What to do if you accidentally washed your citizen's passport in the washing machine?

A passport washed in a machine is a situation that could be comical if the process of restoring the document took 1-2 days.

However, it may take at least a month to receive it. Therefore, you need to try to revive the document yourself.

Read the article about what to do if you accidentally washed a Russian citizen’s passport in the washing machine, how to dry it and how to use it in the future.

How to dry after accidental washing?

Immediately after the passport is removed from the washing machine, it is necessary to assess the extent of its damage. Surprisingly, sometimes the document turns out to be practically unaffected by water.

This can happen if it was placed in a buttoned jacket pocket, in a thick cover, and the wash itself was carried out in a delicate cycle.

The procedure should be as follows:

1. Inspect the document for damage.
2. Flip through the pages, evaluate the condition of the seals and all available records. If they are not damaged, then you can try to dry the document.
3. Remove the cover and carefully separate the pages from each other.
4. Place white paper between each sheet. It will act as a blotter.
5. You need to change the napkins regularly, as soon as they get wet, approximately every 20-30 minutes.
6. Leave the document in a dry, well-ventilated room.

When the passport is completely dry, it is placed under a press to straighten the pages. A stack of books can act as a load. The ID card must remain under them for at least 24 hours.

Under no circumstances should you dry a document on a hot radiator.. Pages become deformed when exposed to heat and it will be impossible to return them to their original state. For the same reason, they refuse to use a hair dryer.

Do not shake the document or try to wring out the paper by hand. Under such pressure, wet pages will simply tear.

Can I use a washed document?

There are no laws in the Constitution of the Russian Federation that would clearly regulate the degree of wear and tear of a passport. However, there are stated grounds for considering it invalid.

These include:

• pages missing or seriously damaged;
• presence of records that are difficult to understand;
• fuzzy, faded or faded photo;
• blurry seals and stamps that cannot be identified.

All pages must be clean and readable. You should not hope that when checking your passport, department officials will ignore existing damage.

When a foreign passport has been washed, it is better to immediately replace it. If a document appears suspicious to an employee during customs clearance, you may at least miss your flight. In the worst case, the person will be detained until the circumstances are clarified.

How to register a new one?

If the passport is badly damaged after washing, it needs to be replaced. You need to contact one of the following departments:

1. Go to the MFC.
2. Visit the “One Window” or “My Documents” services.
3. Go to the police department for migration issues (for foreign citizens).
4. Submit an application on the State website. services.

Documents that will be required to obtain a new identity card:

• SNILS;
• damaged old passport;
• birth certificate;
• document on marriage or divorce;
• international passport;
• photographs in the prescribed format.

Is it possible to change it online?

You won't be able to replace your passport online. However, the Internet makes it possible to reduce downtime in queues and reduce the number of visits to the MFC to 2 times. To facilitate the process of replacing a document, you need to go to the State website. services.

Procedure:

1. In the category “Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation” indicate the reason for its replacement and select the type of service “Electronic”.

   After this, a new window will open. There you can see an electronic application that needs to be filled out.

2. Be sure to upload a photo, which must be taken in advance.
3. After filling out the remaining columns (indicate data on marital status, children and parents), you need to select the point for obtaining a passport: at your place of residence or at your place of stay.
4. The system will offer to decide on a time that will be convenient for visiting a government institution.

A person needs to come to the MFC with a full package of documents. After checking them, the employee will set a date when you can come for a new ID card.When applying at your place of residence, the processing time for the document is about 10 days, and at your place of residence – about 2 months.

You must fill out all fields carefully, without making mistakes.. Otherwise, the application will not be processed, and the person will be denied a replacement passport. You can resubmit the application after eliminating any inaccuracies.

Will there be a fine?

The fine for a damaged passport is 1,500 rubles. You can pay for it at Sberbank or on the State Services website. In the latter case, the user is given a 30% discount. When contacting the MFC, you must have a printed receipt for payment of the fine with you.

The cost of the service in this case will be only 300 rubles (only state duty is paid). As a rule, in such situations, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs do not find fault with the appearance of the document.

After replacement, the old passport will still be destroyed. The department has no right to refuse to accept a document. In other cases, a fine will have to be paid.

Mitigating circumstances include:

• fire,
• flood,
• Road accidents and injuries.

None of the items are suitable for washing a passport in a machine. If, after the fine is assessed, it is not paid within 60 days, it may be doubled. This must be kept in mind when submitting an application to change a document.

The fine cannot be called unreasonable; it is not the whim of MFC employees. This point is provided by law. It states that every citizen must carefully store his passport and prevent it from being deliberately damaged.

If there are objections, you can challenge the penalties in court, but the likelihood of success for the enterprise is low.

You will find maximum useful information about washing clothes and various fabric products Here.

Conclusion

If, through negligence, your passport has been cleaned in a washing machine, there is no need to panic. It must be inspected, thoroughly dried and leveled.

To avoid unpleasant situations, Before each wash, you need to carefully check your pockets.