Passport stamp

Last updated August 29, 2024

A passport stamp is an inked impression in a passport typically made by rubber stamp upon entering or exiting a territory.

Passport stamps may occasionally take the form of sticker stamps, such as entry stamps from Japan, South Korea, and Sri Lanka. Depending on nationality, a visitor may not receive a stamp at all (unless specifically requested), such as an EU or EFTA citizen travelling to an EU or EFTA country, Albania,^[1]^{[ citation not found ]} or North Macedonia.^[2] Most countries issue exit stamps in addition to entry stamps. A few countries issue only entry stamps, including Canada, El Salvador, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.^{[ citation needed ]}

Argentina, Australia, Hong Kong SAR, Israel, Macau SAR, Cuba, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Jamaica and Singapore do not stamp passports upon entry or exit. Some of these countries or regions issue landing slips instead. Australia does not issue any form of physical evidence of entry or exit as a matter of course at the primary line, but will provide entry and exit stamps upon request to a supervisor. Argentina and Singapore send digital entry receipts containing conditions of entry via email. Visas may also take the form of passport stamps.^{[ citation needed ]}

Because there is no national authority, Antarctica does not have a passport stamp. However, the various research stations there may provide souvenir ones on request.^{[ citation needed ]}

Use

Border control officials often place stamps in passports as part of their immigration control or customs procedures. This endorsement can serve many different purposes. In the United Kingdom the immigration stamp in the passport includes the formal "leave to enter" granted on entry to the country to a person who is subject to immigration control. Alternatively, the stamps activate and/or acknowledge the continuing leave conferred by the individual's entry clearance. Other authorities, such as those in Schengen member states, simply stamp a passport with a date stamp that does not indicate any duration and this stamp is taken to mean either that the person is deemed to have permission to remain for 90 days within a 180-day period or an alternative period as shown on their visa, whichever is shorter. In Japan, the passport entry sticker also contains a QR code that allows the immigration official to electronically collect information related to that entry.^{[ citation needed ]}

Most countries have different stamps for arrivals and departures to make it easier for officers to quickly identify the movements of the person concerned. The colour of the ink or the style of stamp may also provide such information.^{[ citation needed ]}

Depending on the immigration authority, such stamps are also affixed on other documents that a traveller has to present such as their landing card, boarding card, etc.^{[ citation needed ]}

In many cases passengers on cruise ships do not receive passport stamps because the entire vessel has been cleared into port. It is often possible to get a souvenir stamp, although this requires finding the immigration office by the dock. In many cases officials are used to such requests and will cooperate.^[3]^[4] Also, as noted below, some of the smallest European countries will give a stamp on request, either at their border or tourist office charging, at most, a nominal fee.

Overview of passport stamps of countries

Notes

Related Research Articles

Border control comprises measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it also encompasses controls imposed on internal borders within a single state.

A visa is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on the duration of the foreigner's stay, areas within the country they may enter, the dates they may enter, the number of permitted visits, or if the individual can work in the country in question. Visas are associated with the request for permission to enter a territory and thus are, in most countries, distinct from actual formal permission for an alien to enter and remain in the country. In each instance, a visa is subject to entry permission by an immigration official at the time of actual entry and can be revoked at any time. Visa evidence most commonly takes the form of a sticker endorsed in the applicant's passport or other travel document but may also exist electronically. Some countries no longer issue physical visa evidence, instead recording details only in immigration databases.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport is a passport issued only to permanent residents of Hong Kong who also hold Chinese citizenship. In accordance with the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, since the handover in 1997, the passport has been issued by the Immigration Department of the Government of Hong Kong under the authorisation of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China. As the official languages of Hong Kong are Chinese and English, the passport is printed bilingually in both Chinese and English. In addition, unlike Chinese passport which can be issued by Chinese diplomatic missions abroad, the Immigration Department of Hong Kong is the only issuing authority for HKSAR passports.

A customs union is the principal area of robust formal agreement between the Principality of Andorra and the European Union (EU). Andorra borders two EU member states: France and Spain.

The visa policy of Australia deals with the requirements that a foreign national wishing to enter Australia must meet to obtain a visa, which is a permit to travel, to enter and remain in the country. A visa may also entitle the visa holder to other privileges, such as a right to work, study, etc. and may be subject to conditions.

A travel document is an identity document issued by a government or international entity pursuant to international agreements to enable individuals to clear border control measures. Travel documents usually assure other governments that the bearer may return to the issuing country, and are often issued in booklet form to allow other governments to place visas as well as entry and exit stamps into them.

