What constitutes a damaged passport?

Vicky Pattison, the ex-star of Geordie Shore, found herself in tears when she was denied boarding on a flight to Italy. The reason? Her dog, Milo, had chewed a corner of her passport, violating stringent regulations. Approaching the holiday season this serves as a timely reminder to check you passport that it isn’t damaged. We explain what constitutes a damaged passport below.

 Why didn’t easyJet let her board?

The former winner of “I’m a Celebrity,” recently shared a frustrating experience at the airport. She disclosed that she was denied boarding due to a UK passport regulation she inadvertently overlooked. Consequently, she missed the opportunity to visit her wedding venue, leaving her feeling immensely disappointed. While her wedding party, comprising her event planner and florist, proceeded with their journey to Italy, Vicky expressed her profound disappointment on social media. Scheduled to tie the knot with her partner Ercan Ramadan in September, Vicky took to Instagram to reveal that easyJet refused her boarding because her passport had been damaged by a dog.

The damage was caused by Vicky’s dog Milo chewing the passport but, having travelled with it for months without any bother, she assumed there wasn’t an issue.

What constitutes a damaged passport?

HM Passport Office classes a passport as damaged if:

• Details are indecipherable
• The laminate has lifted enough to allow the possibility of photo substitution
• There’s discolouration of the bio-data page
• There’s chemical or ink spillage on any page
• There are missing, defaced or detached pages
• The chip or antenna shows through the end paper on the back cover for the new style e-passports
• The chip has been identified as damaged after investigation

Determining the extent of damage that warrants a replacement for your passport can be somewhat subjective and may differ depending on where you are travelling. Our recommendation is to take action and apply for a replacement passport at the first sign of any visible damage, whether it’s on the covers, inside pages, or both. Its better to be safe than sorry!

What did Easyjet say about why Vicky was not allowed to fly?

A spokesperson for Easyjet said “We are sorry for Ms Pattison’s experience and the inconvenience caused. At easyJet, we work closely with the authorities and comply with their guidance to ensure the safety and security of all passengers and staff.

‘As such, we cannot allow any passenger to travel on their planned flight with documentation damaged to such a degree that its authenticity is brought into question. It is the passenger’s responsibility to have suitable documentation for travel.”

What to do if your passport is damaged

To obtain a replacement, you must submit an application through either the government website or your local post office. Since the damaged passport requires inspection by HM Passport Office (HMPO) for security reasons, the expedited one-day premium service is unavailable. The fastest option for renewal is to utilise the seven-day fast-track service.

Have you ever been turned away for a damaged passport?

Did an airline every prevent you from flying due to a damaged passport? What type of damage was it? Let us know in the comments below.