How a Simple Passport Mistake Can Delay Your Flight

Planning a holiday involves booking flights, securing visas and making sure your passport is ready for the journey. But there’s a tiny, often overlooked mistake that can cause major trouble at immigration: souvenir passport stamps. They may look harmless, but immigration officers take them seriously.

Souvenir stamps can cover important information in your passport or even resemble official visa marks. This can trigger extra checks, delays, or in extreme cases, boarding denial or refusal of entry. Passports are highly standardized travel documents, and any unofficial marks can be flagged as “damaged” or “untrustworthy” according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

There are real cases where travellers faced issues because of novelty stamps. For example, a British traveller in 2020 was stopped from flying to Thailand because her souvenir stamps confused airline and immigration officials. The global advice is simple: avoid unofficial stamps and keep your passport clean and readable.

Not all stamps are harmful, though. Official commemorative stamps issued by government immigration authorities like those in Dubai are perfectly safe and won’t interfere with travel. The key is knowing which marks are official. If it’s not from an immigration officer or government authority, it doesn’t belong in your passport.

Keeping your passport clean isn’t just about following rules it’s about ensuring a smooth, stress-free journey. A tiny mistake can lead to long queues, repeated questioning or even missed flights. Next time you’re tempted by a souvenir stamp, think twice. Travel smart, travel safe and let your memories stay in photos, not on your passport.