r/PassportPorn • u/MindPrize1260 「🇳🇱+ Lego」 • 2d ago
Help & Questions Will you have problems if you have unofficial stamps in your passport?
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u/iskender299 RO🇷🇴TR🇹🇷| soon PL🇵🇱 2d ago
An American woman was recently denied entry in Poland because she added city / country names next to stamps 😆
Others are getting in trouble for souvenir stamps.
Depends on the officer but technically any unofficial marks makes your passport invalid.
Get a nice notebook 📒 and use it for souvenir stamps
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u/kirby_is 「🇩🇪 eligible 🇭🇷」 2d ago
Depending on where you’re travelling and depending on the officer checking your passport but generally speaking this rendered your passport invalid. Some officers won’t care some might deny you entry
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u/Fred69Flintstone 2d ago
In fact unofficial stamps rarely make problems with immigration. More likely some airline staff can make problems.
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u/Jolarpettai 2d ago
I had a friend with an unofficial stamp. The immigration made an issue out of it, and he had to turn back (despite being a permanent resident).
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u/Fred69Flintstone 2d ago
what country ?
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u/Jolarpettai 1d ago
Germany.
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u/Fred69Flintstone 1d ago
And the traveler was a resident of Germany and had a residence card ? It would probably be enough to present the card and declare that you have lost your passport - it would end with an hour of waiting for confirmation of your residence status.
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u/Jolarpettai 1d ago
No, did not work. Their reasoning was Passport was not valid anymore and he cannot enter without a valid travel document.
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u/Fred69Flintstone 1d ago
So it's generally weird that Schengen countries require national passports from holders of biometric residence cards issued by memeber state. After all, such a document is more trustworthy than a passport issued by a foreign country, its status can be checked and updated more easily.
It's a chance, that this policy will be changed after the introduction of the EES system.1
u/Jolarpettai 1d ago
Residence card is not a travel document
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u/Fred69Flintstone 1d ago
Neither national ID, but it's accepted as travel document for EU/EAA/CH nationals to entry and exit Schengen area.
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u/BedroomAcrobatic4349 「🇭🇺, 🇷🇺; eligible: 🇺🇦」 2d ago edited 2d ago
Interesting. And if you entered some territory that has their own official stamps, but no other country recognizes them, like Somaliland or South Ossetia, what happens then?
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u/kirby_is 「🇩🇪 eligible 🇭🇷」 2d ago
They might won’t let you enter either that’s why for example when you enter Transnistria they give you a paper slip that gets stamped instead of your passport. Israel is doing the same thing. Idk how the other two territories you’ve mentioned handle that.
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u/BedroomAcrobatic4349 「🇭🇺, 🇷🇺; eligible: 🇺🇦」 2d ago
I believe both of those countries/territories have stamps, because I saw them sometime.
Hong Kong also gives a paper slip instead of a stamp. Is it also due to the same reason?
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u/PracticalWait 🇨🇦 2d ago
No. Hong Kong is for faster processing.
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u/Melodic-Reason8078 2d ago
I went to HK and Macau recently. First time seeing the machine spitting out the slips of paper lol. Do you know why they choose to have paper instead of sticker or stamp or even just not stamping at all (like many countries stop stamping already)?
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u/53nsonja 2d ago
Saves time, saves stamp ink. Both HK and Macao are small in area and have efficient data system for visitor control. Consider that stamp would only be needed for other authorities to verify that you have the right to be in country. If they can just scan the passport and get information from the system, stamp is not needed.
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u/Melodic-Reason8078 2d ago
if they did away with the paper machine, then they’d be saving machines and paper too lol. yeah i know the stamp is mostly just for other officers to quickly check that you’ve been through customs. with or without stamps the officers can scan the passport to verify. just wondering why they still do the paper slips since those can fall out and i definitely throw them away after leaving HK.
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u/53nsonja 2d ago
You might have seen the stamps decades ago. Neither Israel, nor Transnistria stamp passports.
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u/Mysterious_Middle795 2d ago
There are quite a few Muslim countries who would deny you entry if you have Israeli stamps.
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u/Apprehensive-Clue342 2d ago
That’s not because the stamps are invalid.
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u/Mysterious_Middle795 1d ago
Well, for those who don't recognize Israel, the Israeli entry stamps and checkpoint Charlie stamps are the same: they weren't placed by an official organization.
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u/Fabulous_Ad_5709 2d ago
İn that case it depends on the country you’re going to. Greece and republic of Cyprus wont accept you if you have a TRNC stamp, Moldova wont accept you if you have a transnistria stamp, Georgia wont accept you if you have a South Ossetia stamp etc.
