MAFS groom's holiday nightmare after a simple passport mistake derails his entire trip
Married At First Sight's Mikey Pembroke experienced a travel nightmare this week after he was refused to board a flight due to a damaged passport.
The 33-year-old was preparing to travel overseas for a holiday, but was turned back because of a small smudge on his passport.
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Mikey took to his Instagram stories to share his frustration.
"2024 the year of gifts... can't fly because of this," he wrote.
He included an image of his passport and pointed out the black mark that made his passport invalid for travel.
Mikey was refused to board the flight due to a black smudge on his passport. Instagram
While it might come as a shock to many, the Australian Passport Office warns passport holders that "even minor damage or alterations can void your passport and stop you from travelling".
What can make a passport invalid?
According to the government office it's important that there are no:
- altered or missing pages
- tears or cuts
- marks, stains or discolouration
- souvenir stamps, written marks or lines
The expiry date is another factor that can effect a passport's validity. While it sounds like an obvious one, many countries won't let you enter if your passport is going to expire in six months or less, so it's not just the expiry date printed that's important.
There are many factors including marks, expiry dates and stamps that can make your passport invalid. Getty
Many frequent travellers may have lots of stamps on the pages of their passport. Some countries won't let you enter unless you have at least two to four blank pages in your passport.
Any unauthorised stamps such as souvenir stamps can also make your passport invalid.
Unfortunately, some travellers fall victim to scams. The Australian Passport Office stresses that if you need to renew or apply for a new passport to only do so through the official government website.
Here's hoping Mikey gets his passport renewed in time for his next holiday.
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