Indonesia holiday warning as travellers with damaged passports refused entry (2025)

"Indonesian authorities have strict standards for damaged passports, and travellers have been refused entry into Indonesia with a damaged passport. Water damage, minor tears or rips to the pages can be considered damaged," the website states.

Western Sydney University professor of sustainable tourism, Joseph Cheer, said the requirement to keep a damage-free passport wasn't new but was becoming more prevalent with new biometrics technology at airports.

Biometrics was also shedding new light on passport photos and the need for these to be recognisable by machines.

"Increasingly with the use of biometrics you need passports to be in good condition," Professor Cheer told ACM.

"Typically when you get a passport ... most countries will say don't smile, just look at the camera.

"But there's a TikTok trend towards trying to create more glamorous passport photos. As a result, it can muck up the biometric screening that you find at airports, because if your face is different to the face that shows up on entry, then that can be very problematic."

Professor Cheer impressed the importance of taking precautions to protect your passport from damage including getting wet.

"Not enough caution can be provided to travellers regarding ensuring that their passports are protected," he said.

"When you get a passport from the Australian government, they usually put it in a plastic pocket. It should stay in that plastic pocket."

He said most countries now use biometrics to scan passports and passengers' faces, and "if your passport is damaged, that will then probably heighten the risk of a false read, which prevents you from being allowed entry or boarding on a plane."

How to keep your passport in good condition

Through the Smartraveller and Australian Passport Office (APO) websites, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides Australians with information on how they can protect their passports.

In particular, it is important that:

If Australians are unsure about the condition of their passport, they can call the APO on 131 232, or contact their nearest Australian diplomatic or consular mission overseas for advice.