Have you ever taken a picture of your passport at the airport, ahead of an anticipated overseas trip? ☺ The airport is a place full of excitement. Similarly, just the sight of a passport can fuel your excitement even more.
On the 20th, the number of daily passengers at Incheon Airport exceeded 100,000 for the first time in two years and nine months. There are surely people waiting to join in on those numbers, preparing to dust off their passports and put them to good use on a trip abroad! This is a good point to share that if you don’t use your passport in the right way, you may be denied entry from abroad. You may also ruin your precious travel plans by having to get your passport reissued. The precious and powerful passport! Let’s find out more about how to use it properly!
How has the next generation passport changed?

Starting December 21, 2021, a new passport will be issued to all Korean citizens. Just in time for the air routes having started to open up again, the Korean passport has undergone some changes. ☺ Its design has become more sophisticated, featuring Korea’s cultural heritage.
It’s not just the design that has evolved, but security has been enhanced too! The cotton containing our personal information is made of polycarbonate, making it stronger and more heat resistant, and boasts enhanced security through laser imprinting. In addition, people’s personal information is better protected because the last digit of one’s resident registration number is now excluded.
However, because the last digit of the resident registration number has disappeared, it can no longer serve as an ID card. Nevertheless, in foreign countries, the passport is still used as a tool for identification through name, photo, and birth date.
Why you shouldn’t put stickers on your passport.

As mentioned earlier, passports are important items used to identify their owners in foreign countries. Therefore, even if it is a little damaged, there is a possibility of forgery and alteration, which could cause problems during the immigration process. In some cases, if there is any damage to your passport, you may be denied leaving the country so be careful!
You can leave the country on the condition that you agree to not to hold the airline responsible for being refused entry into a country. In the worst case scenario, you could be denied entry back home from abroad! It takes about a week to get your passport reissued without leaving the country, but of course you have to bear the financial burden caused by the change in travel itinerary. Can you imagine all that mental stress?😱
To prevent this situation, you must check your passport for stickers, graffiti, tears, stains, cover damage, and signatures in addition to the stamps stamped by the immigration office! Commemorative stamps taken at tourist destinations during the trip is also subject to sanctions, so you should never stamp anything onto your passport! Remember all this as you check your passport before entering and leaving the country and have a safe trip! ☺
The passport, an essential for traveling abroad. Have you ever headed straight to the airport without even checking your passport? It’s a good idea to take a careful look at your passport at least a week before you leave the country! 🧐 Because a passport has the power to make or break you previous trip!
Did you enjoy Incheon Airport ✈ sharing with you the reason why you shouldn’t put stickers on your passport? Believe it or not, there have been many cases where people were denied entry back into their country because they had no idea their passports were damaged. We hope Incheon Airport played a role in helping you to better prepare for an exciting and enjoyable trip! ☺
We’ll be back soon with more useful information, so please continue to regularly check out Incheon Airport’s blog!