Why That Souvenir Passport Stamp Could Cause Travel Problems

Souvenir passport stamps are great mementos that commemorate past travels, but getting them from places outside immigration and border checkpoints could jeopardize your globetrotting.

This month, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs shared a reminder urging American citizens to avoid getting “unofficial” stamps in their passports. On June 8, the authority posted a notice about souvenir stamps on social media, accompanied by a graphic that reiterated the same information.

“Passport PSA: Unofficial novelty or souvenir stamps may seem fun, but they are NOT allowed in your U.S. passport and may cause problems when you travel. Save them in a notebook or journal instead!” it stated.

What Are Souvenir Stamps, And What’s The Risk?

Also known as “novelty stamps,” souvenir stamps are provided all over the world, from national parks to bucket list locations like Machu Picchu and the Galápagos Islands. For some, the more stamps in the passport displaying the special destinations that they’ve visited, the better. But for the sake of continuing to travel with ease, it’s best for travelers to have their souvenir stamps placed somewhere other than their official passport. For Americans, the U.S. government’s guidelines should be heeded to avoid any potential difficulties.

In a worst-case scenario, a domestic or foreign authority could deem your passport altered or damaged — and therefore invalid — because of a souvenir stamp (or several) in your passport. If that occurred, you could be stranded at your destination and have to spend time and effort obtaining clearance from border and customs officials. Your travel document could even potentially be seized.

The State Department names “unofficial markings on the data page” as a way a passport can be damaged. Additionally, the source says, “Airlines may deny you boarding or you could encounter difficulties traveling abroad if your passport is damaged.”

What Else Should Travelers Know?

As confirmed by the State Department, there are only two additional markings that should be included in an American’s passport, aside from stamps issued by immigration and border officials. One is the owner’s signature on the traveler’s identification booklet. In an American passport, the owner’s name should be written above the line that requests the “Signature of Bearer.” Travelers may also put their emergency contact information on the page of their passport that’s titled “Personal Data And Emergency Contact.” There, American passport holders can provide information including their phone number, email address, and the contact person they would like notified in case of an emergency.

In the “Important Information” section of an American passport, it says, “This passport should not be altered or damaged. Alteration could make the passport invalid, and if willful, may subject you to prosecution (Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 1543). Only authorized officials may place stamps or make notations or additions in this passport.”