I recently had a travel nightmare that I hope nobody ever has to go through. I accidentally washed my passport with a pocket of pants. I tried to dry it out, but it was completely ruined and unusable. I’m currently in Chisinau, Moldova, which doesn’t have an Australian embassy and is not in the Schengen Zone, so I can’t just travel to another country to get a new passport.
I’m planning to call the Australian embassy in Warsaw on Tuesday after the Easter long weekend, but I’m not sure how I’m going to be able to cross both the Chisinau and Warsaw borders without a valid passport. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s ever been in this situation, so I’m wondering if anyone has had any similar experiences or any advice on how to handle it?
If you find yourself in a similar situation, don’t panic. You can try to cross the border with your current passport, contact your embassy, or try to get an urgent replacement. You may even be able to find a consular assistance phone number for Australians in Ukraine and Moldova. Don’t worry, it’ll all get figured out. Just remember to double check your pockets before you wash them!