I've just had to get a new UK passport (reluctantly, as like you I prefer to have the EU red). But I've travelled for some years with a couple of unofficial stamps and never realised until now that they were a potential issue. Certainly I was never challenged on them. One is an Antarctic station one, one is from the Galapagos (my passport was stamped on landing) and one, the most obviously touristy, is from the Museo Intinan near Quito where you stand on what they claim is the real equator (as opposed to the nearby Mitad del Mundo - although latest thinking is that neither is in the correct spot!) As I said, no one ever challenged these and I hadn't thought that they might, until now. I'll be more careful in future!
Unofficial Pasport Stamps
I had the set of Inca Trail stamps in my old passport and nobody batted an eyelid - with entry into China, many South American countries and a few African ones. I also have a Liechtenstein stamp and San Marino stamps from their tourist information offices in my current and they haven't been a problem with Russia, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, USA and a whole host of others. But I'll probably be a little more cautious in future.
Oh yes, I forgot - I have the Liechtenstein one too!
5 Euro for the stamp? Now I seem to remember seeing that one of the gift shops. Literally a licence to print money!
Quoting DAOonVT
5 Euro for the stamp? Now I seem to remember seeing that one of the gift shops. Literally a licence to print money!
My Liechtenstein one cost me 3 euros according to what I wrote at the time (https://toonsarah.travellerspoint.com/102/) - to me it was worth it for the novelty value, as you get so few European stamps these days!
[ Edit: Edited on 24 Jan 2021, 10:05 GMT by ToonSarah ]
Sorry, looking at your San Marino stamps.......
I tried to get my passport stamped on the Gibraltar/La Linea controls points almost a dozen times and they always looked at me like I had 2 heads....they are missing out on a revenue maker!
Looks like I'll have to wait to apply for a new passport.
Need a haircut (UK extended lockdown means Worzel Gummidge looks more smarter than I do at the moment). I had some OK digital passport photos from late-2019 that were fine so thought I'd use those except UK Passport rules apparently require the photo be taken within the last month (and being digital they'll have dates, etc. embedded and doctoring those would probably count as fraud ...).
So need things to open up enough to get to a haicutter, then a passport photo place ...
Ian
The Post Offices that do a full id service should still be doing passport photos as well as the complete service:
https://www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder
Right below where you enter your postcode is the 'find a service' tab.
Not sure about barber shops in your area.....
You don't automatically need a 'hard-copy' photo. If you've got a smartphone/digital camera and a light-coloured wall you can take your own photo...or someone else can... and then you can do an online application.
https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports
Some of the supermarkets have working photo booths. Timpsons (shoe repair/key cutting etc so most are still open) also do passport photos. :-)
Quoting leics2
You don't automatically need a 'hard-copy' photo. If you've got a smartphone/digital camera and a light-coloured wall you can take your own photo...or someone else can... and then you can do an online application.
https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports
Some of the supermarkets have working photo booths. Timpsons (shoe repair/key cutting etc so most are still open) also do passport photos. :-)
Yes, I had mine taken at a machine in Tescos. But that doesn't take care of the pre-photo haircut issue!