König

Howdy folks,

I recently got a new passport and upon opening it immediately noticed a few defects in the photo. One white speck stands out a lot (at the hairline on the left), and I am wondering whether I will have troubles using my passport abroad. Obviously, I am not that worried about the US or other first-world countries, but in some not so first-world countries, govt officials may give me grief about this small but quite visible defect. Has anybody experienced a similar issue? Should I ask the State Dept to replace the passport?


Defective photo

Your feedback would be greatly appreciated!

König

One additional detail. I scanned the passport with my phone (NFC) and saw that the digital photo on the chip looks fine: the skin color is normal and there are no specks. So, obviously it was a printing glitch.

Often1

Why do you presume that first world countries can't be a pain?

Yes, you should ask that the passport be replaced. It doesn't matter how small the defect. You are at the mercy of the least merciful air carrier check-in agent or border control officer you run up against.

König

Well, except for Germany where they examine every small detail, I haven't had problems anywhere else. Of course, my sample size is not that large, so the reality might be quite different.

OK, thanks -- I was leaning toward this option myself. I guess I will have to call them first because I don't even know what form to use. The closest one, which is DS-5504, does not even list this type of scenario in it.

König

Just wanted to mention that I sent a "routine processing" DS-5504 on Sep 24 and received my new passport yesterday (Oct 7). This time, the photo doesn't have any abnormal specks, although it's quality is really really bad (skin tone, contrast, etc). But that's something I came to expect anyway.

Fill Mortan

I wouldn't bother too much about that as I used to spill a cup of coffee over my documents and was traveling without changing it. It doesn't look like it's damaged too much

DimSumBoy

Hi all.
I find myself in a similar predicament.
Applied for a new passport. - Got it today after only 5 weeks, passport card is still pending.
Was sitting there quite happy about this until I noticed my picture (both the B&W on the biographical page, and the color image on the signature page) are printed with a 20 degree rotation.

I personally like the passport pictures with that little rotation.
But, I know better. Especially since I will be "flying while brown," and don't wish to be harassed by any immigration official that decides to go "fake passport?!?"

What do I do? the DS-5504 instructions mention I can request a passport for bad printing (section D-1 of the instructions), however, the flippant form doesn't have an area which you can request this.
Worse of all, the processing times for passports is getting longer. I fear I'm now going to miss my trip to Japan.
Calling the National Passport Information Center is like calling the phone line of death (5 hour wait).

Should I send it all into Philadelphia (with a cover letter) and just hope and pray they get it back to me in time?
Or, should I go bother my Senator and throw the toys out of the pram?

FlitBen

Always have a problematic passport replaced if there's time, especially with noticeable defects on the information page.

GW McLintock

My current passport photo was taken with awful margins to the point that it was barely acceptable. At the time I was an airline employee and the DoS did me a favor by pushing it through. If I can get away with this (have yet to have a problem and have been to two "far from first-world" countries with it), you should be alright.

-J.