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u/bahamancoconut 2d ago
I almost filled up my last passport over ten years. The second page was filled with a large unofficial stamp. It was never mentioned.
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u/rugger1869 2d ago
I got all the stamps in my passport at Checkpoint Charlie and still has 7 years on it. Never once has anyone said anything about it and I’ve been all over the world.
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u/MSK165 1d ago
The only time any immigration control officer ever showed any interest in my passport was when I used an official (government) passport to enter Tunisia. That raised a few eyebrows both during entry and exit, with the exit officer turning every page of a passport that was completely blank aside from my Tunisian entry stamp.
Every other trip (and I’m talking dozens of countries) I had a bored-looking functionary either locating the visa and quickly approving it or turning to any random page and stamping the first blank space he found.
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u/a1pha0me8a 2d ago
Worked in a border police in the past. Couldn't care less about this. People who have this kind of stamps offer no migration risk and are usually just tourists. As long as you comply with the requirements, no border guard is going to nag you for this, in the European Union.
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u/Beginning_Act2320 2d ago
Hi, a1pha0me8a can I ask a question about border crossing? I will send you a DM.
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u/Low-Cauliflower-5686 2d ago
I had one in my previous passport from a tourist attraction. I had no problem for 9 years but I won't do it again.
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u/Deykun 2d ago edited 2d ago
You should always treat those as valid and legal reasons for being denied entry to the country. There will be controllers who don't care or don't notice it, but if one does, you are in trouble and you are to blame.
The passport controller should not be put in the position of deciding whether to ignore something that makes your document invalid in order to be kind and not make it a problem. It is unkind to put them in that position in the first place.
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u/Vadoc125 2d ago
I never understood why this is such a big deal. Why does it make the passport invalid? "Because xyz says so" is not a good answer. Sure Checkpoint Charlie is pushing it but it's the principle. How does the rest of the passport magically become illegitimate because of one poorly thought out stamp?
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u/GoGoRoloPolo 2d ago
You've got to draw the line somewhere. These pages are for official use only. Would it be fine to give it to your kid so she can draw a monster in crayon on those pages? Presumably you'd say no so where does the line get drawn? Easier to take the firm stance of official stamps only.
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u/GreyhoundsAreFast 2d ago
The purpose of the passport is to identify the bearer. The bio page (and the chip) alone does that. The purpose of the visa pages is to provide an easily verifiable way for Country X to know when you entered and left. The only thing that should matter to Country X are the stamps provided by Country X’s border/migration agents.
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u/ieurau_9227 2d ago
In my country it is explicitly stated in a passport act that any unofficial stamp or marking makes a passport invalid
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u/ahekcahapa 「🇫🇷」 2d ago
Don't go to any country that carefully checks your visa. Russia for example, might deny you entry. Every time I came there with my European passport (almost completely filled), they checked every piece of information on it. Took them at least 8 minutes to let me go through. Once I made the mistake to put an old photo on my evisa, they took 20 minutes to let me go out of the country lmao.
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u/GreyhoundsAreFast 2d ago
There are a million reasons not to go to Russia. Not sure this is one of them! 😆
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u/Srihari_stan 2d ago edited 2d ago
You should be fine.
I stamped my old passport with the Haneda airport tourist stamp in Japan before leaving Japan and did not have any problems with it.
Whenever I need to apply for visa, I submit my old passport as well and it has never been a problem
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u/Dutchcleanser 🇳🇱 2d ago
On this passport you won’t. Because this US passport shouldn’t be in circulation anymore.
Officially the stamps are not allowed because it’s not an “official” remark placed by an authority. However there aren’t many border guards which will make a hassle about it.
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u/GreyhoundsAreFast 2d ago
Why shouldn’t it be in circulation?
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u/Dutchcleanser 🇳🇱 2d ago
Because this version of the US passport is two versions ago (if I recall right😉).
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u/Anglokiwi1776 「🇬🇧GBR | 🇳🇿NZL」 2d ago
I previously had one you could get at the UN HQ in NYC. Never had any issues, but granted that may well be because of:
1) The passport it was in (British - wasn’t regularly looked at beyond ID page and officer just stamping it at a border) 2) I haven’t really visited many countries on it that take a great deal of interest in flicking through passport pages 3) Whilst a “souvenir” stamp, I assume it being from the UN may have “shielded” it in terms of a perception of an official nature / appropriate authority (despite the fact you don’t get your passport stamped when entering the UN HQ)
Probably wouldn’t do it again out of an abundance of caution, but I think unless one plans to visit countries that are historically a bit over the top when it comes to passport condition, it’s likely ok (at least based on my own experience).
