What Are Those Stickers Some Airports Put On The Back Of Your Passport?
You may have gone through an airport where someone from the staff slaps on a sticker to the back of your passport. They are annoying, not very aesthetically pleasing, and a bit of a pain to remove. So, what are those passport security stickers for and when should you remove them?
You can find all the answers in the video above or read on for the highlights.
Where In The World
Passport security stickers are commonly used in Asian and Middle East airports. Though not as common as they once were, they are still frequently used by staff to indicate a passport has been checked at some point between check in and boarding. They reason is that some airports want extra diligence in making sure passengers have a valid passport (e.g. not expired) and a visa for their destination, if needed. To reduce any human errors multiple security staff will check your documents and bags. To confirm they have for the next officer, a sticker may be placed to show you were inspected at a given checkpoint.
Removing The Stickers
You’ll want to wait until you clear customs at your destination before removing any security stickers but don’t want too long after arrival. The adhesive gets harder with time to remove but you can make things easier on yourself by using a little bit of olive oil, shown here. Many countries, like the United States, have passport control regulations that can cost airlines a hefty fine if they let someone on without proper documents. So it is cheaper to employee a few additional security screeners and use stickers to double and triple check you have a valid passport than letting even one person have to be deported back on the airlines’ dime plus the fees they’ll have to pay on top.