If your passport got wet, open it up, dry it slowly without heat, and then look it over carefully: minor splashes on a page or two may be survivable, but a passport that went through the wash, fell in a pool, or sat in a soaked bag almost always needs to be replaced through an in-person application on Form DS-11. What you do in the first few hours affects how bad the damage gets, and whether you can still travel on the passport depends on how the photo page, binding, and chip come through drying.
Dry It First, the Right Way
Open the passport and gently blot each page with paper towels or a clean cloth. Press, don’t rub, so you don’t smear the ink. Slip dry paper towels or plain white paper between every page to soak up moisture and keep the pages from sticking. Stand the booklet upright in front of a fan or in a well-ventilated room with the pages slightly spread, and swap the paper towels as they get damp.
Do not use heat. Hair dryers, radiators, ovens, and direct sunlight can warp the cover, crack the laminate over your photo, and damage the electronic chip inside the back cover. A thoroughly soaked passport can take a full day or more to dry, and rushing it usually makes things worse.
How to Tell If It’s Still Usable
Once the passport is dry, inspect it in good light. Start with the photo page. If the laminate is peeling, the ink has smeared, or any printed information is hard to read, the passport is no longer usable. Then check the rest of the booklet: pages stuck together, torn, or stained; binding that has loosened; mold or discoloration that developed during drying.
The State Department treats water damage — including mold and stains — as grounds for replacement, along with significant tears, unofficial markings on the data page, missing visa pages, or a hole punch. Normal wear, like a bend from a back pocket or fanning from frequent use, is not damage.1U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions About Passport Services
There is no guarantee a water-exposed passport will be accepted. Airline agents and border officers each make their own call, and one may pass a document that another flags. Wavy, wrinkled, or stained pages invite scrutiny, and an officer who suspects alteration can reject the passport even when the damage was clearly accidental. If you have any doubt, replace it before you travel.
Testing the Electronic Chip
U.S. passports contain an RFID chip in the back cover that stores your biometric data. Water can compromise it, and a failed chip slows you down at automated gates. You can do a rough check at home with a smartphone that has NFC. Download a passport reader app, enter your passport number, date of birth, and expiration date, then hold the phone against the back cover. A successful read is reassuring. A failure is not conclusive, because phone NFC is weaker than airport scanners, but combined with visible damage it’s a strong signal to replace.
Why Traveling on a Damaged Passport Is a Gamble
Airlines can refuse to board you, and damaged passports are one of the more common reasons travelers get turned away at check-in. Immigration officers at your destination can deny entry outright. If that happens abroad, you’re dealing with the problem far from home, with fewer options and higher costs. Even if you fly out successfully, the return trip is another checkpoint where the same document can be rejected.
How to Replace a Water-Damaged Passport
A damaged passport cannot be renewed by mail. You have to apply for a new one in person using Form DS-11, the same form first-time applicants use.1U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions About Passport Services You’ll submit it at a passport acceptance facility, typically a post office, library, or county clerk’s office.
What to Bring
- The damaged passport itself. You have to turn it in with the application, whatever condition it’s in.
- A signed written statement explaining how the damage happened. Keep it brief and factual.1U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions About Passport Services
- Proof of U.S. citizenship: a birth certificate, a previous undamaged passport, a naturalization certificate, or a consular report of birth abroad.
- A primary photo ID, such as a driver’s license or military ID, plus a photocopy of it to leave with the agent. Digital IDs and mobile driver’s licenses are not accepted.2U.S. Department of State. Get Photo ID for a U.S. Passport
- One 2×2-inch color passport photo taken within the last six months.
- Form DS-11, filled out but not signed. You sign in front of the acceptance agent.3U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport
Fees and Timing
For an adult passport book, the total is $165: a $130 application fee to the State Department and a $35 acceptance fee to the facility. Both are nonrefundable, even if the passport isn’t issued.4U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
Routine processing currently takes four to six weeks. Expedited service adds $60 and shortens the timeline to two to three weeks.5U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports If you have international travel within 14 days, you can book an appointment at a regional passport agency for urgent processing. Life-or-death emergencies get the fastest handling, but you have to call the State Department directly.6U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast
If the Passport Belongs to a Child
Children under 16 use the same Form DS-11 and follow the same in-person process. Fees are lower: a $100 application fee plus the $35 acceptance fee, for $135 total.4U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees Both parents or guardians generally need to appear with the child, or the absent parent must provide a notarized consent statement. Bring the birth certificate, the damaged passport, and the signed statement explaining the damage.
If It Happened Abroad
Go to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate and apply in person on Form DS-11, with the same documents you’d bring at home and the same $165 adult fee.7U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Passport Outside the United States Appointments are normally required, though embassies may accommodate emergencies. If you don’t have time to wait for a standard replacement, the consular section can issue an emergency passport valid for up to one year, which you exchange for a full-validity passport after you return home.8U.S. Department of State. Lost or Stolen Passport Abroad Victims of a serious crime or disaster who can’t pay may qualify for a free emergency passport.
Keeping the Next One Dry
A waterproof passport holder or a zip-seal plastic bag costs almost nothing and prevents the most common cause of ruined passports. Carry the booklet in an interior bag pocket rather than an outer one, and leave it in the hotel safe on beach, boat, or water park days. A photo of the data page on your phone gives you a backup for local identification without exposing the original.