Travellers in Southeast Asia are being reminded not to collect souvenir stamps in their passports following a warning from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The DFA cautioned that unauthorised stamps or markings can invalidate a passport and may be considered tampering with an official document. The Philippine ePassport, like other national passports, is government property and may only be stamped by authorised immigration officials.
In several destinations across Southeast Asia, temples, border crossings and tourist attractions offer novelty passport stamps as keepsakes. However, travel authorities generally advise against placing any unofficial markings in passports.
The same principle applies to Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish passports, as well as other national travel documents. Unauthorised stamps could create complications at immigration checks or even lead to denied boarding.
When travelling in the region, it is safest to keep your passport free of decorative markings.
