Passport stamps are some of the greatest souvenirs we get from our travels around the world.
They are so much more than blotches of ink on paper; they remind us of places we’ve been, triggering much-treasured memories of the things we saw, the people we met and the adventures we had along the way.
When we pick up an old passport from ten years earlier and flick through the pages, like an old scrapbook from childhood, the memories, and feelings we felt while we were there come flooding back, reminding us how lucky we have been and even re-igniting our passions and dreams. There’s even a flash of pride when we look at a stamp from a country that few people travel too. Check out these amazing passport stamps from all over the world. Do any of these hold any special memories for you? Maybe some of them are on your travel hit list?
Passport Stamps from Asia
Singapore
dcgreer CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Singapore passport stamp – The Bay Marina Sands
Did you know?
Singapore is among the 20 smallest countries in the world, with a total land area of only 682.7 square kilometers, and is also the most densely populated, kilometer with 6,430 people per kilometer!
The record for the biggest ever game of pass-the-parcel was set in Singapore on 28 February 1998. It involved 3,918 students removing 2,200 wrappers from a 1.5 x 1.5 x 0.5 m parcel.
India
India passport stamp and visa – The Taj Mahal
Did you know?
Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India, and Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries. India is the world’s largest democracy and has never invaded another country in over 1000 years!
Vietnam
Vietnam Visa – A view of Halong Bay
Did you know?
An estimated ten million motor bikes travel on the roads of Vietnam every day, and you can still find the wreck of an American B52 Bomber in Hanoi’s West Lake.
The Philippines
Philippines passport entry and exit stamps – Palawan
Did you know?
The Philippines is the 2nd largest archipelago in the world, made up of 7,107 individual islands. More interestingly, however, the world record for most women breastfeeding simultaneously was 3541, set in Manila, Philippines, on May 4, 2006. Go the Philippines!
Kuwait
Kuwait passport stamp – Kuwaiti man
Did you know?
The Falcon is the national bird of Kuwait, they are found everywhere. There is a picture of a falcon on the stamps and the currencies.
On the Kuwaiti flag, the green stripe represents the fertility of Arab nations and the black represents the defeat of enemies. The red stands for the blood of the defeated enemy, and white symbolizes honor and purity.
Thailand
Thailand visa and passport stamps – A monk in a river boat in Bangkok
Did you know?
Thailand is the only country in South East Asia which has never been colonized by Europeans, although they share a fondness of monarchies – Criticizing the monarchy here can result in a prison sentence!
The full spelling of the country’s capital, Bangkok, in Thai has 169 characters. Here it is – Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit
Cambodia
Cambodia visa and passport stamps – Ancient pre-Buddhist temples
Did you know?
The infamous tyrant leader Pol Pot was considered as the most notorious war criminals of modern times, killing over one and a half million people during his regime. There are still an estimated 4 million landmines littered across the country. On a more positive note, Cambodia is becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, bringing more jobs and opportunities into the country. Oil and natural gas have also been discovered there in recent years, but we have yet to see if that will be a good or a bad thing.
Sikkim – Northern India
Entry stamp to Sikkim, India – Gangtok, Sikkim
Did you know?
Located in Himalayan Mountains, Sikkim is the only state with Nepali majority. The word Sikkim itself means ‘new house’ in the local Limbu language. We’ve been here, and while it’s incredibly beautiful, there’s not much more to say about it!
Darjeeling – Northern India
A passport stamp from Darjeeling – A Nepali-Indian Buddhist monk
Did you know?
As well as being the most famous location in the world for growing British-style tea, it was also a favorite holiday destination for British colonialists to get away from the heat of lowland India. An old steam train, which used to carry passengers and potatoes up and down the mountain, is still in operation for ‘joy rides’ around the mountain slopes.
The Maldives
Maldives passport stamps – Perfect clear blue water and a white-sand beach, fringed with palm trees.
Did you know?
There are around 1200 islands in Maldives, but about 800 of them are still uninhabited. Only 200 islands are populated, with 110 of those being home to (very expensive) island resorts. The Maldives is the lowest country in the world at 1.5 meters, so with rising sea levels, we may be saying goodbye to this desert island paradise.
Laos
Laos entry and exit stamps – Ancient Buddhist temple ruins
Did you know?
Laos has two national sports, Kataw, which is like volleyball with woven bamboo using feet instead of hands, and Rhinoceros-Beetle wrestling, where to Rhino-Beetles are provoked to fight to the death while spectators place bets! I love Laos!
Macau
Macau entry and exit stamps – The ruins of Saint Pauls
Did you know?
Despite being right next door to China, Macau has its dialect of Portuguese – “Macanese Portuguese” – as well as its variation of “Patuá.” It’s also home to the largest casino in the world, the Venetian Macau.
Japan
Japan visa and stamp – Street stall in Tokyo
Did you know?
Japan suffers an incredible 1500 earthquakes every year! Also, dancing late at night was illegal up until 2015, which may be because they didn’t want to disturb the 50,000 members of their population who are over 100 years old!
Passport Stamps from Europe
England – United Kingdom
London immigration stamp – Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
Did you know?
England is quite a small island, with no place in the country being more than 70 miles (113km) from the sea. It’s considered treason to stick a stamp to the letter with the queen’s head upside down, and the capital city of London has previously been called Londonium, Ludenwic, and Lunenburg!
Passport Stamps from North America
Canada
Canada entry and exit stamps – Incredible scenery of the Canadian Rockies
Did you know?
