redadeco

If I were you I would do my very best to get a new one. You might not be able to board your US-bound flight with this passport, let alone deal with CBP on arrival.

reclusive46

Yeah I'd get a new passport. The chewing might have damaged the antenna for the chip.

oh_lol

I have had a damaged passport for the last 8 years.
Water (actually rum) damage to the front page with all details including the MRZ, as well as my picture being affected by the water that I kind of looked like the Terminator when he loses half his face. Chip also doesn't work half the time, and rarely scans properly on those self check kiosks.
I've still travelled around the world, including the USA 10+ times. The only grief I've had is departing/arriving home to Australia.

But if you want peace of mind, definitely get a new one.

GUWonder

The airlines are more likely to hassle someone over such a damaged passport than US CBP, but either one or both can and do sometimes make a big fuss over such damage on so many pages even when it's not as extensive on the biodata page.

delta_blue2

Ugh. Due to an inflight mishap, the bottom of most pages of my (new) US passport have some minor butter stains. I've removed much of it by absorbing into brown paper, but the stain residue remains. It's not really noticeable if you aren't looking for it, and the photo page is untouched. US Customs didn't even notice, and the bottom of most pages have a convenient mountain image.

I'd really like to clean it off if possible, especially since this is a brand new passport.

Does anyone know of any safe way to remove the greasy butter stains from the passport? Iron on cloth, baking soda, or something very absorbent?

Charlie Dunstan

On the damaged passport websites it defines damage as a “significant tear” on my biodata Page there is a small tear ah the bottom of the page. It is literally a centimetre long and barely noticeable. Does this need replacing ? Or would this not be classed as significant. Please advise

Silver Fox

At the bottom of the page through all the details? If it is not ripped through anything official-like I would not worry, if it was I would check with the issuer directly.

TWA884

Folks,

Please refrain from posting political opinions and commentary in this forum. Members come here for practical advice to help them travel safely and with minimal hassle.

Posts have been deleted.

TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

Often1

This is primarily an issue for the countries you are visiting and secondarily the country which issued the passport.

Given the number of first-hand accounts on FT from people who swear up and down that their passport had only "minor" damage and that none of it affected any biometrics or official printing yet were denied boarding by an agent who may or may not have been too zealous (or not), the sensible thing is to replace the document.

None of this has to do with what the proper standard ought to be or whether it is right. Simply a matter of risk tolerance and the consequences of being denied boarding. Always a chance that you are denied entry to some country, but it seems that it is the air carriers which are perhaps more zealous than passport / border control.

KDS777

While I cannot answer the OP's Russian question, I can add my personal damaged passport data point to this thread.

I washed my previous Canadian passport twice back in 2016. Left it in the leg pocket of my cargo pants, and pulled it out after the rinse cycle, and left to air dry on a desk. Note to self, pay attention when you arrive home after midnight.

Probably crossed the US border 50 times with it, as well as other countries, without off handed comments or any unusual looks whatsoever. In fact, the only one who had an issue with it was our own passport office staff who made me notarize a declaration when I renewed it, as I was turning in a damaged passport in their eyes.

legspace

Just like to share an experience I had a while ago. I have a German passport, the red one, with the laminated data page.

Data page I call that page with your picture, name and details. It did broke/fall out. The staff that did that (not at a border) didn't handle the passport badly. Just was just too much bending over the years.

This makes a passport basically invalid. A German passport takes about 6 weeks to get. Not wanting to get stuck during that time here is how I fixed it:

• I bought some different types/brands of invisible document tape
• I check them all under UV light, some glow bright blueish white, some not at all. The UV type is unsuitable
• I taped only the backside of the data page, no tape on data side (would be easy to spot)
• Data page was then rather loose (as in hinge less stiff) but typically only the data side is checked/looked at

I did manage to fill up the already pretty full passport and managed to use it till the new one was ready.

Passport tempering is basically bad advise, but if you do it, do at least in a way that isn't spotted immediately. And not sure if a repair is even tempering.

Good luck!

eliendea

I put my passport in the washing machine by accident. Is it still possible to fly with it? are there any news?

Cityflyer10

mrwheezy117

My partner flew to Mexico using their US passport which was clearly damaged. Water + mold damage (brown spots all over the pages) and the front cover a little frayed. How they let them onboard, no clue.

My advice is to renew it ASAP because you never know when you might need your passport.

Often1

Are you a US citizen?
Do you live near a Passport Office?
When do you travel (international) next?

If, by way of example, you live in or near a city with a Passport Office, you could show up with your damaged passport, the paper work and funds for a new one, tomorrow morning just before opening time and have your new passport in 3-4 hours and be on a late afternoon flight.

There is absolutely no way of predicting whether you will be denied boarding and, if boarded, denied entry, based on a damaged passport. Anybody here who tells you that it will work because it worked for them, does not have a clue.

Should you attempt travel with a damaged passport? All risk tolerance on your part.