Help! Water damaged passport
Sep 29, 2014, 3:59 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,574
Help! Water damaged passport
Kinda off topic - but I do have a non-changeable non refundable I class CW flight on Thurs PM to JFK
Just got my washing out of the machine and found my passport in there
I've got it drying on the water tank but I'm not that hopeful.
Online it says that the "Premium" service isn't available for a damaged passport so I'm looking at a week, so I'd miss a very important business trip and loose the value of my ticket.
Anyone got any experience of managing to get a replacement for a damaged passport any sooner? I'm going to call them at 8am
Just got my washing out of the machine and found my passport in there
I've got it drying on the water tank but I'm not that hopeful.
Online it says that the "Premium" service isn't available for a damaged passport so I'm looking at a week, so I'd miss a very important business trip and loose the value of my ticket.
Anyone got any experience of managing to get a replacement for a damaged passport any sooner? I'm going to call them at 8am
Sep 29, 2014, 4:12 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Swindon UK
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Posts: 813
Help! Water damaged passport
I think if the premium service is not available for damage you could say you've lost it?
Last edited by vibrex; Sep 29, 2014 at 4:20 pm
Sep 29, 2014, 4:17 pm
#3
Join Date: Feb 2014
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I have not used the premium service myself, but would give this a go. I just would not mention that it's damaged, as 'Replace a lost, stolen or damaged adult passport' - is not possible under premium service.
Hope this helps
Sep 29, 2014, 4:20 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Near Edinburgh
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 9,034
It's not available for lost neither I think, but you could claim a premium service for renewal based on too much 'wear and tear' as per this site: https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport
I have not used the premium service myself, but would give this a go. I just would not mention that it's damaged, as 'Replace a lost, stolen or damaged adult passport' - is not possible under premium service.
Hope this helps
I have not used the premium service myself, but would give this a go. I just would not mention that it's damaged, as 'Replace a lost, stolen or damaged adult passport' - is not possible under premium service.
Hope this helps
sammyg901, how bad is the damage?
Sep 29, 2014, 4:25 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,574
The actual photo page (it's a biometric one) actually seems to be OK - it's ever so slightly coming away on one corner. The stamps seem very washed out though. I've just put it in to dry in the airing cupboard now.
A friend has a (to me) quite damaged one and happily travels all over with it. Just a bit uncomfortable attempting travel to the US with it!
A friend has a (to me) quite damaged one and happily travels all over with it. Just a bit uncomfortable attempting travel to the US with it!
Sep 29, 2014, 4:26 pm
#7
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Location: Brighton. UK
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Premium service is not available for replacing a damaged passport either
https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently
Sep 29, 2014, 4:31 pm
#8
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Swindon UK
Programs: BAEC, FB, QANTAS, IHG, Hilton, Marriott, AVIS Preferred, MRAeS
Posts: 813
It's not available for lost neither I think, but you could claim a premium service for renewal based on too much 'wear and tear' as per this site: https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport
I have not used the premium service myself, but would give this a go. I just would not mention that it's damaged, as 'Replace a lost, stolen or damaged adult passport' - is not possible under premium service.
Hope this helps
I have not used the premium service myself, but would give this a go. I just would not mention that it's damaged, as 'Replace a lost, stolen or damaged adult passport' - is not possible under premium service.
Hope this helps
I used the premium service last time but that was for an urgent replacement due to expiry of an old one. The service is very efficient.
Sep 29, 2014, 4:39 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,574
Yep a colleague lost his passport and couldn't get a replacement same day. That seems fair enough though. Seems odd that a damaged passport in theory can't be done as that's fairly low risk in my mind!
Anyway I will call in at 8am and see what can be done and let you know. If anyone has any minister friends or insiders at the home office and wants to PM be in the meantime feel free!
Anyway I will call in at 8am and see what can be done and let you know. If anyone has any minister friends or insiders at the home office and wants to PM be in the meantime feel free!
Sep 29, 2014, 4:45 pm
#10
Join Date: Apr 2012
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Sep 29, 2014, 5:03 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Make an appointment for a same day renewal. Do not tell them it is damaged.
Turn up and plead your case at the counter.
Officially you are not supposed to be able to get a damaged or lost via the same day service. Unofficially, they can and will do it at their sole discretion - I know this from personal experience a couple of years ago. Nothing to lose by trying
Turn up and plead your case at the counter.
Officially you are not supposed to be able to get a damaged or lost via the same day service. Unofficially, they can and will do it at their sole discretion - I know this from personal experience a couple of years ago. Nothing to lose by trying
Sep 29, 2014, 8:05 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2005
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You plead your case at the counter - but then they say that they have to send it to another internal department for them to decide whether they can do a same day replacement. I got my passport rain damaged (so much less damage than a washing machine) and I booked a same day replacement service - at the counter at 9.30am they said that I would find out by 1pm that day whether it could be replaced or whether I would have to wait a week. Longest 3.5 hours ever... luckily mine was OK..
Sep 29, 2014, 8:30 pm
#13
Join Date: Feb 2009
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I've done the same thing to a Canadian passport. The cover came off the main pages, but I did use it to go to the US, and they didn't bat an eyelid. This was a land crossing, rather than an airport, but I wasn't questioned about what happened to my passport and admitted with no problem.
Sep 29, 2014, 10:49 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2014
Location: London
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Make an appointment for a same day renewal. Do not tell them it is damaged.
Turn up and plead your case at the counter.
Officially you are not supposed to be able to get a damaged or lost via the same day service. Unofficially, they can and will do it at their sole discretion - I know this from personal experience a couple of years ago. Nothing to lose by trying
Turn up and plead your case at the counter.
Officially you are not supposed to be able to get a damaged or lost via the same day service. Unofficially, they can and will do it at their sole discretion - I know this from personal experience a couple of years ago. Nothing to lose by trying
Do not report it lost or stolen - this is not only illegal, it will delay your application, since the passport will need to go on a special register. You will also need to fill out a legal declaration (form LS01 if I am not mistaken) that it is lost/stolen as well as reporting it to the police if stolen and getting a crime reference number. You will also go though a more thorough security check, more like a first time application rather than a renewal.
Sep 29, 2014, 10:57 pm
#15
Join Date: May 2012
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Assuming this is a biometric passport with a chip, I'm certain you will be ok. As long as the main (plastic) page is legible and the data matches that on the chip, USCBP will know it's a genuine document. If you previously entered the US on that passport, even more so, since they'll have your picture and fingerprints online to compare to.