A valid passport is an important document, especially when traveling. Any damage to any part of your passport book may affect its validity, causing delays or rejections in your travel plans. In this article, we will demonstrate examples of damaged passports and guide you through the process of replacing a damaged passport.
What Is Considered a Damaged Passport?
A passport often sticks with its holder for many years once it is issued. Normally, your passport looks a little worn. So what kind of passport would be considered significantly damaged and has lost its validity? Here are some standards to see if you check the boxes:
- The passport has been materially changed in physical appearance or composition, including severe water damage, a missing cover, etc.
- The passport chip is damaged, defective or defunctioning due to other reasons.
- The passport includes unauthorized changes, obliterations, entries or photos. For example, random coloring by children or “tourist stamps” on it will make it a damaged passport.
- The passport has observable wear and tear either to the cover or visa pages.
Examples of Damaged Passports
Having gone through the official criteria for damaged passports, it may still be confusing what the definition of “observable wear and tear” is. Does a scratch on the back count? What if there is a small tear on a visa page? Here we demonstrate several types of examples in detail so that you have a clearer picture of the standards for damaged passports:
Physical Damage to the Passport Cover
Physical damages to the cover are the most obvious cases you can identify. They include:
Torn or Ripped Cover
Your passport is definitely too damaged to use if its cover is gone or has been ripped in half.
Water Damage
Water damage can be tricky. If it is only a minor spill on the cover, it may not affect its validity, but if the passport cover gets soaked in water, making the information difficult to read, it is not valid for travel or identification.
Creased or Bent Cover
Creases or bends also depend on whether they have mutilated the cover. If the cover is intact with recognizable information, a crease line on the cover would not cause rejection from the officials.
Frayed Edges
Significantly curling edges caused by water damage or other reasons are not acceptable, even if the information on the cover is intact.
Damage to the Passport Inner Pages
Damages to the passport pages can be identified easily, similar to the covers. They include:
Torn or Missing Pages
Torn or missing visa pages, including small tears, on your passport, will be considered as significant damages and you need to replace it right away.
Stained or Discolored Pages
If your passport pages have stains or they are faded over time, the passport will be invalid because it has been materially changed.
Ink or Printing Errors
Although ink or printing errors on passports sometimes are not made by passport holders, they affect their validity. Here are the examples:
Faded or Smudged Ink
Faded or smudged ink on the passport pages could make the crucial personal information unable to be verified by the officials.
Printing Errors
Printing mistakes, such as misspelling of names or distortion of photos, on the passports are often made by the authorities that issue the passports. If this happens when you receive your passport, you should apply for a damaged passport replacement.
Water Damage
Water damaged passport is a common reason for passport replacement. Passports damage by water can result in:
Warped Pages
Warped pages or pages stuck together caused by water make the passport invalid. Either the whole passport gets soaked in water or only one of the pages gets wet, it is not acceptable.
Stains or Mold
Stains can be caused by coffee spills while mold can grow if it is stored in a humid place. Both problems will cover essential details on your passport, which makes it damaged.
Damage from Fire
If your passport has been burnt, it is not usable because any burnt page on your passport will be considered significantly damaged.
Damage from Pests
If your passport has not been well stored and gets bitten by pests to a point where the key details are hard to read or there are holes on the pages, you can not use it as a valid document.
Can You Travel with a Damaged Passport
Whether you can travel with a damaged passport depends on how damaged it is. Usually, folded pages or a light stain not covering any details are acceptable damages. You can travel with a minor damaged passport. On the other hand, passports with severe water damage or with damages we mentioned above that change the passport’s appearance will be considered damaged passports and it is not possible to travel with them. To make sure you have a valid passport, you should assess whether your passport is damaged before you travel.
How to Assess My Damaged Passport Is Valid or Not
The officials at the border cross will finally determine whether your passport is valid, but still, you can assess the severity of damage by yourself in advance to avoid negotiation and rejections. Consider the following rules:
- Visible damages
No matter what causes the damage, if your personal information is not clearly visible, your passport is invalid.
- Physical condition
Check your passport cover and pages, any of the pages should not be removed or peeled off. It is clearly an unacceptable damage.
- Immaterial damages
If the damage does not materially change the integrity or composition of the passport, it can be considered normal “wear and tear” and does not affect its validity.
If you can not access your passport’s validity based on these rules, you should contact a nearby passport acceptance facility or a passport agent for confirmation and professional assistance.
How to Safely Dry a Wet Passport
In case your passport has already been water-damaged, you can try to dry it first. It may still be valid under good condition. Here are some tips:
- Dap with a soft towel
Find a soft towel and dap it on the passport. This should be done gently without rubbing it which could tear the pages easily.
- Air dry
Open the passport and put it on a dry towel in a ventilated area. Avoid direct sunlight or using a hair dryer because overheating it may cause further damage.
- Use absorbent paper
Place absorbent paper between the wet pages. When the paper soaks up water, replace them with new ones until the passport pages are dried.
