Will I have problems with handwriting on the passport?

[yuanne11]

Hello All,

We are currently overseas and my son wrote on two pages of his passport - where it says “SECURITY INFORMATION” and “THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA…” - the info pages and not the stamps or photo pages.
the page on the back of it is the photo page, but thankfully the ink didn’t bleed through.
Will we have any problems on the immigration of the country we visited + returning back to Australia?

Thanks!

Post automatically merged: Jan 24, 2024

Updated with the said writing

 

[Archipelago]

Well, to be fair it's not as bad as this gem from the interwebs..

Post automatically merged: Jan 24, 2024

Hello All,

We are currently overseas and my son wrote on two pages of his passport - where it says “SECURITY INFORMATION” and “THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA…” - the info pages and not the stamps or photo pages.
the page on the back of it is the photo page, but thankfully the ink didn’t bleed through.
Will we have any problems on the immigration of the country we visited + returning back to Australia?

Thanks!

Post automatically merged: Jan 24, 2024

Updated with the said writing

Honestly for leaving the country you are in and re-entering Australia, I can't see this being an issue.

 

[yuanne11]

Well, to be fair it's not as bad as this gem from the interwebs.. View attachment 368177

Post automatically merged: Jan 24, 2024

Honestly for leaving the country you are in and re-entering Australia, I can't see this being an issue.

Oh god, that’s an insane amount of writing, I am glad my dad stopped my son before somethng like that happened

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to AFF @yuanne11 . I can't see those markings being a problem.

 

[Quickstatus]

@yuanne11
Welcome to AFF
Agree with rooflyer - no issues because it does not deface the picture/data page and it does not modify any visas that may be attached.

 

[drron]

But it does mean problems entering some countries such as Indonesia where the tiniest of tears coming no where near the information or photo can be enough to refuse entry.
I would definitely ask a Border Force agent on return to Australia if you should consider a new passport.
Will be no problem on leaving a country.

 

[JohnK]

My previous passport has a slight smudge from water damage.

My daughter was just born in Thailand and I had no spare time as I was travelling back and forth but I recall being given a hard time in Singapore, Thailand and Australia many times.

Anyway had to get new passport a few months later, 3 years early.

 

[Himeno]

Hello All,

We are currently overseas and my son wrote on two pages of his passport - where it says “SECURITY INFORMATION” and “THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA…” - the info pages and not the stamps or photo pages.
the page on the back of it is the photo page, but thankfully the ink didn’t bleed through.
Will we have any problems on the immigration of the country we visited + returning back to Australia?

Thanks!

Post automatically merged: Jan 24, 2024

Updated with the said writing

View attachment 368176

I had that same mark in my prior passport. The mark had been applied by an official somewhere. Didn't have a problem.
I did replace that passport a year early, but that was for a name change.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

But it does mean problems entering some countries such as Indonesia where the tiniest of tears coming no where near the information or photo can be enough to refuse entry.
I would definitely ask a Border Force agent on return to Australia if you should consider a new passport.
Will be no problem on leaving a country.

Agree.

It depends on the country.

Some may well refuse entry for a mark like that. Best to do a google search if you have any doubts about a particular country.

 

[Quickstatus]

I think there is a difference between damage like a tear, or water damage and pen marks

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I think there is a difference between damage like a tear, or water damage and pen marks

According to this article, courtesy of SBS, indonesian officials have stated:

"Among the criteria for the damaged passport are tears, ink blurs, water-damage - Therefore you had better keep good care of your passport."

Off to Bali? Check your passport for damage first

Bali-bound travellers are being refused entry to Indonesia for using damaged passports, as the Indonesian government strictly enforces its immigration laws, demanding "good" condition passports from tourists.

www.sbs.com.au

 

[yuanne11]

Thank you all, appreciate the reply. My son’s passport is expiring in October, so we are really supposed to renew soon. It was just a matter of getting back to Australia without the hassle, since our flight is next week. We do have a stopover in Singapore, but hopefully that won’t be a problem.

 

[Quickstatus]

Among the criteria for the damaged passport are tears, ink blurs, water-damage - Therefore you had better keep good care of your passport."

And as I said pen marks are not a problem if it doesn't affect the picture data page. An ink blur is a smudge imo

 

[RooFlyer]

I can't see a border official even seeing the page in question, let alone being concerned about it. I've seen them flick through the stamp-able pages looking where to put a stamp, but never hunting cover-to-cover.

(O/T - yuanne11 don't worry about this) I had a look at the SBS story posted my MEL_Traveller and was startled to read:

The Head of Public Relations of the Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration, Sam Fenando explained that immigration officers have the rights to prohibit both Indonesian citizens and foreigners entry, related to damaged passports, because the officers follow the Standard Operation Procedures (SOP).

They might refuse entry to their own citizens on the basis of a damaged passport? Wonder where they will be sent to?

 

[I love to travel]

Thank you all, appreciate the reply. My son’s passport is expiring in October, so we are really supposed to renew soon. It was just a matter of getting back to Australia without the hassle, since our flight is next week. We do have a stopover in Singapore, but hopefully that won’t be a problem.

Please let us know how you go.

 

[tdimdad]

Thank you all, appreciate the reply. My son’s passport is expiring in October, so we are really supposed to renew soon. It was just a matter of getting back to Australia without the hassle, since our flight is next week. We do have a stopover in Singapore, but hopefully that won’t be a problem.

You'd enter SG via the e-gates, anyway, which makes it easy in this case. The only times where the damage could affect the entry is when it is on the photo page or the chip, or you go through a manual checkpoint and a border control officer browses through your passport or otherwise spots an unacceptable damage in the document.