Passports are very sensitive documents. A passport that is distorted
or illegible cannot be used for international travel. Some modern
passports have electronic chips embedded inside them. These chips can be
damaged quite easily if not handled with care. Damaged passports must
be replaced. If a passport is needed quickly it is possible to apply for
expedited damaged passport replacement.
A passport may be considered damaged for a variety of reasons. If the
picture on the passport is no longer clear, the passport may be
considered damaged. If the passport number is no longer legible, it will
most definitely be considered damaged. If the electronic chip (on newer
passports) or certain holograms are damaged, the passport may be
considered damaged. Furthermore, if any of the vital information on the
passport is obstructed or obscured in any way the passport will be
considered damaged.
Common ways people damage passports include dropping them in water,
leaving them in their clothing in the washing machine, mud, tears, rips,
stains, animal bite damage, and other various wear and tare issues.
Water damage is probably the most common cause of passport damage.
Regardless of how badly the passport is damaged, the passport must
always be returned with the replacement forms.
A damaged passport can cause a variety of problems. Damaged passports
may be difficult to read, which is likely to cause delays at border
crossings. Likewise, damaged passports may look fraudulent and it may be
difficult to verify a damaged passport. Often times, if the front page
of the passport book has been removed due to a tear or water damage, the
immigration official may suspect that the passport has been tampered
with for the sake of identity theft.
Steps for replacing a damaged passport are very similar to replacing
an expired passport. The applicant must fill out a passport replacement
form and submit the form in the mail along with the damaged passport.
The government collects damaged passports so that they cannot aid in the
counterfeiting of fraudulent passports.
Likewise, expediting a damaged passport is similar to expediting any
other replacement passport. A passport may be expedited for a fee of $60
dollars. This fee is charged in addition to the normal passport
replacement fee as well as two-way overnight shipping and handling fees.
The U.S. Department of State estimates that an expedited damaged
passport replacement application will take two to three weeks to
process. Some services offer various forms of expedited processing
including one-week processing, overnight processing, or even same-day
processing. Same day processing fees can sometimes approach $300.
