Hey team, I have a bit of a panic situation regarding my travel documents. I have an important work training session coming up in Ireland—it’s game day for my career—but I just noticed my passport has some light mould stains on the first and last pages.
This happened about 3 years ago due to humidity in my drawer. The stains are dry and inactive, and crucially, the bio-data page and the internal visa pages are completely clean. Do you think the embassy or border control will refuse the visa or entry because of this cosmetic issue? I want to recover strong from this oversight, but I don’t have enough time for a full renewal. Has anyone entered Ireland with a slightly damaged passport?
In general, light, dry mould stains on the first/last pages are NOT a reason for visa refusal or entry denial, as long as:
The bio-data page is clean and readable
Visa and stamp pages are unaffected
No pages are torn, loose, wet, or stuck together
The passport chip still works
Embassies and Irish border control focus on identity, validity, and security, not minor cosmetic issues. Many people have entered Ireland/EU with passports in similar condition.
When it can be a problem:
Heavy mould obscuring text or photo
Pages feel damp, sticky, or smell strongly
Structural damage or chip failure
Practical tips:
Gently dry clean only (no liquids)
Store it in a zip pouch with silica gel
Don’t try aggressive cleaning — that causes real damage
If the core pages are clean, you’re very likely fine.