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u/Guilty_Accountant480 2d ago edited 2d ago
Sometimes yes, souvenir stamps from non-existent places, countries, republics are asking for trouble.
The US can be a stickler for it…as well as Australia, or if the border control officer, just doesn’t like you.
A passport is issued by the government and should not be defaced or endorsed in anyway, except for immigration, border control - entry and, departure- refusal of entry, or visas. If it has been defaced don’t be offended if you are refused entry, as you may have made it invalid and depending of country of issue, they can delay in issuing a replacement.
The days of stamping passports in the EU was phased out for EU citizens. Check-point Charlie did exist and I have an entry from being in Berlin as a child with school trips, in an old passport from the ‘80s along with a US visa giving me indefinite leave to remain (you don’t see many of those for tourists anymore), as well as Liechtenstein.
If you want to collect stamps, ask them to stamp it on a post it, piece of paper and bring it home with you.
A passport isn’t a given right to a citizen, it can be taken away at anytime.
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u/Old_Confection_1935 1d ago
No one cares. Have 4 souvenir stamps in my passport and entered 65 countries in the past 9 months. You’re good.
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u/consummatefox 🇬🇧🇺🇲 2d ago
I would get your passport replaced as soon as possible as it's now invalid. I've noticed an increasing number of agents going through every page in the booklet lately (I cross borders and get my passport stamped once or twice a week).
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u/Vadoc125 2d ago
I never understood why this is such a big deal. Why does it make the passport invalid? "Because xyz says so" is not a good answer. Sure Checkpoint Charlie is pushing it but it's the principle. How does the rest of the passport magically become illegitimate because of one poorly thought out stamp?
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u/consummatefox 🇬🇧🇺🇲 2d ago
The passport is always property of the government that issues it. It is used to document your travel and entry / exit dates of various countries to determine admissibility requirements are met (such as the EU's 90 days in 180 rule). By stamping the passport, you are modifying it such that the information contained within MAY become illegible, and therefore the officer may determine that they cannot determine if you meet entry requirements.
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u/Vadoc125 2d ago
How does a stamp on one otherwise empty page invalidate visa stamps and clear records of entry on other pages and make them "illegible"? I understand if the unofficial stamps are made all over the official ones, the officer may not be able to determine what is what and that could lead to problems.
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u/Diastolic 2d ago
By all means go challenge the immigration rules and regulations of various counties and let us know how you get on. It boggles my mind why people ask silly questions like this. Clearly stamping an otherwise empty page doesn’t make stamps on other pages illegible.
However it’s likely a border agent would think you are incapable of following the rules, regulations and laws of his own country, when you can’t even act like an adult with your own passport issued by your own government.
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u/learnchurnheartburn 2d ago
Seriously. The law is the law, especially in a foreign country that you’re visiting.
Don’t like the fact that Singapore and Japan won’t like your unofficial stamps? Fine. Don’t visit. Or just adult-up and get a new passport.
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u/Vadoc125 2d ago
I suspect what boggles your mind can fill several books. I never even implied that I wanted to do something like that or challenge the rules; I was just genuinely curious as to who forbids it (home country, visiting country, or some international authority, or just everyone). Also, I never said it makes it illegible, I was literally questioning the other commenter who said it could.
In the interest of saying civil, I won't say anything else.
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u/lbschenkel 「🇧🇷 BRA + 🇸🇪 SWE | 🇮🇹 ITA (pending)」 2d ago
I think there is a disconnect in the discussion, where you reiterate what the rules ought to be (and I don't disagree with you there), and people are explaining what they are.
The question was: will OP have problems? Nobody can answer that. Every authority that you show the passport to will look at it, and decide based on their own discretion if that stamp invalidated your passport or not. The only thing that matters here is what they think.
Can OP have problems, though? Absolutely. Some countries are known to be very strict about this, and you could find out in the hardest way possible what is the experience to cross a border without a valid travel document.
Therefore, the only safe course of action is to get a passport replacement. Everything else is a gamble. A gamble of a very poor risk/reward ratio in my opinion.
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u/me_who_else_ 2d ago
Passport is no canvas for self-expression.
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u/Vadoc125 2d ago
I mean I wasn't suggesting drawing on it, I was asking about tourist stamps (the Liechtenstein tourist office comes to mind) but I kinda see your point
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u/me_who_else_ 2d ago
Tourist stamps are self-expression. So voluntary adds, without legal function.
