Warning to all travelers as an Australian woman in Bali is charged $1,500 for a little-known passport rule
- Melbourne traveler’s passport ‘slightly soiled’
- Bali officials questioned the 28-year-old.
- Forced to pay $1,500 to get her passport back
An Australian woman is warning her fellow travelers on her way to Bali after she was fined $1,500 for having a dirty passport.
Monique Sutherland was heading to Bali with her 60-year-old mother for a “much needed vacation”.
Ms Sutherland had to sign an additional blue form when checking in at the Batik Air counter at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport because her seven-year-old passport was slightly soiled.
However, Ms. Sutherland encountered a problem when she took out the blue form at immigration in Bali.
Monique Sutherland was forced to sign an additional blue form when checking in at the Batik Air counter at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport because her seven-year-old passport was slightly soiled.
Bali officials took the 28-year-old to a small interrogation room and threatened to deport her for trying to enter the country with a damaged passport even though the passport was already stamped for an entry visa.
“They asked me if I was alone and if I traveled regularly (which I am not)…then they took me to a small interrogation room,” Ms Sutherland said. 7News.
“Officials continued to come and go to question me for over an hour.”
Ms Sutherland said she was “hysterical and petrified” as the officials laughed and spoke in Indonesian.
Authorities said the 28-year-old needed to be deported because she was trying to enter the country with a damaged passport, but would be allowed to stay if she paid a $1,500 fee.
Ms Sutherland said her passport has already been accepted and she refused to pay the fee.
“My passport was accepted and already stamped for the entry visa, and it wasn’t until I handed them the blue form that they bothered me,” Ms Sutherland said.
Indonesian officials then put pressure on Ms Sutherland’s 60-year-old mother, claiming her daughter’s passport would not be returned until she paid the fine.
Ms Sutherland’s mother reluctantly paid the fine and the couple were escorted through the airport.
She added that the ordeal was “very traumatic” and marred the relaxing getaway as she spent time stressed and researching whether her passport is acceptable.
After returning from her trip, Ms Sutherland contacted border security officials in Melbourne, who told her the passport fiasco was most likely a setup.
‘My passport was never the real problem. It was an easy way to get some money from inexperienced tourists,” said Ms Sutherland.
Bali has some of the strictest passport rules when it comes to travel documents that have tears or water damage.
Young traveler Emma Doherty (pictured) has been banned from boarding a plane from Sydney to Bali after border security noted a small amount of water damage on her passport.
It comes after a young tourist was prevented from boarding a plane to Bali after border security noted a small amount of water damage on her passport.
Fitness trainer Emma Doherty headed to Sydney airport on June 21, excited for her 10-day solo trip to Bali.
But the traveler was barred from boarding her flight and told by officials that water damage to her passport made it appear “unreliable”.
“So I’ve just been turned away from my flight to Bali and am currently stranded in the middle of Sydney airport,” Ms Doherty said.
“I have no idea what to do or where to go, and have literally just been told that if I had been allowed into Bali, the army and airport security would have put me in a cell.
Bali has some of the strictest passport rules when it comes to travel documents that have tears or water damage.
The laws were introduced in 2019, and Indonesian authorities can detain travelers and fine airlines more than $4,700 for allowing the passenger to travel with a damaged passport.
Damage to the passport and the law
Australian travelers should check that their passports (pictured) are in good condition
Normal wear and tear on your passport shouldn’t be a problem. More serious damage may prevent you from traveling.
If you are unsure of the condition of your passport, please call the Australian Passport Office on 131 232 or contact your nearest office. Australian Embassy or Consulate abroad.
It is important that:
- there are no tears or cuts on the passport pages, especially the photo page
- everything on the photo page is legible and clear
- there are no marks on your photo or in the machine readable zone on the photo page
- no pages have been removed
- no alteration or manipulation
They may need to see your passport to assess it.
Fountain: Australian Government
