Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Flip

Original poster

Defaced passports

10 replies

Timetochangetheoil · 08/06/2023 18:39

We have just discovered our daughter (5) has written our names in all our passports in felt tip. It’s not messy it’s just literally our names on the blank page next to your photo. Would we have to replace them all? Or can we travel with this as none of our information is obscured? We are going on holiday mid August I am panicking now we won’t get them all back in time!

OP posts:

Flatandhappy · 09/06/2023 01:52

Usually “defaced” passports are immediately invalid. Sorry, but I think you will need to replace them. Can you contact the passport office to check?

AttilaTheMeerkat · 09/06/2023 07:18

You will need to replace them.

WilkinsonM · 09/06/2023 07:21

Passports are coming back quickly at the moment. Apply for new ones now.

wowie69 · 09/06/2023 07:21

Is there any kind of eraser that removes felt tip? I'd be inclined to try before forking out for new ones

KateyCuckoo · 09/06/2023 07:22

Gosh what an expensive mistake!

Mindymomo · 09/06/2023 07:23

I wouldn’t take the risk, replace them, replacements aren’t taking that long from what I’ve heard at the moment.

ClusterFuckIt · 09/06/2023 08:21

I watched a thing the other day where someone wrote permanent marker with a dry whipe pen and it lifted the marks right off. Worth a try!

Jazsimone · 09/06/2023 08:24

Alcohol wipes remove pen, maybe try those.

wwyd2021medicine · 09/06/2023 09:34

The delays for passports I have heard - radio 4 etc - were particularly for lost/stolen passports. This is an exchange so should be straightforward
Good luck

Original poster

Timetochangetheoil · 09/06/2023 14:15

Thanks everyone for your replies. It’s so annoying because three out of the four were less than a year old! One we only got a month ago. I feel an idiot for leaving them on the bedside table, we usually file them but had them out to book our holiday!

I did try and wipe it off with a sponge but the paper on mine started to get really thin (mine is an old brown one) and when I tried it on the new ones it just seemed to make the pen stand out more! Maybe it’s made of special paper?

DD was devastated, she thought she was being helpful because she thought the names were printed too small 😩 She wrote them
very neatly but we called the passport office and they said it’s defaced now and they need replacing. DD could see DH was really upset…he wasn’t angry at her but clearly was so annoyed.

We have been to the post office this morning as couldn’t get a fast track appointment any where near us and have sent them recorded today so fingers crossed they come back promptly!

Thanks again everyone - valuable lesson learned - don’t leave anything important out ever again 😭😭

OP posts:

Flip