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The stamp on my passport got smudged a little bit due to rainwater going in. But the information page is still intact without any damage. Also, there is a valid German visa on this passport, where I will be travelling to in October. Will this passport be considered as damaged?

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Giorgio
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Dipsetu Dey
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    @Traveller IMO this is not a duplicate. The damage described here and in that question are different. The answers are also potentially different. – RedBaron Aug 29 '18 at 13:48
  • To me, this doesn't seem a problem. The damages seems only on a stamp (of India on an Indian passport), and such stamp is not something that guarantee the authenticity of the passport (there are many more security features). On the other hand, it also the visa is damaged (or countries stamps), or near photo or names, it could seem an attempt to hide tempering. – Giacomo Catenazzi Aug 29 '18 at 15:12

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What you have shown in the picture is a damaged passport and there is a high probability that you would be denied travelling with this passport.

There is no guideline as such about how the passport is classified as damaged by MEA and it will totally depend on the immigration officer when you travel and I don't think you will get through the immigration.

You still have sufficient time to apply for the new passport and it is not damaged without recognition so you can apply for re-issue of passport under the Tatkaal scheme.

Arpit Bajpai
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  • Will the visa(which is still intact), which is in this passport, be valid after I get the new passport? – Dipsetu Dey Aug 29 '18 at 13:30
  • The damaged passport will be returned to you with the cancelled stamp when you receive your new passport. The new passport would carry the old passport number and all the visas in your old passport would be valid. You will just have to carry both the passports while travelling. – Arpit Bajpai Aug 29 '18 at 13:33
  • It's mentioned under EC regulation: The cancellation of a travel document by an authority of a third country does not mean that the uniform visa affixed to that document is automatically invalidated. – Arpit Bajpai Aug 29 '18 at 13:36