We all know the logistics that go into planning a holiday, from picking a destination to packing all your essentials.
Then there's all the general admin such as making sure you have the right visas where necessary, and that your passport is valid for your dates of travel.
But while most people know to check their passport's validity, it's worth also checking your passport for damage – or you could find you're not allowed to travel at all and your holiday is over before it's even started.
In fact the Home Office warns: "You must replace your passport if it has more than reasonable wear and tear because you may not be allowed to travel with it."
That's because a damaged passport may not be accepted as a valid form of identity for you to use when travelling.
But what exactly counts as 'reasonable wear and tear', and what counts as a damaged passport?
In its guidelines for passport examiners, the Home Office says that wear and tear usually includes multiple visas and stamps on a well-travelled passport.
However, there are some factors that could mean the document "isn’t in a condition to be accepted as proof of identity" and therefore not valid for you to travel with.
In its guidelines, the Home Office says that this includes passports where:
- details are indecipherable
- the laminate has lifted enough to allow the possibility of photo substitution
- discolouration to the bio-data page
- chemical or ink spillage on any page
- missing 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
If you do have a damaged passport, you'll need to replace it. This will cost you £75.50 if you do it online, the same as getting a new passport. (If you opt for a paper application, for example by going to the Post Office, it will cost you £85).
You can find out more on the Home Office website here .
Worried that you may be leaving it a bit late? There are cases where you can get a passport urgently from the Home Office.
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