If you are travelling to Germany, you need an insight on a few things.
One thing that most people often overlook is that of passports and, more so, stamping.
For instance, will Germany stamp your passport upon arrival?
That question has no definite answer since it mostly depends on your nationality.
The general rule is that your passport should be stamped upon entering Germany.
However, there are exceptions based on agreements signed with other countries.
For instance, Germany is a member of the EU, which means that any citizen of an EU country entering won’t have the passport stamped.
The same applies to citizens of the member states of the Schengen.
So, whereas Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland aren’t part of the EU, their residents can enter Germany without a passport stamp.
After all, the 4 countries are part of the Schengen area, and the agreement of this travel zone applies to them.
As a matter of fact, the Schengen member states need neither visas nor passports to enter the countries in this travel zone, let alone stamps.
Why Are Passports Stamped?
Passports are stamped for various reasons, including the following;
Keeping Track of One’s Movement
The main reason behind passport stamping is to record one’s movement without preparing bulky paperwork.
So, glancing at the stamps on your passport, one can quickly tell the various countries you have travelled so far.
Therefore, it eliminates the need for additional records showing these movements.
Equally important, the records will be up to date since stamping is done on time.
Passport Stamps Often Substitute Visas
Instead of offering visas as a separate document, some countries use passport stamps to substitute them.
It is a way of ensuring that keeping track of one’s visa is easy since instead of managing two documents, the passport is sufficient for the purpose.
Passport Stamps Proof Exit or Entrance to a Certain Country
When applying for a visa extension, one of the requirements may be proving that you entered or exited a certain country.
Passport stamps meet the description of this legal proof needed to extend your visa.
Passport Stamps Regulate Travelers’ Movements
Did you know some countries prohibit their residents from travelling to certain countries?
Therefore, their immigration officers will look for residents with stamps from such countries on their passports.
Once such a stamp is noted, it will be used as evidence in a case against you for violating such prohibitions.
However, some travellers have learned to avoid it by ensuring they don’t get passport stamps from the said countries.
For instance, American citizens will do so when travelling to Cuba due to the existing ban.
Failure to avoid the passport system will see such citizens incur penalties.
Passport Stamps Prevent Foreigners from Overstaying in a Country
A passport stamp indicates how long one can stay in a certain country.
It also shows the type of one’s travel and the stamp’s date.
With such information, any police officer who stops a foreigner can tell whether the person is in that country legally.
Consequently, people will avoid overstaying entry visas since they can be noticed easily, which wouldn’t be good for obvious reasons.
Why Don’t Some Countries Stamp Your Passport?
Interestingly, some countries no longer stamp passports.
Some are embracing the technology, thus using other methods to keep traveller’s records.
One must admit that replacing these ink stamps with other alternatives has changed the landscape in various airports.
For instance, people no longer have to queue in airports waiting for their passports to be stamped.
That has decreased congestion at the airport and saved both the travellers and the immigrant officers time.
Besides, the ink stamps were taking up too much space on one’s passport, which is no longer the case upon eliminating the stamping.
The passport stamps also have limitations, making them an unreliable way of keeping track of arrivals and entries into a country.
For instance, the stamps could be hard to read or counterfeited, which has seen some countries find them unnecessary.
So, don’t be surprised if your passport isn’t stamped when leaving some countries.
Which Countries Won’t Stamp Your Passport?
Some countries that no longer stamp passports include Israel, Macao and Hong Kong.
These countries offer landing slips instead, and that’s the documentation that travellers use to show that they are there legally.
Other countries in this list include Argentina and Singapore, and they are more advanced since they send entry receipts digitally via email.
These emails contain the conditions of an individual’s entry into these countries.
On the other hand, Australia neither stamps passports nor offers any physical evidence upon entering or exiting the country.
Antarctica’s lack of national authority explains why the country doesn’t stamp passports.
Sometimes, a country that often stamps passports won’t stamp yours, depending on your nationality.
For example, the passport of an EFTA or EU citizen won’t be stamped if travelling to an EFTA or EU country, North Macedonia or Albania.
Europe plans to join this club upon implementing a screening system to process arrivals.
Which Countries Only Issue Entry Stamps?
In most countries, travellers get both entry and exit passport stamps.
However, others only issue an entry one, and the countries include the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland, El Salvador and Canada.
Again, don’t be surprised if your passport isn’t stamped when leaving these countries.
Can You Stamp Your Passport?
You don’t want to try that since it can be the beginning of a long legal battle.
Remember that a passport is considered a legal document to a great extent.
Therefore, altering this document is a crime that could see you face the law.
Some countries, such as the United States, have included this warning in their passports.
The US passport declares that travellers cannot alter or mutilate this document.
Besides, only authorized officials from the United States and other countries can stamp the passport or add any other information.
So, avoid altering or mutilating your passport, including stamping it, to avoid landing in unnecessary trouble.