My UK passport. Where can I get it checked

[Magictoad]

I would like to get my UK passport checked. I am aware there is no longer a British Consulate or embassy to visit. So what is the alternative?

The back cover has some writing  which i wrote in during a siezure.

It's the very back, last page otherwise blank and of no official use. Where can I take it to be checked? The writing is a name and phone number.

Thanks in advance. 

[treetops]

The passport has been defaced and could be considered invalid by airlines or immigration officials anywhere.  No-one is going to say "hey, that fine, just carry on using it".

 

Get it replaced before it becomes a problem.

[Moonlover]

4 hours ago, Magictoad said:

I would like to get my UK passport checked. I am aware there is no longer a British Consulate or embassy to visit. So what is the alternative?

The back cover has some writing  which i wrote in during a siezure.

It's the very back, last page otherwise blank and of no official use. Where can I take it to be checked? The writing is a name and phone number.

Thanks in advance. 

The information that you write inside the back  cover of your passport has no bearing whatsoever on the validity of the passport at all. No one will be the least bit interested in what you have written there unless you die.

 

The British consular should, in theory, contact the person whose name appears there to let them know of your demise. That's all it is there for.

 

So stop worrying about it and get on with your life.

[treetops]

4 hours ago, Magictoad said:

It's the very back, last page otherwise blank and of no official use.

 

17 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

The British consular should, in theory, contact the person whose name appears there to let them know of your demise.

 

It's not the Emergency Contacts page but inside the back cover.

 

See his other thread and responses here:

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1360263-uk-passport-checking/

 

[Moonlover]

10 hours ago, treetops said:

 

 

It's not the Emergency Contacts page but inside the back cover.

 

See his other thread and responses here:

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1360263-uk-passport-checking/

 

In the passport that I'm looking at right now, the Emergency Contacts page IS on the inside of the back cover!

 

The O/P said: 

 

'It's the very back, last page otherwise blank and of no official use'.

 

Unless I hear otherwise from him , I'll take that as read.

[Upnotover]

21 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

In the passport that I'm looking at right now, the Emergency Contacts page IS on the inside of the back cover!

 

The O/P said: 

 

'It's the very back, last page otherwise blank and of no official use'.

 

Unless I hear otherwise from him , I'll take that as read.

I'm guessing his passport is like mine (issued 2021) and he is referring to the right side of this image....

[Moonlover]

3 hours ago, Upnotover said:

I'm guessing his passport is like mine (issued 2021) and he is referring to the right side of this image....

Ah thanks for that. New passport, new layout. I still don't think that the O/P has a problem. 

 

Why not send the embassy an email with a copy of the 'offending page' @Magictoad? You should get a definitive answer from them.

[HK MacPhooey]

Cover it with a large post-it note and write  some ‘useful information’ like a couple of emergency numbers or web site addresses etc. unlikely that any IO will bother to look under it.

[cowellandrew]

18 hours ago, treetops said:

The passport has been defaced and could be considered invalid by airlines or immigration officials anywhere.  No-one is going to say "hey, that fine, just carry on using it".

 

Get it replaced before it becomes a problem.

Cant see that being true!

As they encourage you to write in it

🤔😁

[treetops]

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Why not send the embassy an email with a copy of the 'offending page' @Magictoad? You should get a definitive answer from them.

 

The Embassy will not be of any use, they are part of the Foreign Office and passports are issued by the Home Office.

 

If anything he should contact HM Passport Office (part of the Home Office) who will tell him it's damaged.  It's mentioned in their guidelines to Passport Office staff of how to handle applications for repacement of damaged passports where it would come under "writings or drawings".  It's at the lesser end of the scale and does not require further explanation from the holder.

 

No matter what, if an airline or IO anywhere doesn't like it the OP will be up the creek so should obviously get it replaced.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/damaged-and-faulty-passports/damaged-british-passports-accessible

[KannikaP]

The EMERGENCIES page was on the back cover on my Passports before 2015. Since then, 2018 and 2025, it is on the next to last page, the cover page simply having a picture of UK on it.

[yumyai]

HM passport office has an online form for enquiries or complaints. I can’t seem to post the link here though. Try searching HM passport office advice and complaints 
 

Better to ask them direct than rely on opinions here

[Magictoad]

21 hours ago, treetops said:

The passport has been defaced and could be considered invalid by airlines or immigration officials anywhere.  No-one is going to say "hey, that fine, just carry on using it".

 

Get it replaced before it becomes a problem.

That's what I was thinking 

[Magictoad]

2 hours ago, cowellandrew said:

Cant see that being true!