The official head of state of Canada is still Queen Elizabeth II, whose face appears on all of the nation’s currency, although she has very little, if anything at all, to do with the actual running of the country or its government. Canada holds the record for the lowest ever recorded temperatures in North America, at a terrifying minus 63 degrees Celcius! The name Canada itself stems from an amusing error in understanding – When the French explorer Jacques Cartier visited the country and spoke with local indigenous people, they invited him to visit their village or ‘Kanata’ in their language. Cartier thought Kanata was the name of the country, so the entire country is called a village!
Passport Stamps from South America
Lake Titikaka – Peru and Bolivia
Souvenir stamp from Lake Titikaka – A traditional grass house on a floating island
Did you know?
Lake Titikaka, located in Peru and Bolivia, is the highest navigable lake in the world and 3380 meters above sea level. Quite mysteriously, although the lake is up to 380 meters deep, a temple-like structure has been discovered deep underwater but has yet to be fully explored.
Peru
Peru entry and exit stamps – A Quechua woman in traditional dress
Did you know?
The humble potato actually originates from Peru, with an incredible 3000 different varieties being grown in the country even today! Peru is the world’s largest consumer of Guinea Pigs, with about 65 million eaten every year. The ancient Incas believed them to have magic or spiritual powers and used them in ceremonies, sacrificing 1000 Guinea Pigs and 100 Llamas to the gods every July to protect their crops. I’ve eaten a Guinea Pig, and it’s surprisingly tasty!
Ecuador
Ecuador entry and exit stamps – Mitad del Mundo, Equator monument
Did you know?
One of Ecuador’s biggest exports is bananas, valued at $2 Trillion US every year, which is interesting as bananas are not native to the Americas, they’re from Africa! Ecuador was also the first country in the world to declare that nature should have constitutional rights, just as humans do, which is something that Bolivia has also decided to embrace.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica passport stamp – Sunset from the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
Did you know?
Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet with over 130 species of fish, 1000 butterflies, 9000 plants, 220 reptiles, 20,000 species of spiders and 34,000 species of insects! Costa Rica dismantled its army in 1949 and had successfully held peaceful democracy ever since. However, it is very good friends with the USA and the majority of its police force, even traffic officers, carry loaded firearms at all times, so make of that what you will!
Colombia
Colombia entry stamp – Cartagena
Did you know?
Colombia is situated within the Ring of Fire, an area, and a group of countries affected by volcanoes and earthquakes, but don’t let that put you off. Colombia is said to have the most desirable emeralds in the world, with the deepest and most brilliant color, and the country is responsible for about 60% of the world’s emerald trade.
Bolivia
Bolivia entry and exit stamps – Bolivian woman wearing traditional Aymara color and bowler hat.
Did you know?
Bolivia is home to the world’s largest deposit of salt – The Uyuni Salt flats contain over 60 million tons of salt. It might all be scooped up sooner than expected too, as vast deposits of Lithium have been discovered underneath it, prompting newfound interest in the country from battery-producing companies all over the world. There are still 36 native or indigenous cultures in Bolivia, with over 30 different spoken languages, some dating back as far as 5000 years ago.
Machu Picchu
Souvenir Machu Picchu stamp – A misty day at Machu Picchu
Did you know?
Although the American Explorer Hiram Bingham is still credited as the first foreigner to discover Machu Picchu, his claim has been highly contested, with evidence suggesting that a German engineer, Augusto Berns, might have been there 40 years earlier. It is forbidden to enter the site of Machu Picchu, which is considered sacred, in the traditional dress of another country!
Brazil
A fairly boring entry and exit stamp – Not so boring Carnival dancers
Did you know?
Although Brazil is one of the most modernized countries in the world, there are still an estimated 70 uncontacted tribes in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest. Let’s hope they stay that way. In the Southeast of the country, local fisherman and freshwater dolphins have learned to work together to catch fish, the dolphins help to trap the fish then signal to the fisherman when it’s the best time to drop their nets!
Nicaragua
Nicaragua visa on arrival stamp – Central plaza of Granada city
Did you know?
The largest natural lake in Central America is Lake Nicaragua, named after the indigenous Nicarao people and the Spanish word for water, agua. It is still the most important source of freshwater in the country, which is why so many people are a little worried about the Chinese proposals to build a canal through the middle of it, to rival the Panama Canal!
Chile
Chilean visa stamp – The ice fields of Chilean Patagonia
Did you know?
Chile is the longest country in the world at a huge 2,647 miles (4,620 km) and the Andes Mountains run the length of the entire country from North to South, including 2000 active volcanoes! Chile is home to the world’s smallest species of deer, called the Pudu, which is incredibly difficult to spot in the wild as they are classified as endangered on the verge of extinction.
Argentina
Argentina entry and exit stamps – Tango, the national dance of Argentina
Did you know?
Tango, one of the world’s most famous, popular and difficult dances, was born in the brothels of Buenos Aires. Argentina is the only country in the world to celebrate Friend’s Day, or Dia del Amigo, which was founded by an Argentine scholar on the day that Apollo 11 landed on the moon.
Passport Stamps from Africa
Mauritius
Mauritius entry and exit stamps – The reason we all want to go there!
Did you know?
The national bird of Mauritius, the Dodo, has been extinct since about the year 1660. Its demise is largely blamed on the explorers and settlers who came to the island, as it couldn’t fly and was unaccustomed to predators; it was the easiest source of food.
Passport Stamps from Australia and Oceania
Australia
Australia entry stamp – A real-life native Australian
Did you know?
The longest fence in the world can be found in Australia at 5614 km long, which was built to protect fertile land from predatory dingoes. Australia is so huge, its width is equal to the distance between London and Moscow and the country’s largest private property is bigger than the entire country of Belgium. Most of it is uninhabitable desert though, where people have to live underground just to survive, like after an apocalypse. Good beaches though.
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