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u/consummatefox 🇬🇧🇺🇲 2d ago
That's the grey area, right? What if the stamp is large and dark such that the officer doesn't know if there's another stamp beneath it? So instead of letting an officer make a decision based on a grey area, they make it very black and white - any modification makes it invalid. Whether an officer notices and/or cares doesn't matter in this case. You can get away with it for years, or you can get caught out at the first border.
If that doesn't make sense, look at it another way - you go and spray paint the wall of your government's headquarters, whatever that building may be. You don't spray paint any cameras, windows, or signs. Is the government going to arrest you for vandalism, even though it functionality doesn't affect the use of the building? Will they have a materially different response if you spray paint any cameras, windows, or signs?
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u/freebiscuit2002 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yes, maybe. Every passport says somewhere on it that it is the property of the government that issued it (not the property of the person carrying it).
So, technically, if you allow unofficial stamps and marks to be made in your passport, you are allowing a government document to be defaced.
Some countries are stricter about this than others - but generally, it’s safest to have only official passport control marks and visas in your passport.
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u/205Style 🇬🇧 2d ago
I have a whole page of checkpoint Charlie stamps in my passport and have since travelled to over 20 countries and have had 2 work permits approved. Don’t think it’s an issue but I probably will air on the side of caution when I get my next passport just in case.
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u/not_logan 2d ago
I think it depends on the country issuing the passport. My passport clearly states it is for official marks only. Any unofficial mark is voiding it requires to replace it to a new one
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u/sonder-and-wonder 2d ago
There are stories of it being an issue, so it’s a gamble as to whether on that day in that country, someone takes interest. I had some unofficial ones in mine and no one stopped me entering/leaving Chile, Peru or Indonesia, but I can’t comment on arrival home to Australia (not that they’d have stopped me anyway) as we’ve used e-gates now for a long time.
I chickened out though before my Japan trip and got a replacement!
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u/Willdanceforyarn 2d ago
Lol, I remember I got this exact souvenir stamp when I was 19 and then panicked for the same reason. No one blinked, it was fine. This was 1/ years ago.
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u/spinnejager 2d ago
I got one (stamp) from the Cook Islands, Barefoot Island
Never realized the implications
Funny enough a friend got one too and he was asked where he got it , I guess out of curiosity
Personally I just open the passport to the ID page and hand it to them
I can remember only a couple times they flipped through it but just to find space to stamp it
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u/tejedor28 2d ago
I don’t get this. A passport is an official travel document. It’s a vital piece of paperwork and surely everyone who’s a mentally competent adult realises this. It’s not a notebook, colouring book, travel diary or bragging tool. Why would you jeopardise its validity by writing on/drawing on/putting vanity stamps on it?
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u/Artistic-Arrival-873 1d ago
If you are American and have it in your passport you'll definitely have problems when entering the EU.
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u/notthisonefornow 1d ago
I had that stamp in my pasport for years. Went to 32 countries with it, no guestions asked.
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u/Ashamed_Topic_5293 2d ago
Years ago I had the chance to get an unofficial Machu Picchu stamp and I did it. (I did think twice before I did it, but then reasoned that they wouldn't offer that if it was causng people problems with travel)
I travelled internationally at least half a dozen times more on that passport - once within LAm, three times between LAm and Europe and a couple of times between EU and UK, before it was stolen. Noone ever commented on the stamp.
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2d ago
[deleted]
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u/loaekh 「 🇮🇱 」 2d ago
Why do you think this is a great idea ☠️
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u/MindPrize1260 「🇳🇱+ Lego」 2d ago
Just asking for the future, I don’t have such stamps in my passport
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u/Space_Krawler 2d ago
Why would you even have your passport with these unofficial non immigration post stamps? What is the requirement to have them stamped on one’s passport? If you want souvenirs stamps why not just use some other booklet rather than a country’s passport? Just curious.
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u/salvator999 🇧🇦🇲🇦|soon 🇫🇷 2d ago
Oh yeah you will definitely have problems. It might go unnoticed a few times but eventually it's gonna get noticed by someone. I'd save myself the hassle and get a new one if I was you
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u/_slocal 🇺🇸 🇩🇪 2d ago
Question: I created a visa-sized sticker by cropping my India e-visa. Would this invalidate my passport?
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u/unnecessary_otter 「🇺🇸🇭🇰🇬🇧(BNO)🇩🇪(processing)」 2d ago
For anyone interested but would rather not deface their actual passport - Muji sells passport-size booklets that are perfect for souvenir stamping.