Passport advice

I'm travelling to Valencia in 24 days with RyanAir, unfortunately, but seem to have made the mistake of washing my passport! ^)

The passport doesn't look that damaged, just the pages are a bit warped, and 2 stamps are a little smudged, and have printed faintly onto opposing pages. It's a shame as I have 9 years left on it!

What are my chances of being let into the country?

A replacement passport is an option, with the check and send service through the post office, they offer a 2 week turn around, but it's cutting it fine.

Personally I wouldn't take a chance and I would try to get a new one in time. Maybe you can get away with the one you have but not being allowed to travel is a tough way to find out.

Wouldn't risk it. As for the turn around, you might get the replacement pasport sooner than the 2 weeks quoted.

Would I be able to go to the airport and ask the Ryanair desk if they'd accept it? Providing they have one?

I'm going to the post office to ask the same on the advice of the IPS.

When we applied for passports for the kids a few years back, we asked for the express delivery option and got them back in a week as far as I can recall, certainly it was 10 days or less.

I think that's what I'll have to do, although they say replacements take a minimum of 1 week for the express, and 2 for the check and send. Very annoying when the passport is only a year old.

I tried the online form too, but they ask for mothers passport number etc too with it being a replacement.

Are the details pages legible, is the machine strip clear and not separated from the page? How does it compare to another passport?

I wouldn't ask in advance, you may get a different person on the day who has a different view.

[Pete]

The other thing they check for with 'washed' passports is whether the photo page looks like it could have been 'tampered' with. If the lamination is peeled at all, then I'd suggest a new passport is your only real option.

not sure why they would want mothers passport number - I could understand if you were a child. What if she dosent have one? What if your not speaking to her?

Is there any damage to the photo page? if it looks like the lamination has been damaged then that will flag up all sorts of questions for security / passport checks.

Nothing looks tampered with or damaged on the photo page, it's just a couple of stamps that are smudged a little, and have printed faintly onto the opposite page.

The pages are a little wavy if you look side on to it, but other than that its not too bad.

It was in a pretty tight pocket when it went in, so that stopped it from being thrown around the washing machine.

[Pete]

Doesn't sound too bad then.

If you're going near the airport anyway, you could ask at Ryanair customer service desk (do Ryanair have such a thing, or is it a toll booth with an internet terminal? )

Well the woman at the post office seems to think it's ok. I may just have to "iron" a few of the paper pages so they look flat.

I'll see what Ryanair customer services have to say too, but it looks ok.

With me travelling to Europe, will it have any effect if I have other identification with me, say driving license?

Watch out for the "Can I use this slightly damaged passport question" surcharge

Can't you book into nearest passport office for an appointment and arrange fastrack replacement?
Might be all well & good Ruinair accepting it (some general Customer service desk person, who likely wouldn't give a damn past their own company's wants), what you don't want is it being flagged up with 3rd party immigration either UK or the other end.

[Darren Wheeler]

I believe PR will only accept a passport as photo ID and as their website says,

"Expired or damaged forms of photo-id will not be accepted on any flight."

I'll nip home via Stansted tonight, according to RyanAir, I can go to customs and they will scan it to make sure it's not damaged.