- Press with books
When your passport is almost dry, put it between two heavy books. It will restore its shape as much as possible.
- Ask for help
If you are not confident with drying the passport by yourself, you can ask for professional help at a passport agency or center. Remember your passport may still be required to be replaced after it is dry.
How to Replace a Water-damaged Passport
Once your passport is too water-damaged to use, you need to renew damaged passport. Damaged passports can not be renewed by mail or online. You need to visit a local passport acceptance facility in person. Here are the steps:
Prepare required documents
Before you start the process, you need to gather the necessary documents for the passport renewal application. Here is a list of the required documents:
- A new passport photo compliant with the US standards.
- A completed Form DS-5504.
- The damaged passport.
- A signed statement explaining damaged passport example.
- Proof of US citizenship, such as the US Birth Certificate (Original and photocopy).
💡Learn how to take passport photos on iPhone to save time and money.
Book an appointment
Appointments should be booked based on your personal condition and current location.
- In the US
- If you are traveling in more than 3 weeks, go to an acceptance facility, such as a post office and library, to check if an appointment is needed.
- If you are traveling in less than 3 weeks, find a passport agency or center and make an appointment. They process applications by appointment only.
- Also, you can make an appointment through the online system, but make sure you meet the criteria for online appointments, including agreeing to pay for the additional expedited fee.
- Outside the US
- Contact the local US Embassy or Consulate to schedule an appointment.
Submit the application
On the scheduled date, visit the location you have dealt with and submit all the required documents.
Pay the fee
Next, you will be asked to pay the damaged passport replacement fee. Check out the following table:
| Payment Item | Fee |
| Passport book | $130 |
| Expedited service | extra $60 |
| Execution fee | $35 |
| Standard delivery | $0 |
| 1-2 day delivery | $21.36 |
If you apply at an acceptance facility, you need to pay the application fee to the US Department of State which accepts checks or money orders, while the execution fee should be paid to the acceptance facility whose payment methods may vary from location to location. Some locations accept checks, credit cards, cash (in exact amount), etc.
If you apply at a passport agency, you can pay with credit cards, debit cards, checks, money orders and cash.
Collect the new passport
After you complete the process for your damaged passport renewal, you can wait for the delivery. Usually, you can collect your new passport within 6 weeks. The processing time will be shorter if you purchase an expedited service.
How Long Does It Cost to Replace a Damaged Passport?
For the standard process, it takes 4 to 6 weeks to process a passport renewal application. If you have paid for the expedited service, the processing time will be within 2 to 3 weeks, counting from the day you submit your application. Besides, mailing times should be considered. Standard delivery depends on USPS Priority Mail which may take several weeks while if you choose an expedited mailing service, it can be delivered in 1 to 2 days.
Helpful Tips for Preventing Passport Damage in the Future
Drying a wet passport or replacing the damaged one is the last resort for a smooth trip. It is always wiser to prevent your passport from being damaged in the first place. Here we provide some helpful tips for protecting passports:
- Store your passport in a safe place, away from water, children and pets.
- Even if your passport is not placed near water, make sure where you store your passport has low humidity. Sometimes molds can grow in a humid environment.
- When you are traveling with your passport, put it in a small zipped compartment in your bag and always remember where it is.
- Use a passport cover. It can protect your passport from scratches, coffee spills, and other damage.
- If you are going to a beach or somewhere near water, put your passport in a waterproof bag to make sure it doesn’t get wet.
- Even when you are not going on a trip, you should check the condition of your passport from time to time. If the cover starts molding, you should clean it and move it to a dry drawer.
FAQ
What documents do I need to replace a damaged passport?
Here is a list of documents you should prepare to replace a damaged passport:
- Completed Form DS-5504.
- 1 US passport photo.
- A signed statement explaining the reasons for the damage.
- US Birth Certificate (Original and copy)
- The damaged passport.
What is the fastest way to replace a damaged passport?
When you apply for the passport renewal, pay both the expedited service for the process and delivery, which are an additional $60 and $21.36. You will receive a new passport in the fastest way.
How to write a letter for a damaged passport?
The letter should be addressed to “The US Department of State”, explaining how your passport was damaged. The content should be descriptive and you should mention the damage is not intentional. Also, it is important to sign and date the letter.
Can I still use my passport if my dog chewed it?
No. If a dog chews your passport, it is torn or ripped which means it will be considered as a damaged passport.
Why is a damaged passport invalid?
A damaged passports is invalid because its physical appearance is changed or the information it contains is unclear or altered. These are considered unacceptable damages by the US Department of State.
Conclusion
We have delved into all kinds of situations where your passport may be damaged. Whether you have dropped your passport in a sink or simply spilled coffee on it, you can follow our step-by-step guide to decide if you need to replace it and how to replace it. All in all, don’t risk traveling with a damaged passport. Get a new one once you are certain it is damaged.