Tougher passport crackdown catching people out at Aussie airports
Travellers headed to Bali are set to be denied boarding as Indonesia cracks down on crinkled passports.
Indonesian authorities are enforcing a $7000 fine for airlines if they carry passengers with damaged passports.
But there’s confusion over what extent of damage would prevent travel.
A passenger told The West Australian she and her partner were stopped from boarding a Batik Air flight on Christmas Day from Perth because his nine-year-old passport was damaged “slightly”.
She told the news outlet staff informed her of the fines, but her partner was later able to fly via Air Asia Indonesia.
An AirAsia spokesman told Yahoo7 “passengers are responsible for ensuring they have the correct documentation for travel and that there are no signs of damage, especially to the ID pages and biometric chip”.
But he did not cite any specific incidents where passengers were denied entry to Bali.
“Issues of damaged passports being presented to AirAsia staff are extremely rare and the airline continues to comply with the current advice from Indonesia’s immigration authority,” he said.
“To prevent issues from occurring, guests are advised to check their passport and documentation is in good condition before they travel – if unsure, seek advice from the relevant authorities.”
In November, a UK couple were denied entry after a 16-hour flight to Bali because their dog chewed up one of their passports.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Australian Passport Office website advises travellers to keep passports “intact and in good condition”.
“Normal wear and tear will not affect its usability, but serious damage to your passport could prevent you from travelling overseas,” the page reads.
“Contact with water or other liquids can cause serious damage. You must not tear or remove pages from your passport.
“It is critical that all the details and the photos on the personal data pages are legible and clear, and that there is no evidence of alteration or tampering with any aspect of the booklet.”
Batik Air has been contacted for comment.
