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