Australian travellers have been reminded to keep their favourite form of identification, their passport, in pristine condition or risk being refused entry into their favourite travel destination, Bali.
The warning came earlier this month after several Bali-bound Aussies were denied boarding in Perth due to mildly damaged passports.
Reports suggest that the alert was issued by Indonesia’s government in response to a British couple who were sent home from Bali because one passport was chewed by their dog.
Since, airlines have allegedly been told by authorities that they’ll receive a US5000 fine for allowing passengers to travel to the popular Indonesian island with a damaged passport, and their guests will be sent straight home, Perth Now reported.
Although it’s common for governments to be wary of accepting damaged passports, the level of ruin that Indonesia will allow has confused travellers, as some claim their documents were deemed “too risky” with the slightest of damage.
Among those turned away at the boarding gate in Perth was a nine-year-old boy who, according to his guardians, was refusing boarding on Christmas Day because of the slightest imperfection.
Image: Dennis Rochel/Unsplash
One of the boy’s companions was advised of the tight passport policy by Batik Air staff, who had taken a photograph of the young traveller’s documentation, transmitted it to their office in Bali and told it was “too risky”.
The staff members, continued, explaining that the child was one of 20 passengers prevented from travelling to Bali in a month due to damaged identification.
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