Tiny Passport Rip Stops Lanzarote Holiday
A British holidaymaker was refused boarding at Birmingham Airport after Ryanair staff spotted a small tear in her passport before a flight to Lanzarote. Rachael Norton-Voysey, 33, said the damage did not affect her details or photo page, but the airline treated the document as invalid. Her case has put a blunt reminder back on the summer checklist: passport condition matters.
Key Details of the Case
- Route: Birmingham to Lanzarote
- Airline: Ryanair
- Passenger: Rachael Norton-Voysey, 33
- Issue: 1.5cm rip in passport
- Trip: five-day holiday with a friend
- Reported loss: £700
- Ryanair response: passport was damaged and not valid for travel
- UK rule: damaged passports should be replaced before travel
“We got to the gate and handed in my passport at that point to get onto the plane and he said it was ripped and they wouldn’t let us through."
GOV.UK says damaged passports should be replaced before travel and warns that holders may be refused boarding. HM Passport Office treats ripped or missing pages, unreadable details, stains, cuts, holes, a torn cover or a loose cover as damage. Ryanair said Norton-Voysey was refused because her passport was damaged and not valid for travel.
Spain-bound travellers should treat even a small tear as a risk before booking non-refundable flights, hotels or tours. Check every page, the cover, the spine and the photo page in good light, as airlines can refuse travel if a passport looks damaged, even when the main details are readable. If there is a tear, water damage or loose section, apply for a replacement first.
The case is a reminder that passport checks are not only about expiry dates and blank pages. A document that passed previous trips can still fail later if staff judge it damaged. It is a dull pre-holiday task, but it is cheaper than losing a flight at the gate and trying to rescue the trip afterwards.
