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I have a flight very soon to Greece and noticed that I have small red dots scattered around the observation page in my uk passport. I’ve contacted EasyJet and they said typically if the data is readable and scans I should be fine. What are your opinions.picture of my observation page in uk passport with small red stains scattered around it

ive pointed out the stains with gray arrows

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    Could you mark where are the red dots? In the top? They seems so small (and maybe some additional protection/tracking). In any case in my opinion it is ok: They do not show sign of tampering (e.g. near important information or visa or stamps).
    – Giacomo Catenazzi
    Commented Sep 5 at 6:51
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    I don't think anyone will notice any of those.
    – jcaron
    Commented Sep 5 at 8:30
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    I think those dots are on all recent UK passports. They're also present above the "observations" text. Can you check with a friend/colleague if they passport has the same? Is that irregular white area a watermark? It looks like an attempt to rub something out
    – CSM
    Commented Sep 5 at 10:49
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    @csm the white patch is normal every new uk passport has it
    – James Hutchison
    Commented Sep 5 at 11:32
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    In any event, DON'T TRY REMOVING ANY MARKINGS YOURSELF.
    – Mark Morgan Lloyd
    Commented Sep 6 at 6:08

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Guidance for UK Passport Office staff indicates that the type of damage you describe would be unlikely to be classed as damaged beyond normal wear and tear, or as potential counterfeiting or fraudulent tampering.

The guidance defines signs of normal wear and tear as:

  • the personal details page of the passport is legible (readable)
  • there is no obvious trace of amendments or tampering
  • the binding is intact
  • the laminate is secure
  • there are minor tears around the edges of pages or the cover (indicating normal use)
  • there is only slight water damage to the page edges (crinkling or curling)
  • there are minor scratches on the personal details page on a blue e-Passport
  • the personal details page is bent on a blue e-Passport

Since the damage is not on the personal details or observation pages or on any visas, vignettes or immigration stamps, you should be fine, although there’s always the chance that a zealous check-in agent or Immigration Officer might decide to take a different view.

EDIT: Since posting my answer, thanks to @CSM for a comment asking if the red dots and white mark are standard on all UK passports. I just checked my own, and yes, it has exactly the same markings. Seen in a real-life passport rather than a photo, they are clearly part of the page background design, I imagine as an anti-counterfeit measure.

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    If there's any issue, it'll be with the check-in staff no doubt. If he gets on the plane, he's all good.
    – Crazydre
    Commented Sep 5 at 8:55
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    I can see the secret service passport design consultant in his office: "Ah well, they finally found it out. Took them a while. Back to the drawing board."
    – Peter - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Sep 5 at 15:17
  • Thx for your answer I believe it will probably be fine I’ve seen some awful looking passports fly, I’m just very nervous it’s my first flight. the passport has been used as ID for things hence the stains and stuff.
    – James Hutchison
    Commented Sep 5 at 16:52
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Nobody will care.

I had a passport that was more damaged than this (I damaged it myself to see if anyone actually cared) - it had some writing on the observations page, a cigarette burn through the page, and the page was a bit torn/bent. No immigration officers (in the US and multiple countries in the EU) ever commented on it over multiple years of travel, with the exception of an overzealous British Border Force officer who said (somewhat patronizingly) that I ought to replace my passport.

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  • Interesting I assume you could still enter and leave when they said that you had to replace it and thanks for the answer.
    – James Hutchison
    Commented Sep 5 at 16:54
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    "I damaged it myself to see if anyone actually cared": +1 for taking one for the team
    – phoog
    Commented Sep 6 at 10:58
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    "Somewhat patronizingly"? The dude's just doing his job and potentially even doing you a solid in the case that your passport was borderline unacceptable.
    – ScottishTapWater
    Commented Sep 6 at 13:43
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No one at easyJet will be checking your passport, so what their customer service says means nothing. As I couldn't locate DHL's passenger service email at Bristol airport (and their lost property folks refused to give it out on the phone), all you can do if hope you won't get a stickler at bag drop/the gate. Your best odds are if NOT checking in a bag and thus going directly to the gate, as the checks there tend to be more cursory.

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    Since when the airlines don't check passports (to make sure the passenger is admissible to the destination country)?
    – Johnnyjanko
    Commented Sep 5 at 9:40
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    @Johnnyjanko It's usually a third-party company that does it for them, so it's mainly their view that matters.
    – Crazydre
    Commented Sep 5 at 9:52
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    Of course the OPs passport will be checked at check-in. Whether it's done by the airline, a contractor or an online portal (or any combination of the above) is immaterial. Any of those can theoretically reject the passport.
    – Hilmar
    Commented Sep 5 at 12:41
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    @Hilmar Not immaterial in the slightest, as I can testify to after countless incidents (over a different issue, but still). Each contractor has its own procedure, so my point was what easyJet says on the phone (if they say anything in the first place) is far from bound to match actual practice at the airport, for better or worse
    – Crazydre
    Commented Sep 5 at 12:53
  • I’ve never flown so this have been very interesting I thought that easyJet had like a team they manage who checks it and that they would follow the company’s policies.
    – James Hutchison
    Commented Sep 5 at 16:55

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