Holidaymakers are being told not to say a ‘fun’ six-word phrase when going through passport control. A travel expert says this is because you could find yourself in hot water with immigration.

Mark Wolters, from Wolter’s World, has travelled to more than 80 countries over the years. He now shares his top tips for people who find themselves trotting across the globe. In a recent video, Mark explained that travellers need to refrain from joking when passing through international borders.

He said: “‘I’m going to stay here forever, I love your country’. That sounds like a fun thing to say to the passport control officer when you come into a country, but I want to tell you, that is something you don’t ever want to say when you come across a border.”

He stressed that you shouldn’t “joke around” when at passport control. He urges travellers to answer them “politely”. He added: “Don’t add in the dad jokes.

“I know for me, my go-to when they’re like, ‘What are you going to do here?’ I’m like, I’m going to help the British economy by spending lots of money.

“Yes, it’s a good dad joke but it’s best to be like, ‘I’m here for tourism with my family’. That’s one of those things, you have to realise those passport and those border officers aren’t allowed to have humour, they’re there doing their job.”

Mark says border force officers are there to make sure the “wrong people aren’t coming in” meaning it’s not a good idea to joke around. He says you can make your “life easier” by remaining calm and polite.

Mark warns there are some phrases you should “never” say at security. He added: “You don’t ever say the word bomb, you don’t say human trafficking, you do not joke about drugs, you do not joke about overstaying, like, ‘I want to stay here forever’.

“You do not say any of those things because those are the trigger words where they go, ‘Oh wait, we need to do something’. Even if they know you’re joking, they don’t have a choice.”

The expert also advises people not to put their passport away until after they are through security. He says he has often spotted people putting their documents away and walking off, only to be called back by passport control.

He added: “If you’re putting your documents away before they feel it’s right, they could think, ‘Oh this person’s nervous, they’re trying to get away quicker’. That can lead to other questions, so just wait until they dismiss you.”

Travellers are also urged to make sure they know where they’re going to stay. He says not having accommodation sorted before travelling can often lead to “more questions” and concerns about trafficking.

“I sent my itinerary to myself, so we can say, ‘Oh we’re staying at the Marriott Amsterdam on this street here’,” Mark explains. “That makes it a lot easier because that’s one of those typical questions they might ask, so it’s good not to be vague.”