Brits will be barred from entering Bali if they have a damaged passport
The island is enforcing stricter rules, which means travellers may not even be able to board their flights
HOLIDAYMAKERS heading to Bali may get a nasty surprise at the airport if they have a damaged passport.
One traveller found this out the hard way when he went on holiday with an older passport.
The man with a nine-year-old passport described as “slightly damaged” was stopped from boarding a Batik Air flight from Perth on Christmas Day, according to .
Indonesian authorities appear to be enforcing a $5,000 (£3,292) fine on airlines if they bring passengers to the island with damaged passports, which means the requirements for boarding a flight will be tighter.
Passengers are also refused entry once they land if they are carrying a damaged passport.
Unfortunately it’s not clear what level of damage is acceptable and Batik Air appears to be acting cautiously.
The man with the damaged passport was able to travel with his partner through Indonesia AirAsia.
His partner said Batik Air staff told her they had stopped 20 passengers with damaged passports from flying to Bali in the last month.
While Batik Air has not responded to inquiries, AirAsia has confirmed the tighter travel restrictions are in place.
It comes after a British couple were denied entry to Bali in October while travelling on a passport that was chewed by their dog.
British couple Daniel and Tia Farthing were stopped from going on their dream £4,000 honeymoon in Bali because their dog had chewed a bit of the groom’s passport.
WHAT QUALIFIES AS AN ACCEPTABLE PASSPORT?
According to the UK Passport Office, it is up to passport holders to keep their documents undamaged.
Normal wear and tear is OK, but serious damage may prevent you from using it.
The UK Passport office advises: "You must replace your passport if it has more than reasonable wear and tear because you may not be allowed to travel with it."
Britons who aren’t sure about the condition of their passport should not head to their local Post Office as they are not trained to detect if it is badly damaged.
You may need to send your passport off to be examined for wear and tear.
Earlier this year, Sun Online reported a young woman travelling to Spain with her three-year-old daughter was prevented from boarding after she had a tear in her passport.
She was forced to pay £480 at Bristol Airport for a new passport to be allowed to board the plane.
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Sun Online previously revealed that anyone who loses their passport on holiday must head to the British embassy in the country to apply for an emergency travel document.
They must also file a report about it being stolen with the police as well as .
This article was originally published by and was reproduced with permission.