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My friend's passport is a bit worn out.

The passport is biometric and valid for five years(three left). The country's coat of arms, that should be on the cover is no longer visible. And the passport is a bit bent.

The first page with all the details about the person and all the pages inside are intact, no damage whatsoever.

JoErNanO
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Wade Tyler
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1 Answers1

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It Depends

Typically, in the United States (I am not sure which country your friend's passport is from), there is not a problem so long as the chip is working. I'm confident that is the same in Europe, as I've traveled throughout with what you're describing. [I hold a USA passport with a work visa in the UAE]

However

When I took the same, worn passport traveling to other countries, it caused a lot of trouble, even though the numbers, the photograph and the bar code were both legible, and the chip works.

  • In Saudi Arabia, I almost had my transit visa taken away, because they didn't 'like' my passport.
  • In Nepal, I waited hours in a wooden chair at the airport in Kathmandu. It was not explained to me the issue specifically, but it was about my passport, so I am assuming it was the presentation of it, since I don't really have anything controversial with it.
  • In Israel I was subject to extreme scrutiny and questioning (before departing, oddly), but I will caveat that this could have been because I have a lot of stamps from countries that they politically do not tend to favor. Nonetheless, the passport was again the issue.
  • In the United Arab Emirates, I was detained in the airport overnight and missed a day of work, because of the condition of the passport - being told after my PRO talked to them, that I "need to get a new passport."

My very strong recommendation is to have your friend get a replacement passport just to avoid the unnecessary hassle if someone doesn't like how worn or 'suspicious' it looks. The minute I got back to Abu Dhabi I went to the US Embassy, got a replacement, and haven't had a problem since.

So she might not have a problem, but it's probably not worth the risk.

Mikey
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