During our initial stop in Bucharest, we applied for an additional passport called a travel passport. These passports are valid for four years and they are for people that are applying for visas out of the country or need an additional passport in general.

We were all set to pick them up and went to the embassy excited and eager to have two valid passports so now we can apply for a visa a little more stress-free. When we got to the embassy, the embassy staff said, “I’ll just run in and grab your other passports but I’ll take your current ones in to check everything!” I said, that “sounds great, thanks”.

When he arrived back outside, he proudly showed us our travel passports and then I noticed that our original, 10-year passports (still valid and has our visas from this trip and all of our stamps from the trip) had two holes in each of them meaning they are invalid. WAT! I was furious but tried to collect myself and asked why they hole punched and invalidated our good passports. He looked super confused and realized that they thought that we were getting new 10-year passports and it’s out of habit they hole punch and invalidate the others. We have applied for a very important visa with our (now) old passport number and are praying that the country is gracious and that it doesn’t raise any red flags that the passport is now invalid.

They are now expediting new 10-year passports to Sofia, Bulgaria where we will be next week.

There is never a dull moment in travel, this one was and is extremely frustrating but I’m grateful we have a solution.