According to American Summer camp travel provider Wildpacks, ‘souvenir’ stamps may seem like a harmless memento, but can cause serious complications at border control
Brits may be unknowingly putting their holiday at risk by collecting passport stamps when travelling.
Passport stamps are badges of honour for many travellers, creating a nostalgic paper trail of their adventures. However, Brits heading to Wales, the United States and the European Union and those flying further afield this summer are being warned that collecting novelty stamps in their passports could cause serious problems on future trips or even blocked from entering countries.
According to American Summer camp travel provider Wildpacks, ‘souvenir’ stamps may seem like a harmless memento, but can cause serious complications at border control. The warning comes as more information emerges about when a new border regime for travel to EU countries will come into force.
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Because official immigration authorities don’t issue them, some countries treat them as tampering or even a potential security concern. The stamps are available at plenty of famous attractions such as like Machu Picchu, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch and Checkpoint Charlie, with the inky marks offered as a souvenir.
Tourist stamps are increasingly common at historic or iconic destinations. But some mimic official travel markings or reference politically sensitive areas — both of which can trigger delays, questioning, or outright denial of entry.
Jamie Fraser, American summer camp director at Wildpacks, explained: “Souvenir stamps have become a bit of a badge of honour for travellers — they look cool, they feel like part of the adventure. But the second you let someone stamp your passport who isn’t a border official, you’re not adding a memory — you’re risking the whole document being declared invalid.
“If your passport includes anything not placed there by an official, you’re at the mercy of each border’s interpretation. For something that takes up just one square inch, it can cause a world of trouble.”
In some cases, travellers have been forced to replace their passports entirely if a foreign border official considers it damaged or altered.
What the UK government considers passport damage:
- Unofficial stamps, markings or writing
- Torn or missing pages
- Faded or unreadable information
- Ink stains or water damage
- Loose or separated covers
If you are worried about your passport not being valid, companies such as TUI offer handy passport validity checker tools.
When it comes to making sure your passport is in good working condition, following these steps is a wise idea:
- Skip the souvenir stamp – Ask for it on a postcard or piece of paper instead.
- Don’t mark your passport yourself – Even small doodles or messages could be flagged.
- Do a page-by-page check before you fly – Look for unfamiliar marks, stamps or smudges.
- Replace early if in doubt – A clean passport is your best travel guarantee.
Some iconic souvenir stamps include Ciudad Mitad del Mundo which is located in Ecuador at the Equator, Churchill in Canada which has branded itself the polar bear capital of the world and Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, a town famous for having the longest place name in Britain.