Passport: 5 stamps that could get you in trouble

Passport stamps, witnesses of our passages in foreign countries, are for some very aesthetic. They also have a symbolic significance, witnesses on paper of past journeys. This is why many French people bitterly regret having to return their passport to the administration each time it is renewed. But why couldn’t one just keep his expired passports as a souvenir?

Demarchesadministratives.fr informs us: the passport is in fact the property of the State which issues it, it is only lent to the citizen in order to allow him to travel between several countries. The reason behind the fact that the State systematically keeps and destroys passports past their expiration date is the fight against identity theft.

Diplomatic relations between governments of the world are complex. Some major developments are known to everyone, but other interstate conflicts are less present in everyone’s mind. However, they can have very concrete repercussions on your holidays… Indeed, certain stamps present in your passport could be synonymous with additional obstacles to the entry of a foreign country, or could even prevent you from entering it completely!

This is why, if you can avoid it in certain cases, it is better not to have your passport stamped. Some authorities may suggest that you affix the official stamp to another document, which you will nevertheless need to keep with you throughout your stay: in fact, the stamps in question are proof that your presence in the territory you are on is done within the rules.

Find below the 5 stamps that it is better to avoid having in your passport, otherwise you could face complications during certain trips, according to our colleagues from Figaro.