What to Do with Your Expired or Old Passport? How to Safely Manage, Retain or Dispose It in 2026

Why Your Expired Passport Still Matters in 2026

Proof of Citizenship and Identity from the Old Book

Your passport — even a cancelled or expired one — remains an official document issued by your government. It continues to show your name, date of birth, nationality and identity. Many processes, from job applications to background checks, may ask for previous passports to verify your identity or travel history. Some travellers keep old passports for exactly this reason.
In short: don’t assume your old passport is useless just because it's expired.

Travel History: A Valuable Record for Future Visas

When you apply for a new visa — whether for United Arab Emirates, the Schengen Area, United States or elsewhere — immigration officers often look at your travel history. Entry and exit stamps serve as proof of international movement, substituting for other documentation.
Your old passport may show multiple visits, demonstrating you’ve travelled and returned, which strengthens your visa application. If you discard that book, you lose this valuable evidence.

Existing Valid Visas Inside the Old Passport

One of the most common reasons to keep an old passport is if there’s a still-valid visa inside it. For example:

• The U.S. Department of State confirms that if your visa is valid, then even though your passport has expired, you may travel as long as you bring both your expired passport (with the visa) and your new valid passport.

• Similarly, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada states you can use a valid visa in an old passport for travel provided both old + new passports are presented.

So if you have a visa stamped in your old passport that is still valid in 2026, keep the old one safely with your new passport when travelling.

When You Can Travel with an Expired or Cancelled Passport

Valid Visa in an Expired Passport: How It Works

Here’s the usual scenario: you renew your passport, your previous one expires (or is cancelled), but you still have a valid multiple-entry visa in the old book. Provided the visa is undamaged and both passports are from the same country, you can travel using both books. For example, for the US:

“If your visa is still valid you can travel to the United States with your two passports, as long as the visa is valid, not damaged… and both passports… are from the same country.”
However: you must not remove the visa and stick it into the new passport — that would invalidate it.

Dual Travel: Using Old + New Passport Together

This arrangement is sometimes referred to as “expired passport dual travel” — you travel with:

• Your new valid passport (for entry requirements)

• Your old cancelled/expired passport (which contains the valid visa or shows travel history)
  It’s especially useful when:

• Your visa remains valid in the old book

• You need to show travel history via exit/entry stamps

• Some authorities require old visa pages for verification
  Make sure the airline you travel with accepts this setup (most do when clearly documented).

Visa Transfer from Old Passport: What You Should Know

If you renewed your passport and you still have a valid visa in the old one, you have two choices:

1. Continue travelling with old + new passport as above.

2. Some embassies allow you to transfer the visa into the new passport. But note: in many cases, transferring involves re-applying, paying fees and going through an interview — so travellers often choose option 1.
   If you choose option 1, don’t discard the old passport until the visa has expired or you’ve confirmed you no longer need it.

What Not to Do with Your Expired Passport

Don’t Just Toss It Without Checking Visas or Stamps

One misguided approach is to treat an expired passport like old coupons and throw it away. That’s a mistake:

• You may lose a valid visa that you still need.

• You lose your travel history record for future visas or job applications.

• You make things harder if you get flagged by immigration for missing documents.
  A travel security forum sums it up:

“Sometimes you have valid visas in the old passport that you might find use for later.”

Risks of Carrying an Expired, Damaged or Cancelled Passport Alone

If you carry only your expired (or damaged) passport, immigration or airlines may refuse boarding or entry:

• Your new passport must be valid for travel.

• Your old one must ideally be in good condition (not water-stained, heavily damaged, with chip intact) if you plan to use the visa inside it.

• Some countries / carriers are enforcing strict validity rules and may deny boarding even if you believe your documentation is correct. (See recent cases of travellers being refused because of passport-age or condition.)

How to Keep or Dispose of Your Old Passport Safely

When to Keep It: Souvenir, History or Backup ID

You might want to retain your old passport for any of the following reasons:

• It contains entry/exit stamps showing your travel history — useful when applying for future visas.

• It contains valid visas still in force.

• You want to keep it as a souvenir of your journeys: each stamp tells a story.

• It acts as backup identity proof even if no longer valid for travel.
  If you decide to keep it, store it securely: a locked drawer, safe deposit box, or safe-place at home.

