Australian Bront Gossling was going to fly from Sydney to Bali to spend a vacation on the island, but her plans were not destined to come true. The girl spent 4,000 AUD on tickets, all-inclusive hotel reservations, and PCR tests, but she was denied a flight, informs The Sun.
“I handed my passport to the employee behind the Jetstar counter, and he said that he could not let me on the flight,” the girl shares her story. He pointed to a slightly moldy photo page. According to him, the customs officers in Bali will not let me through, because the page is damaged by water, I was in shock.”
In 2019, the island’s authorities tightened entry requirements: tourists with damaged passports are not allowed to go further than the airport and are returned home. Airlines that allowed such passengers on board are required to pay a fine of 5,000 USD.
Gossling explained that her document became moldy because it had been in the box for 2 years – the entire time during which anti-COVID restrictions were in effect in Australia.