The visa policy of the Schengen Area is a component within the wider area of freedom, security and justice policy of the European Union. It applies to the Schengen Area and to other EU member states except Ireland. The visa policy allows nationals of certain countries to enter the Schengen Area via air, land or sea without a visa for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Nationals of certain other countries are required to have a visa to enter and, in some cases, transit through the Schengen area.

Vietnamese passports are issued to citizens of Vietnam to facilitate international travel. They enable the bearer to exit and re-enter Vietnam freely; to travel to and from other countries in accordance with visa requirements, and secure assistance from Vietnamese consular officials when abroad, if necessary.

The European Union itself does not issue ordinary passports, but ordinary passport booklets issued by its 27 member states share a common format. This common format features a colored cover emblazoned—in the official language(s) of the issuing country —with the title "European Union", followed by the name(s) of the member state, the heraldic "Arms" of the State concerned, the word "PASSPORT", together with the biometric passport symbol at the bottom center of the front cover.

The Schengen Area is an area encompassing 29 European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice policy of the European Union (EU), it mostly functions as a single jurisdiction under a common visa policy for international travel purposes. The area is named after the 1985 Schengen Agreement and the 1990 Schengen Convention, both signed in Schengen, Luxembourg.

An arrival card, also known as an incoming passenger card, landing card or disembarkation card, is a legal document used by immigration authorities of many countries to obtain information about an incoming passenger not provided by the passenger's passport and to provide a record of a person's entry into the country. The card may also provide information on health and character requirements for non-citizens entering the country. Some countries require an arrival card for each incoming passenger, while others require one card per family unit, and some only require an arrival card for non-citizens only.

Visa requirements for Indonesian citizens are administrative entry restrictions imposed on citizens of Indonesia by the authorities of other states.

Visa requirements for Swiss citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Switzerland.

The gallery of passport stamps by country or territory contains an accurate alphabetical list of sovereign states, partially recognised states, and dependent territories with images of their passport stamps including visas. All Schengen countries and Cyprus use the same format for their stamps and stamps are not issued when traveling from one Schengen country to another, except for land border crossings to, from, and between Romania and Bulgaria.

National identity cards are identity documents issued to citizens of most European Union and European Economic Area (EEA) member states, with the exception of Denmark and Ireland. As a new common identity card model replaced the various formats in use from 2 August 2021, recently issued ID cards are harmonized across the EEA, while older ID cards are currently being phased out according to Regulation (EU) 2019/1157.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa requirements for Liechtenstein citizens</span> Administrative entry restrictions

Visa requirements for Liechtenstein citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Liechtenstein. As of March 2023, Liechtenstein citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 182 countries and territories, ranking the Liechtenstein passport 12th in terms of travel freedom overall, and the lowest of the EFTA member states, according to the Henley Passport Index.

Visa requirements for EFTA nationals are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states.

Passports of the EFTA member states are passports issued by the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. EFTA is in this article used as a common name for these countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automated border control system</span> Type of automated self-service barrier

Automated border control systems (ABC) or eGates are automated self-service barriers which use data stored in a chip in biometric passports along with a photo or fingerprint taken at the time of entering the eGates to verify the passport holder's identity. Travellers undergo biometric verification using facial or iris recognition, fingerprints, or a combination of modalities. After the identification process is complete and the passport holder's identity is verified, a physical barrier such as a gate or turnstile opens to permit passage. If the passport holder's identification is not verified or if the system malfunctions, then the gate or turnstile does not open and an immigration officer will meet the person. E-gates came about in the early 2000s as an automated method of reading the then-newly ICAO mandated e-passports.

Controls imposed on internal borders within a single state or territory include measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders through border controls.

References

External links

PassportStamp A site for recording passport stamp visits
Passport stamps from the whole world – 181 countries, 748 scans
Passport and Stamps - A Professional Travel Blog that takes inspiration from the common practice to collect stamps for countries visited upon entry

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[parlament.al-1] ttps://www.parlament.al/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ligj-71.pdf ^{[ permanent dead link ]}

[mvr.gov.mk-2] ttp://www.mvr.gov.mk/Upload/Documents/ZAKON%20ZA%20GRANI%5ENA%20KONTROLA.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}

[3] 5 Caribbean Ports to Get Your Passport Stamped

[4] Cruise Tales – 2015 South and East Caribbean #6: In Search of Passport Stamps

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