Damaged Passport Issue

[Maria&Robert 0]

Well, its a longshot...

In May 2005 when my fiance Maria and I were staying with her family in Posadas my passport was sent through the wash cycle.

I immediately cut small squares out of some plastic bags and inserted them between each page. And dabbed the pages dry as well. Then I placed the passport, with the plastic, underneath a stack of books.

I looked at it a day later it looked pretty good. Some of the entry and exit stamps from Argentina were smudged. I got out Argentina and then into Brasil and then into USA no problem, with it.

I recently took it to the passport office and the clerk said it was still usable, but then he tugged at the cover and first page (page with the photo) apart. Now, its not fine. That is the test, if the cover is damaged then the passport is useless.

Ive sent the damaged passport out for processing in order to recieve a new passport. They will send the old one back to me, voided, along with the new one.

Now, inside the passport is my Brasilian tourist visa glued to a page of the passport. I recieved the Brasilian visa in 2003 and it is valid until december of 2008.

Does anyone know if I will have to get a new Brasilian tourist visa for the new passport? Even though the visa in the old passport hasnt expired yet?

OR does the passport office automatically contact the Brasilian Embassy and create a new visa into the passport?? I guess not.

Anyone ever had a problem like this with a damaged passport containing a valid foriegn visa?

Edited May 30, 2006 by Maria&Robert

[j&js 0]

I would immediately contact the Brazil embassy for advice straight from the source!

[Kajikit 65]

From what I've heard, you just carry BOTH passports with you when you travel and need to use the visa. But that's for an expired passport, I'm really not sure what they do about a damaged one.

[Maria&Robert 0]

You are right. I will have to take a day off of work just to call them. I may just go to the website and see if they allow people to visit the office without appointment. If so I can go and ask and hopefully not have to take too many more days off in trying to fix this problem.....thanks for the response man.