If your passport is damaged you may not be able to use it for travel. Find out what counts as a damaged passport and what to do if yours gets damaged.
What is a damaged passport?
If you travel pretty regularly, then your passport could be showing some signs of wear – but what does it mean for your passport to be damaged?
According to the gov.uk site, the Passport Office will consider your passport damaged if:
- Your personal details can’t be read properly
- The top layer is peeling or lifting away from the personal details page
- Any pages are ripped, cut, have bite marks or are missing
- The cover has rips, cuts, holes or bite marks in it
- The cover is coming away
- The pages are stained – with water or ink for example
What should I do if I have a damaged passport?
The government advice is to replace your passport if it is damaged, as you may not be able to use it for travel.
This is because a passport is an official document, so any damage is taken very seriously. Plus, depending on how the passport is damaged, they might suspect it’s been tampered with.
And, a damaged passport may not work properly in e-gates, or whoever checks or stamps it manually may notice the damage.
How can I get a replacement passport?
There’s an online service you can use to sort out a passport replacement online. You’ll need a photo that meets their requirements.
You can use a paper form instead if you prefer.
How much is a replacement passport?
The replacement passport costs £94.50 – it costs the same as if you were getting a new passport for the first time or because your existing one had expired.
Can I travel on a damaged passport?
The advice is not to travel on a damaged passport, so it would be a pretty risky thing to do.
As mentioned above, your damaged passport may not work in e-gates, or the damage could be clocked by whoever checks or stamps it.
Does wear and tear count as damage on a passport?
Wear and tear refers to the impact of frequent use on your passport and if it does show any of the signs listed above, then it’s likely that it will be seen as damaged.
However, this is a bit of a grey area because when does wear and tear become damage? And someone who travels a lot will have more signs of wear and tear on their passport than someone who uses it rarely.
Fortunately, the gov.uk site has listed what they view as ‘normal’ wear and tear:
- Minor tears around the edges of pages or cover – consistent with use
- Slight water damage – like curling or crinkling
- Bent or minor scratches on the personal details page on a blue passport
You can find some more detail at the bottom of this page. It’s guidance for Passport Office staff but it contains some helpful detail – just scroll to the end to the ‘definition of wear and tear’ section.
They do say that wear and tear is assessed against travel history – basically a passport belonging to someone who travels a lot is going to show evidence of that – compared to someone who travels rarely.
Anyway – whether or not your passport is identified as damaged can come down to the individual that is checking your passport on the day. So the biggest advice we can give is to keep your passport looking as fresh as possible!
Protect your passport
To keep your passport in tip top condition, get a passport cover – you can get a basic one for a few quid or they come in lots of colours and styles. You can even go fancy and personalise them with your initials.
Alternatively, just grab a document wallet, or even a good old plastic bag if you like to keep things lo-fi.
It’s a good idea to keep images of the important pages of your passport saved on your phone, or somewhere you can easily access them, in case anything unexpected happens.
Is there anything else I need to do if my passport is damaged?
If you have to replace a damaged passport, just remember to update anywhere that might have your previous passport details stored, like a live flight or holiday booking.
Oh and, make sure you keep that fresh new passport protected!
