seanthepilot

I have one of the new 5 year pasports, issued only 2 months ago.

It has gotten moist (I'm in Thailand, currently in the hottest season). I went to the bank today and took my passport with me as ID. The bank said that they won't accept my passport for ID because the picture has faded beyond recognition.

I was SHOCKED! :O She's right. The picture has only a faint outline of my head, and 2 dots where my eyes are. There is no color, nothing to distinguish my face from any other. The picture is GONE! My old passport had gotten wet and the picture is as clear as the first day.

Is this a defect in the passport?

I fly home next week via Japan and the USA. I have my Commercial Pilot's License, issued by the same company as the Canadian passports. I wonder if I will have issues flying home?

How should I address this. I was thinking to visit my MP and claim that the passport is defective. How can they expect people to use passports once they are rejected for lack of quality of the document. Shouldn't the document be able to withstand water or moisture and still retain it's integrity?

Thoughts? Ideas?

AA_EXP09

I don't know about you, but my (Canadian) passport usually stays in a safe or in my carry on bag at all times.
You do NOT visit an MP if you want to replace the passport abroad-you visit a Canadian embassy/consulate/high commission abroad to do so or Passport Canada in the case of application of a passport within Canada.
Why would you take it near water?
(as well, what I don't like is that the stamps can also wash away, and other visas that I have that have at times been more than the cost of my passport.)
For getting home, I would recommend you get a new passport as quickly as you can (depending on how much time you have left) as you MUST have a passport to enter the USA by air.

seanthepilot

Here in Thailand we need to carry it with us at all times. I don't usually. But, I guess what the government bureaucrats don't understand is that this document needs to be tough (at least the last few were). My passport isn't something that sits in a drawer at home, it's my main form of ID. Although it's required to have it on your person at all times in many countries, many of us don't go that far. But, often I must take it with me to run errands.

As for travelling, I am leaving for home 3.5 days. The country is in it's annual Thai New Year shutdown. No embassies are open.

I will have to travel with this passport.

Are you saying that I will be turned away at US Immigration? I can look into another routing for $90.

tentseller

You can be admitted back to Canada without a passport but budget time to deal with it in secondary. Once your identity is verified it is "welcome home".

However US CBP might not be as easy if you are transiting via US back to Canada.

IMHO the best is to get the local Canadian embassy or high commission to take care of it.

Jasper2009

Many countries don´t just require a valid passport, but also demand that the passport be "in good condition". Since the US and Canada are known to be among the more stingy countries, I wouldn´t be surprised if you were denied boarding in BKK.

If you really can´t delay your trip and get a new passport, I´d bring as many IDs as possible such as old passport, citizenship card, any ID issued by the Canadian government - and avoid the transit in the US.

AA_EXP09

SIN can also help in proving you have rights to stay in Canada (though it doesn't have a photo unlike my certificate of citizenship. I don't even carry mine around any more as I know what the number is.)

tentseller

That reminded me of the time during the last millennium that I needed to come back to Canada without documents I was sent to secondary and besides residence address the other question was my SIN.

tcook052

Do you mean the new 10 year Canadian passport?

Jasper2009

You have a choice between 5 years and 10 years validity with the new passport.

B407

Problem is, will the airline even allow you to board if your passport is badly damaged that the agent can't tell if the picture bears any resemblance to you.

seanthepilot

Yes, this is the "new" "improved" "secure" passport. They should add "defective" to the list too. Issued only 9 weeks ago. My last one was full and tattered after 4 years (48 pager), so I chose the 5 year model this time 'round.

Leaving Thailand will be no problem. I can show my pilot's license at check-in (most people that see it assume that it's a passport). Thai immigration should also be no problem, because of a few things; My entry stamp and immigration card are in the passport and completely legible (so is my 1 year Visa); Also they take a snapshot of everyone upon entry. This picture will match me and I'll be stamped out.

Yes, this is my concern. Namely, the US. I should have the CHIP in my passort, which will have the electronic data, including picture. Like I said, I think I can board ok, transit in NRT will be a snap, but upon deplaning in the USA, I'm just not so sure that Homeland Security will accept this travel document.

I have all the documents to enter Canada, NO PROBLEM, including 2 original birth certificates, my old passport, commercial pilot license, an old Canpass, all government issued ID. Then have medical card, drivers licenses, and a whole briefcase of legitimate Thai government issued IDs/documents too.

But the Embassy is closed until the morning that I fly out because of Thai New Year.
http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca...eng&menu_id=13
14th April (Mon) Songkran Festival Day
15th April (Tue) Songkran Festival Day

I fly 16th @ 06:50... Fingers crossed.

I JUST CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THEY CAN ISSUE A DOCUMENT THAT RUINS SO EASILY, AND SO QUICKLY?

AA_EXP09

To be honest I have had a spill on my passport (I had it out and I had temporarily forgotten what the number was while completing a landing card. The PAX next to me bumped his drink and it spilled on the photo page. It was covered in plastic and did not get damaged.)
What were you doing with it (did it go inside the machine readable zone?)
Luckily this passport at the time was going to expire soon and the pages were almost completely exhausted.
Then again, I have never owned a Canadian epassport so I will not comment (and do not want to until 2018, if I still have to go to the USA on a regular basis.)

Doc Savage

Dude, it is likely the picture which is the problem, not the passport. Whom did you obtain the picture from?

You'd best get emergency travel documents from your embassy/consulate so you don't end up with unpleasant delays.

seanthepilot

My LAST passport has been soaking wet a few time. The picture is as clear as it was on the date of issue.


They don't use the actual photo you submit. It's scanned and printed onto the page during the passport making process. It's like they used cheap ink.

Checkin only appx 18 hours from now. I will find out soon enough...

tentseller

Photo in Canadian passport are scans of the photos that you submitted and is printed as part of the photo and ID info page.