Korean Job Discussion Forums

uberscheisse · Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Location: japan is better than korea.

i'm talking with my buddy on msn right now.

he's in tel aviv, and he has to leave in a week. he neglected to check his pockets, and his (canadian) passport went through the wash.

he says the canadian embassy told him he needs a new one. i think that's probably b.s.

he says the only damage to the passport is that its cover has shrunk a bit, and that it "looks bad", i.e. it got wet.

the page that they scan at the airport is undamaged, and that is, in my mind, along with his photo, the only thing that should be an issue. he said that page hasn't bubbled or de-laminated, it's fully intact.

i'm assuming that people at airports have seen some manky passports. "dude i was trekking in nepal and..." or "i was with this hooker in the phillipines and..." whatever damage could have incurred in a travel situation.

anyone run into a similar problem?

i'm advising him to just go to the airport and tell them what happened. with the codes and stuff that are on the information page of his PP, i'm sure that they can put him on his next plane (berlin, then eventually toronto) with no problem, get a laugh at his expense and his travel plans will not be disrupted in any way.

but i could be wrong. please help.

ajgeddes · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Location: Yongsan

I would tend to believe the embassy over what someone on here says.

bosintang · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:19 am Post subject:

It sounds fine to me (are the visa stamps still legible?). However, I don't think anyone could give any better advice here than the Canadian embassy. If they say he needs a new passport, and they can get him an emergency passport within the week, he should get one.

If he risks it, he's really leaving himself at the whim of the airline attendants and immigration officials (Israel is *very* strict), who may or may not agree with us.

uberscheisse · Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Location: japan is better than korea.

Lizara · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Location: Seoul

The exact same thing happened to me last year, and it was just before I flew so I didn't have time to get a new passport. I haven't had any trouble traveling with it aside from going into Taiwan where they just wanted to see another form of ID. I'd say don't worry too much about it if it's difficult for him to get a new one in time.

crazy_arcade · Joined: 05 Nov 2006

Your friend should be able to travel on it for the time being. However, he's in the Middle East and I'm quite sure customs must be more difficult there. I did this last year and I traveled to Japan and to Canada on it before the Korean embassy in Vancouver forced me to get a new one for my new work visa.

kat2 · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Location: Busan, South Korea

My husband washed his about 5 years ago. He's still using it. It looks a little worse for the wear and seomtimes gets some odd looks from immi officials, but its been accepted with no real problems on 4 continents now. He's been told by a few offiicals to get a new one, but hasn't had any real problems. Your friend is probably fine.

cmr · Joined: 22 Mar 2006

I swam in the sea with mine (forgot I had it on me!). My signature disappeared and I was the one who noticed. I mean, no one when I left Korea or entered Canada noticed the missing signature!

passport220 · Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Location: Gyeongsangbuk-do province

The only regulations I have seen about the quality of a passport is that it must be �machine readable�. I know it is kind of vague but I think it was when I was entering Malaysia I saw that posted.

tyleranthony · Joined: 17 Mar 2007

my passport is completely tattered...no problems traveling with it.