# German immigration ripped my passport photo page



## Philip63 (Nov 20, 2013)

Last generation delaminated. 

Granted, the 'nuova generazione' biometric Italian passport has a photo page that is as thin as a a millefoglie dessert. 

In my case a total a$&&le immigration agent in Germany ran my photo page very roughly several times through the reader and ripped a 1cm piece of the photo page (right at the photo--- jerk). Apologized with a smirk--

I now have a useless passport... another €200 down the drain plus the price of the valid visas (China, Vietnam, India) I now have to replace. That's another €300 down the drain. 
Pisses me off. 

Should I complain to Munich immigration? I do feel like I should for this idiot to be responsible.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

The present cost of an Italian passport is €116. However, let's suppose you had 5 1/2 years of remaining validity (and pages) in the passport that the immigration official destroyed. That means he destroyed about half of your passport, or about €58. A new passport comes with a new 10 years -- several years beyond your current passport's validity, presumably.

Plus there's the cost of your time and travel to the questura (or elsewhere) to get a new passport.

If the travel itinerary allowed it you could have presented your _carta d'identità_. The plastic version of those cards is at least tougher to damage and less expensive to replace.

Yes, I'd be upset, too.


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## Philip63 (Nov 20, 2013)

Well, first of all my passport is 1 year old so I am out about €100 plus a 2+ month wait to get a new one. 

Secondly, I was traveling outside the EU so I could not use my carta d'identità. Living in Paris I cannot have the plastic one btw... only Italian residents have it. 

Really pisses me off.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

In similar circumstances (and time permitting) I probably would have not moved until I saw that worker's supervisor and discussed the issue with him/her.


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## Arturo.c (Aug 15, 2010)

Philip63 said:


> In my case a total a$&&le immigration agent in Germany ran my photo page very roughly several times through the reader and ripped a 1cm piece of the photo page (right at the photo--- jerk). Apologized with a smirk--
> 
> I now have a useless passport... another €200 down the drain plus the price of the valid visas (China, Vietnam, India) I now have to replace. That's another €300 down the drain.


First of all, I wonder why your passport had to be run through a reader by hand, as the new "biometric" passports have an embedded chip in the cover that can be read just by placing it face down on a RFID reader, while the photo page of the old ones had to be swiped through an optical reader. Sounds like the nitwit agent couldn't tell the difference between a biometric passport and an old one (hint: the new ones have a specific symbol on their cover). 

Secondly, you should have reported this incident to the supervisor right there and then, asking to know the full name of the agent involved and file a complaint with the "Grenzpolizei" or other relevant body. Later you could use your stamped copy of the complaint as basis to sue the Federal Government of Germany for the damages and the inconvenience in which you incurred as a consequence of their agent's mistake.

And for what concerns the process of getting a new Italian passport, the law in force prescribes a time frame of two weeks between the application and the issuing of the document, extendable to four weeks in some cases. Who said to you that it would take over 2 months?

For what concerns the visas, I know for sure that foreign consulates of many countries would gladly transfer still valid visas from your damaged passport to your new one by issuing a new sticker either for free or for a small charge.


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