The passport stamp is disappearing. Here’s how to still get one.
The passport stamp is disappearing. Here’s how to still get one.
The US has stopped routinely stamping passports, and Europe quit back in April. Your next trip might leave no ink at all, unless you know what to ask for.
Admit it. You’ve flipped through your passport on a boring afternoon just to look at the stamps. The smudged one from that first trip abroad. The one the officer slammed down so hard it went through to the next page. The tiny triangle nobody can identify anymore.
That little ritual is on its way out. On 1 October 2026, US Customs and Border Protection said it will stop routinely stamping passports at the first border check. Europe’s 29 Schengen countries already stopped stamping non-EU passports on 10 April 2026. And yesterday, 12 October, marked exactly one year since Europe’s new digital border system started rolling out.
So before the ink dries up for good, let’s do one thing properly.
Stamp this passport while you still can
Tap anywhere on the page. Every stamp is a different city. Keep going, there’s a rare one hiding in there.
Ink out, databases in
In the United States, officers at the first inspection booth will no longer stamp your passport as a matter of routine. CBP calls it modernisation: automated forms, mobile apps and face scans do the job the stamp used to do. Your official proof of entry is now the electronic I-94 record, which you can look up on CBP’s I-94 website or in the CBP Link app. The bulletin didn’t give a hard start date, so you may still get lucky for a while.
In Europe, it already happened. The Entry/Exit System, or EES, now records every non-EU traveller’s entry and exit with a face scan and fingerprints. No ink, no page, no souvenir. Just a database entry that most visitors will never see.
- Europe’s Entry/Exit System starts rolling out at Schengen borders.
- EES is fully running. All 29 Schengen countries stop stamping non-EU passports.
- US Customs and Border Protection announces the end of routine entry stamps.
- The stamp becomes something you have to ask for. Or, in Europe, something you can’t get at all.
Will you get a stamp on your next trip?
Pick where you’re heading:
US officers can still stamp your passport if you specifically request it. Smile, ask politely at the booth, and have your passport open to a free page. Stamps also still happen in secondary inspection and for immigrant visas.
True or false?
Four questions. No passport control involved.
You can still get a US entry stamp if you ask for one.
True. CBP says stamps can still be used when a traveller specifically requests one.
Schengen countries still stamp non-EU passports on the way out.
False. Since April 2026, both entry and exit are recorded digitally in the EES.
Fewer stamps could make your passport last longer.
True. Frequent travellers often renew because they run out of pages, not because the passport expires.
Japan has train station stamps you can collect for free.
True. They’re called eki stamps, and many stations have their own design. Bring a notebook.
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A stamp proved you were there. It never said what happened.
Here’s the slightly unpopular opinion: the stamp was never the best part. It told you the date and the airport. It didn’t tell you about the alley where you got lost, the bakery that saved the afternoon, or the story behind the strange statue in the main square.
That’s the part worth collecting. Wingman has 700+ free self-guided audio tours across 155+ cities, made with local guides and available in 7 languages. Put your headphones in, walk at your own pace, and come home with stories instead of ink. Your passport will have more blank pages. Your memory won’t.
Quick answers
Is the US really ending passport stamps?
It’s ending routine stamps at primary inspection, the first check when you arrive. CBP announced it in a bulletin dated 1 October 2026 and didn’t set a firm start date.
Can I still ask for a stamp when I enter the US?
Yes. CBP says officers may still stamp a passport at a traveller’s specific request, during secondary inspection, or when processing immigrant visas.
What’s my proof of entry to the US without a stamp?
Your electronic I-94 record. You can look it up and print it on CBP’s I-94 website or get it through the CBP Link app.
Do Schengen countries still stamp passports?
Not for non-EU travellers. Since 10 April 2026, all 29 Schengen countries record entries and exits in the Entry/Exit System (EES) with a face scan and fingerprints instead.
Where can I still collect stamps?
Plenty of countries outside the US and Schengen still stamp passports. For fun collections, try Japan’s train station eki stamps, the Camino de Santiago pilgrim credential, or local museums and post offices.
Collect stories, not just stamps.
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Download Wingman for FreeInformation correct as of October 2026. Border procedures change, so check official CBP and EU sources before you travel.