ever you go airside at a US airport).

 

[juddles]

Last time I entered the States (about a month ago) I used the automated modules that anyone with an ESTA can use. You scan your own passport, it takes a photo of you which prints out on a slip, and as you waltz through immigration you just hand over that slip without even showing your passport. You should be fine

PS: if I was going to some dodgy country like Argentina I would replace the whole thing.

 

[OzEire]

Its a cost benefit for you. A new passport would almost guarantee no issues (you need to keep the current one which is 'attached' to your ETSA, but it will be cancelled and that might create another problem). But you would prob need to pay extra for a rush job, and lose the value of the remaining expiry period on the current passport.

So if money is no object, or it expires soon anyway; and you are happy to explain to US CBP (note TSA do not conduct immigration checks) about the change of passport after getting the ETSA, then get a new one.

Honestly it will probably depend on the person you front up to at the US border - one person may have no issues with the mould stain, or the new passport/ETSA issue, whereas the guy in the next booth might be having a bad day.

Good luck, i hope that it all goes well whatever you choose and that you enjoy your holiday.

 

[barnesn]

Thanks everyone for your reponse. My passport expires in a couple of years so I'm not really fussed with the cost I mean I would need to do it in about 18 months anyways. The ESTA is a little worrying, I assumed I would need to apply for another one under my new passport? Has anyone had any experience with this? I only applied for my current one about 4 weeks ago.

 

[JohnK]

My passport has sustained some sort of water damage (in pocket in Thailand getting wet) and it has affected the photo and bottom part of passport.

I have been able to use it without major issue throughtout Asia. I have had the occasional comment from immigration officers but that's it.

 

[Mark3000]

Mine went swimming in the Red Sea a month before entering the USA and was a bit wrinkled and they never commented.

 

[OzEire]

Thanks everyone for your reponse. My passport expires in a couple of years so I'm not really fussed with the cost I mean I would need to do it in about 18 months anyways. The ESTA is a little worrying, I assumed I would need to apply for another one under my new passport? Has anyone had any experience with this? I only applied for my current one about 4 weeks ago.

You can keep your current passport when the new one is issued. It will be marked CANCELLED but will be something to show the US border officer which links to the ESTA. Your new passport will show that you have a current valid travel document. You can explain that the old one was replaced by the new one after the ESTA was issued.

 

[JohnM]

PS: if I was going to some dodgy country like Argentina I would replace the whole thing.

Is this a bit of South American jestful jousting .

The only issue I've ever had in Argentina was getting OUT about 15 months ago. I arrived at EZE >3h before my flight to SCL, passed through security, got to passport control, the agent stamped my PP and THEN decided I was too early to go through. She spoke no English; I'm saying why, why? as she's getting sh!tty and gesticulating, ever more furiously, at me to go back out. Not easy to do - I had to be let out through the fire door or similar and nobody downstream could figure out why I was going backwards!

Of course, I knew that this would cause problems on re-exit after I waited. The (new) agent sees the stamp and says WTF? (or the Espanol equivalent) and also didn't speak Ingles. OMG, here we go! Anyway, a supervisor comes over and we eventually sort it. I tell you what, about 6 glasses of Louis Roederer went down fast in the LA lounge after that little episode! .

Are you saying Colombia in September is going to be plain sailing for me after Argentinian maniacs? .

 

[CaviAck]

You can keep your current passport when the new one is issued. It will be marked CANCELLED but will be something to show the US border officer which links to the ESTA. Your new passport will show that you have a current valid travel document. You can explain that the old one was replaced by the new one after the ESTA was issued.

When applying for the new passport, doesn't the post office cut the machine readable portion of your old passport off? That's what happened to mine and everyone else's that I know of..
As for the ESTA I would apply for a new one as the airline requires you to have evidence that you can be legally admitted into the USA. That means either having an ESTA or valid visa in the passport. Without this they can deny boarding. ESTAs are linked to the passport in which you applied with and are not transferable. I had to get a new one somewhere between 6-12 months after my first ESTA because my old passport expired and got a new one.

 

[barnesn]

Hi all - thanks again for all of your advice. I decided to bite the bullet and get a new passport. I attended my appointment with the passport office this afternoon who are now telling me that the small damage doesn't warrant replacing but to keep an eye on the mould to ensure it doesn't spread. Guess I'll see how I go. Thanks again.