As they encourage you to write in it

🤔😁

Not that page! But the one on the right that is out of shot. Basically a blank page

[Magictoad]

Thanks for everyone's positive suggestions.  I fear I may have to get a new passport just to be on the safe side 

[Magictoad]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

The EMERGENCIES page was on the back cover on my Passports before 2015. Since then, 2018 and 2025, it is on the next to last page, the cover page simply having a picture of UK on it.

Yes but it's effectively a blank page with the image of the UK just being a stylised  graphic of no meaningful consequence so it has no official function at all. It has zero official function but technically it might be classified as being 'defaced' as somebody has mentioned and i don't want that to happen to me mid journey.

[Magictoad]

2 hours ago, HK MacPhooey said:

Cover it with a large post-it note and write  some ‘useful information’ like a couple of emergency numbers or web site addresses etc. unlikely that any IO will bother to look under it.

And in the UK?

[KannikaP]

6 minutes ago, Magictoad said:

Yes but it's effectively a blank page with the image of the UK just being a stylised  graphic of no meaningful consequence so it has no official function at all. It has zero official function but technically it might be classified as being 'defaced' as somebody has mentioned and i don't want that to happen to me mid journey.

To renew a UK Passport from here via VFS, you must send them COLOUR COPIES of every page, used or not, and the covers.

I suppose it is to show that there are not any stamps which an ignorant Immigration man has put on the last pages of your Passport, completely out of sync with everything else. 

Hey, it's only 38 sheets of A4.

[treetops]

10 minutes ago, Magictoad said:

Thanks for everyone's positive suggestions.  I fear I may have to get a new passport just to be on the safe side 

 

A friend was in a similar situation a few months ago, albeit a different category of damage, and got refused boarding at BKK by the airline.  What he did was rebook his flight for a couple of days later then used the auto check-in, auto bag drop and auto immigration gates to leave so having no contact with any airline staff or IO until the perfunctory name check against boarding pass at the gate.  He flew to the UK and entered without a problem, again using the egates.

 

When in the UK he tried to make a same day passport appointment but this can't be done if you mention it's damaged so he left that bit out.  He got a bit of grief from the lady he dealt with in the passport office, but got a new one anyway.

 

If you're planning a trip home anyway, my advice would be to follow that route to exit Thailand and return home, then use the regular channels to replace the damaged passport while in the UK.

[Magictoad]

Just now, KannikaP said:

To renew a UK Passport from here via VFS, you must send them COLOUR COPIES of every page, used or not, and the covers.

I suppose it is to show that there are not any stamps which an ignorant Immigration man has put on the last pages of your Passport, completely out of sync with everything else. 

Hey, it's only 38 sheets of A4.

That doesn't bother me. The guy in the shop will do it. It's a 5 minute job and a few baht. That's not the issue. It's new. I only got it two years ago and haven't travelled anywhere. I'm 72 so it's a bit irritating to be getting a new one so soon.

[Magictoad]

1 minute ago, treetops said:

 

A friend was in a similar situation a few months ago, albeit a different category of damage, and got refused boarding at BKK by the airline.  What he did was rebook his flight for a couple of days later then used the auto check-in, auto bag drop and auto immigration gates to leave so having no contact with any airline staff or IO until the perfunctory name check against boarding pass at the gate.  He flew to the UK and entered without a problem, again using the egates.

 

When in the UK he tried to make a same day passport appointment but this can't be done if you mention it's damaged so he left that bit out.  He got a bit of grief from the lady he dealt with in the passport office, but got a new one anyway.

 

If you're planning a trip home anyway, my advice would be to follow that route to exit Thailand and return home, then use the regular channels to replace the damaged passport while in the UK.

Ive got terminal cancer and trying to avoid stressful situations. Ive spent my live ducking & diving and really don't want to have to to do it now, again. Not at 72. But thanks for the suggestions.

[KannikaP]

3 hours ago, cowellandrew said:

Cant see that being true!

As they encourage you to write in it

🤔😁

But not on the right hand page, to which the OP is referring.

[sandyf]

16 hours ago, Magictoad said:

Yes but it's effectively a blank page with the image of the UK just being a stylised  graphic of no meaningful consequence so it has no official function at all. It has zero official function but technically it might be classified as being 'defaced' as somebody has mentioned and i don't want that to happen to me mid journey.

It is not a "blank page", useable passport pages are numbered and as you say has no official function.

I would not see it ever being considered as defaced. Previous passports had the emergency contacts on the inside of the back cover and in one of mine I had 3 emergency contacts and just boldly overwrote the box that had been stamped on the page.

I would suggest you complete emergency contact page opposite and then write above what is on the back page "Additional Contact Information"

Obviously up to you what makes you feel more comfortable.

[Beachcomber]

Save yourself a whole lot of stress and just get a new pristine passport.

 

Even if you get your "damaged" verified as good by the Embassy you just might get an over enthusiastic immigration officer still reject it,