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Original poster

New UK passport: lines over photo ID - is this a new security feature?

31 replies

piedbeauty · 22/03/2023 18:31

Dd has just renewed her passport. It arrived today, but it's damaged - the plastic coating over the ID photo page is cracked so there are lines over her passport photo.

All I can find is a premium rate phone number to ring the passport office on - ideally I want to email them a photo of the passport so they can see what I mean and advise me what to do.

Has anyone had this before? What did you do? I'm worried that customer staff won't let her travel on it - it looks as if we've been trying to cut the photo!

What a pain!

OP posts:
Maraschina · 22/03/2023 18:45

Massive pain, but dealing with it now will be less painful than being denying boarding a plane or train.

Original poster
piedbeauty · 22/03/2023 18:53

Ah, ignore me - I've just checked dh's passport, which he renewed last year, and his has the same lines over the photo!! Looks like a security feature, maybe??

OP posts:
Original poster
piedbeauty · 22/03/2023 18:53

Can anyone verify that?

OP posts:

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Maraschina · 22/03/2023 19:00

Interesting. My passport is 8 years old, so can't check that for you. Maybe start a new thread asking about this new "feature" in title

CatOnTheChair · 22/03/2023 19:01

There are definitely patterns in the plastic - but they are fairly obvious patterns, not random ones.
The attached is a pretty good aproximation of DS's blue passport.

New UK passport: lines over photo ID - is this a new security feature?
Original poster
piedbeauty · 22/03/2023 19:02

I've googled and can't find an image that shows the lines. Might start a new thread, thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
piedbeauty · 22/03/2023 19:10

I've asked MNHQ to change the thread title. If anyone can help, I'd be grateful!

OP posts:
MermaidEyes · 22/03/2023 19:15

My dcs new passports have what look like score marks on the bottom left of the photo. Both pictures have the marks in exactly the same place.

Original poster
piedbeauty · 22/03/2023 19:18

Aha! Yes! Well, that can't be a coincidence. Cheers!

OP posts:
MermaidEyes · 22/03/2023 19:21

If you look at the whole page in the right light you can see and feel the lines, they make a kind of pattern all across.

Sewaccidentprone · 22/03/2023 19:22

Looks like one of the new security features

AdoraBell · 22/03/2023 19:27

That photo looks like security feature rather than damage.

Peregrina · 22/03/2023 19:34

I have just checked my new passport - yes it has the lines like scratches. I never noticed before.

toomuchlikemyusername · 22/03/2023 19:39

My DDs new passport arrived today. I've just taken a closer look and there are several score lines on the lower left quadrant of the photo. I can feel them if I run my finger over them. There are similar marks over the whole page and the first page too. There's so much detail in them that you miss in an initial glance! I've noticed that the back has an embossed rose, shamrock, thistle and daffodil too!

MermaidEyes · 22/03/2023 19:47

I'm guessing it's a new security feature. Probably if anyone tried to tamper with it the whole page would fall apart.

AWomaWithZeroFsTGive · 22/03/2023 20:39

toomuchlikemyusername · 22/03/2023 19:39

My DDs new passport arrived today. I've just taken a closer look and there are several score lines on the lower left quadrant of the photo. I can feel them if I run my finger over them. There are similar marks over the whole page and the first page too. There's so much detail in them that you miss in an initial glance! I've noticed that the back has an embossed rose, shamrock, thistle and daffodil too!

Exactly the same as my renewal from last summer; had never noticed either feature before this thread. My first impression was all about the apparent flimsiness of the new passport compared to the old one, thinking, 'that's never gonna see ten years'.

I have visited USA and India on this passport with no difficulties so I am guessing it is all good and you won't experience any issues.

randomsabreuse · 22/03/2023 20:45

My brand new passport also has this feature. It's just another thing that makes our special 'blue' passports look cheap and nasty. Comparing the old one with the new is a bit of an eye opener, paper feels cheap, ID page looks stuck on and the other side of the ID page looks like something has been cut off.

I think it's actually worse than the new design of driving licenses (which I did not think was actually possible when I first saw that ...)

Original poster
piedbeauty · 22/03/2023 21:41

Well, that's pretty conclusive!

OP posts:
Angrymum22 · 22/03/2023 21:57

I was checking my sons new passport recently and didn’t notice the scratch lines but I will have a look.
I did notice odd stains around the dotted number that is on every page. I thought he’d got it wet but on closer look realised the number has been lasered all the way through the passport so if you hold it up to the light you can see through it. The stains are actually scorch marks.
He travelled to India and back with no problems.

Amortentia · 22/03/2023 22:03

We recently renewed our passports and they look fake. It honestly looks like someone knocked them up at home. I can’t believe how poor in quality they seem next to the old EU passports.

MermaidEyes · 22/03/2023 22:34

Amortentia · 22/03/2023 22:03

We recently renewed our passports and they look fake. It honestly looks like someone knocked them up at home. I can’t believe how poor in quality they seem next to the old EU passports.

Well I believe half the passport office are still working at home so they've probably knocked it up at the kitchen table 😆

Amortentia · 22/03/2023 22:58

MermaidEyes · 22/03/2023 22:34

Well I believe half the passport office are still working at home so they've probably knocked it up at the kitchen table 😆

Show quote history

Quite possibly. 😂

TonTonMacoute · 22/03/2023 23:26

Are you talking about the photo on the laminated first page?

Yes, it looks like there are scratched lines over the photo but if you tilt it to catch the light there is a pattern in the laminate.

TonTonMacoute · 22/03/2023 23:30

Amortentia · 22/03/2023 22:03

We recently renewed our passports and they look fake. It honestly looks like someone knocked them up at home. I can’t believe how poor in quality they seem next to the old EU passports.

Yet they are made by a European company! Don’t you remember all the fuss from the Remainiacs, who think that Leave voters cared what colour their passports are?
🤣🤣🤣

randomsabreuse · 23/03/2023 06:35

TonTonMacoute · 22/03/2023 23:30

Yet they are made by a European company! Don’t you remember all the fuss from the Remainiacs, who think that Leave voters cared what colour their passports are?
🤣🤣🤣

Show quote history

They are, but they're clearly the "cheap" option from that company...

See also new driving licence!

Possibly the European company is doing them as cheaply as they can get away with and ripping of the UK government.

Or it's a ploy to mean they don't last 10 years so we have to pay to replace every 5-8 if we travel much...

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