U.S. citizen denied entry into Poland after security staff object to handwritten notes in passport

WARSAW, Poland — A U.S. citizen has been blocked from entering Poland because her passport was defaced with handwritten notes, border officials said Wednesday.

The unidentified passenger arrived at Krakow's Balice airport on a flight from London shortly after midnight, according to Justyna Drozdz, a local border security spokeswoman.

The woman was stopped at passport control because her document contained handwritten notes of locations and airport names under visa stamps from the countries she had visited.

The woman told border security staff she was unaware it was not permitted to write on passports or ID documents, Drozdz told Polish news agency PAP. She will remain at the airport for a return flight to London on Thursday.

As a general rule, it is not permissible for the holder to write in a passport other than to provide a required signature and emergency contacts. Airlines and immigration officials often deny boarding or entry if they feel a passport has been damaged or defaced.

It was not clear why border officials elsewhere had not questioned the woman about her passport.