Souvenirs are sometimes the best part of a vacation. The shell that you picked up along Bondi Beach will always remind you of your time in Sydney, and can almost hear the sounds of the bazaar each time you wear your silk scarf from Istanbul.
Some souvenirs, however, are better left in their country of origin.
A new trend involves collecting passport stamps from unique locations. Amongst these are Machu Picchu in Peru, Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, and Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch in Wales. Travelers give themselves the novelty stamps as reminders of the adventures they’ve been on, and proudly show them off in their passports. But that may not be the wisest move.
Page 5 of all United States passports clearly state that “only authorized officials of the United States or of foreign countries may place stamps or make notations or additions to this passport.” Anything else is considered an unauthorized alteration or manipulation of the travel document and can bar you from entering certain countries.
“The Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid the use of novelty stamps in the U.S. passport. The Department could potentially consider novelty stamps as ‘damage’ to the U.S. passport,” explained an official at the U.S. State Department. “We cannot comment on what passport damage or alteration might cause the Department of Homeland Security or the government of a foreign country to prevent entry at the border.“
So, if you’re planning on collecting the quirky stamps, rather place them in a travel journey.