29-year-old Australian Matt Vandenberg, who was going to a friend’s wedding in Bali, was banned from entering Indonesia due to a small defect in his passport. Details of the story were published by the local newspaper News.com.au.
At the Indonesian customs, the man was told that because of a torn page in his passport, he would not be allowed into the country and he would be deported.
“So I arrive in Denpasar, pay for my visa, show my passport, I’m taken to the immigration office, which warns me that I have a gap of one centimeter on the page of my passport,” the discouraged traveler tweeted.
“It turned out that the officials at the Bali airport took notice of the tiny cut, measuring just 1 centimeter. It was so small that it was completely overlooked in Sydney when it was allowed to board the Jetstar flight,” the source adds.
“All I can do in this situation is to laugh,” shared the hapless traveler.
On the social network, Matt shared photos of the two police officers who accompanied him, whom he called “the sweetest people.” He said that they spent the whole day next to him and were very sympathetic.
As a result, the passenger urgently managed to get a new passport on the second attempt and still make it to his friend’s wedding. Vandenberg said it was “the most interesting week of his life” and a lesson for all passengers to check their passports.
“Good warning for those traveling to Indonesia – don’t mess around!” – the Australian advised all travelers.
While Matt’s story ends well, the Australian publication warns that there are many reasons why an airline or border guard could reject your passport.
Damage, even seemingly superficial, can invalidate your passport. It all depends on the discretion of the border guards who check the travel document.
“If your passport is water damaged, torn, or in poor condition, you may be denied entry into the country,” the source warns.
Another reason passports are not accepted for travel is the validity period, as many countries require a minimum of six months of validity.
“If your passport expires in less than a year, then it’s best to renew it before you travel,” experts advise.
In addition, your passport must have enough pages for entry and exit stamps. If you do not have at least one blank visa page or space for an exit stamp, your travel may be denied.