When & How to Safely Dispose It — and Why

If you’ve confirmed that the passport:

• Has no valid visas remaining, and

• You no longer need the travel history, and

• You’ve backed up any data you want (photos, stamps)
  Then you may choose to dispose it. Steps:

1. Void it carefully — e.g., cut through the machine-readable zone, hole-punch or draw clear X-marks on key pages (never tamper in a way that looks like forgery).

2. Remove microchip/data page if your country’s passport has a chip (to avoid data theft).

3. Shred or incinerate the physical document or hand it over to a secure disposal resource.

4. Keep documentation (if any) that you had this passport and its disposal date (for future visa queries).
   This is important because an old passport still contains your personal data — name, DOB, nationality — so leaving it intact is a potential identity-theft risk.

Protecting Against Identity Theft: What to Remove or Void

An expired passport might look like “just a piece of paper,” but it holds personal data. To reduce risk:

• Cross out or remove the barcode/chip page.

• Do not leave it in an unsecured bag or drawer.

• If you keep it for history, consider scanning the important pages and storing them in an encrypted digital file, then store the physical copy in a secure, locked location.

• If you recycle or shred, make sure the MRZ (machine-readable zone) is destroyed so someone else cannot reuse the data.

Special Scenarios You Should Know

Passport Expired Over 5 Years: Is It Still of Use?

Even if your passport expired many years ago (5+ years, 10+ years) it may still serve as a travel-history record. Some visa applications ask about visits and passports dating back 10 years or more. Discarding old books could mean losing that proof.
Bear in mind: for actual travel you usually cannot use a passport expired long ago — rely only on it for archival purposes unless there’s still a valid visa inside. Many countries require your travel document to be valid for at least six months beyond your entry date or to have been issued within a certain timeframe.

Renew Passport Without Having the Old One: Possibilities & Pitfalls

If you lost your old passport before renewal or it was confiscated, you may face issues when:

• You had valid visas or stamps in the old book.

• Immigration or visa-issuance authorities ask for previous passports to verify travel history.
  In such cases:

• Provide a lost-passport affidavit or official statement.

• Be prepared for additional questions or delays in visa processing.
  This is why many travellers recommend keeping the old book until you’re absolutely sure you won’t need it.

Travel Records, Job Applications and Other Uses of a Cancelled Passport

Old passports can be very helpful when applying for:

• Jobs that need security clearance or background screening.

• Applying for residency/immigration in another country (they might ask for travel history for the last 5-10 years).

• Making visa applications for countries where multiple-entry history strengthens your case.
  Therefore, even if you aren’t planning to travel soon, retaining your old passport may pay off.

Why Use Our Professional Visa Service Rather Than Going It Alone

When you apply for a visa — e.g., for the United Arab Emirates via our platform — you benefit from:

• Expert guidance on selecting documents, including whether your old passport and visa history should be included.

• Pre-checking your travel history, visa stamps and previous passports to ensure smooth processing.

• Minimising risk of rejection or delays caused by missing old-passport details or mis-handled visas.

• A single trusted point of contact — reducing stress and saving precious time.
  If you attempt everything solo, you may miss subtle but critical checks (such as presenting both passports, or handling visa transfer appropriately). In contrast, our team streamlines the process — we ensure your documentation aligns with modern requirements, especially when “expired passport dual travel” is involved.

CTA: Ready to apply for your UAE visa? Let our professionals handle the complexities — [Start your UAE Visa application now].

How to Apply for a UAE Visa Through Us — Quick Step-by-Step

1. Choose your visa type on our platform (tourist, transit, long-stay).

2. Upload your new valid passport and, if applicable, your old passport copy (if you have valid visas or travel stamps there).

3. We review your previous travel history and advise whether your old passport needs to be included.

4. We prepare the application, submit to the UAE immigration authority, and keep you updated.

5. Upon approval, you receive your visa (electronic) and are ready to travel — with confidence knowing your documentation is in order.

Final Thoughts
Your old or expired passport is rarely “just rubbish” — it may still hold valid visas, travel history, proof of identity and citizenship. In 2026 you should approach it with care: decide whether to keep it safely or dispose of it correctly. If you are applying for a visa (like the UAE Visa), rely on professional guidance to ensure your entire document trail — old and new passports included — is handled flawlessly. Don’t throw away value; secure it or void it, and travel with confidence.