Cool Passport Stamps
For travelers, a passport stamp is like a medal of honor: proof of places explored, adventures had, and lessons learned. We asked the globetrotting Traveler staff to share their passport stamps and tell us about the stories behind them.
Some told tales of their first trips abroad, college semesters overseas, and family vacations. “When I flip through the pages I’m instantly and palpably transported to various stages in my life: my childhood round-the-world trips with my parents, my footloose years on the Caribbean beat in my early career, and every trip with my children through their own growing stages. Each page tells a story, or three, depending on how many stamps are squeezed in,” says Executive Editor Norie Quintos.
It’s never too late to start your own stamp collection. If you are among the two-thirds of Americans without passports, you can apply for one without an appointment TOMORROW, Saturday, September 17, during the State Department’s Passport Day in the USA. Regional Passport Agencies will be accepting applications and hosting passport-themed events.
We want to hear from you: Tell us about your favorite passport stamp in the comments section below.
Photos by Krista Rossow, NGS
Related Topics
Go Further
Animals
- Cougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treksCougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treks
- Rare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginningRare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginning
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- Termite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million yearsTermite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million years
Environment
- Why the 2024 hurricane season could be especially activeWhy the 2024 hurricane season could be especially active
- Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.
- This deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the worldThis deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the world
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- This exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the worldThis exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the world
History & Culture
- See the story of Jonah and the whale like never beforeSee the story of Jonah and the whale like never before
- This ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the pastThis ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the past
- These are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit themThese are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit them
- Meet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius CaesarMeet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius Caesar
Science
- Women’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to changeWomen’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to change
- Hundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right nowHundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right now
- What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.
Travel
- A taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street foodA taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street food
- Discover southeastern Spain's secret coastal regionDiscover southeastern Spain's secret coastal region
- All aboard Norway's slow train under the midnight sunAll aboard Norway's slow train under the midnight sun