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How To Rip Pages Out Of A Passport

Note:  Ripping pages out of your passport is a federal offense and can render your passport invalid.  Please follow these instructions with extreme caution and know all of the details before proceeding.

Removing passport pages is a simple procedure that could help you in the event you do not have enough time to get a second passport and want to hide certain entry/exit stamps or visas.  Before proceeding with this guide please note that ripping out pages is considered the intentional destruction of your passport and your home country will most likely require that it be replaced.  With all of that being said this guide is recommended for extreme cases only (Israeli passport stamp) or to keep pages as keep sakes once your passport has expired.

Why would you want to remove passport pages?

People who want to remove passport pages usually fall into two categories.  The first category is people whose passport has expired and would like to remove individual pages as keepsakes.  In this case, removing pages is perfectly ok as your passport has expired and is out of use.

The second group of people is typically those who want to hide certain entry or exit stamps and visa evidence from countries they have been too.  Most noteably, people who have been to Israel typically want to remove evidence of their visit as an Israeli visa bars entry into those countries that do not recognize Israel has a sovereign state.  (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, etc…)  Passports are typically still active and valid for these people and the risk of removing pages is much higher.  Proceed with caution!

A 5 Step Guide to Removing Pages From Your Passport

Step 1:  Cut a piece of string or thread that is slightly longer than the passport page you want to remove.  String/Thread is recommended over yarn or fishing line.

Step 2:  Soak your string in a glass of water for a few minutes until the string is fully wet.

Step 3:  Put the wet string on top of the page you want to remove.  Place the string as close to the binding (where the page meets the spine) as possible.

Step 4:  With the string still in place, close your passport.  Apply firm pressure to the spine for a few minutes.

Step 5:  Starting with the upper right hand corner of your passport, tear the page from right corner towards the bottom left hand corner.  Use the string your placed along the spine as a guide.

While it is not recommended that you remove pages it is possible.  If you need a second passport or a replacement passport you can check out VisaHQ for more passport and visa information.

Further Resources:  VisaHQ.com