Why don't I get my passport stamped?

Submitted by LHRstarG on Mon, 2006-05-08 13:07

When crossing over to France, I'm always annoyed that they don't stamp my passport. Why the heck is this? I'm leaving England, and going into a Schengen country -- I thought the idea was that everyone had a record of when they entered the Schengen countries. And come to mention it, why don't they ever stamp me when I'm entering the UK?

What are the rules for stamping my passport, as I'm fed up with having a book full of blank pages...

shanojebs

Sun, 2006-10-01 17:50

Do you hold a UK passport? I'm asking because I've noticed something flying back into London and also catching the ferry between Dover and Calais in both directions.
I've noticed that non-UK/EU passport holders get theirs stamped and sometimes have several questions asked and details taken down (been there, done that, got frustrated), but UK and EU residents just get their passports checked and get whisked through.
I don't exactly know why they do this, but that wouldn't explain why you're not getting any stamps... if you have a UK passport that is.

Nigel-Lewis

Sun, 2007-03-18 10:50

Theoretically you shouldn't need your passport to travel between the UK and France because they have both signed up to the Schengen agreement. Easier said than done though as you will undoubtedly be asked to provide a passport on many crossings.
I once travelled from Holland to the UK without a passport, having left it on the train when arriving at Schipol airport!

N

camilomartinezf

Wed, 2007-03-21 11:26

UK is not a schengen country. I wish it was!

hellsbells71

Wed, 2007-03-21 11:56

That's right - the UK isn't a Schengen country, which is why you'll always have to show your passport when entering the UK, whether by land, sea or air.

I'm not sure why the UK won't stamp EU passports though - maybe it's something to do with the fact that they're EU passports and you're still within the EU - I know that when I've visited various Eastern European countries in recent months (which aren't due to become Schengen countries until December 2007), they still haven't stamped my passport :(

Does anyone have an answer for this? Any EU border guards using this website perhaps???

George2

Thu, 2007-03-29 22:40

The answer is actually quite easy : You don't get your passport stamped an an EU-citizen because there's no point. Passport stamp are there to enable officials to establish when you entered the country and when you have to leave it again. But since you can stay as long as you like in any EU-country, there's no point in stamping the passport. It's the same reason most countries don't stamp the passports of their own citizens.

Avebury

Mon, 2007-04-02 12:49

Interestingly until 9/11 it was quite possible to fly between th UK and the Republic of Ireland without a passport - I did this several times between Luton and Dublin; and one of my staff who didn't have a passport did it on a semi-regular basis for about three years until 9/11 when they tightened up airport security.

It is of course still possible to move across the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, without a passport.

Steve.

ads

Mon, 2007-07-09 11:49

Officially travellers do not need a passport to travel between airports in Ireland and the UK - and on arrival into the UK it isn't normally requested ... however on arrival into Ireland a passport is normally requested, but contrary to other comments here, this predates 9/11, and was an attempt to stop illegal immigration, rather than for security reasons ... however, if you sound Irish or English they usually let you go through with any documentation ... and any form of photo-ID listed in the following link is accepted - they just automatically ask for a passport, rather than actually needing one !

Of course some airlines require a passport, but that has absolutely nothing to do with security or immigration requirements - it is purely a commercial decision by individual airlines.

Common_travel_area_between_Ireland_and_the_UK

EricaTheRed

Thu, 2007-05-17 13:52

I understand your frustration, and have in the past tried to remedy this by actively requesting a stamp from the official. Most of the time, they have obliged.

patelisn

Mon, 2007-05-21 05:50

All EU citizens (coming from Schengen or not) have the right to enter and stay in any EU country for as long as they wish. If you seek employment you have to register as a permanent resident of that country (not immediately but after max 3 months). There are no stamps as all EU citizens are considered citizens of the entire EU; thus as you do not get stamps in your passport entering your own country you do not get them in all the EU. BUT if you request a stamp (saying for example that for some reason you have to prove to your country's authorities that you have been abroad) they will stamp your passport! In my case I give the excuse that there are local elections and vote is compulsory unless I am out of the country (which is a real case in Greece) ;-)

NB: The right to move and work in all EU is not yet granted to citizens of Bulgaria and Romania! They need passports to move around, but I do not know about the stamps.

Barrybiblade

Sat, 2007-06-30 09:50

Simple answer, travel further a field than Europe. Although this doesn't guarentee you'll get a stamp. I crossed in to Bosnia at a small isolated crossing the guy on duty didn't even have a stamp.
Of course having an Israeli stamp in your passport can cause problems if you want to visit other countries in the region.
My 100th country was Martinique, the passport officer wouldn't even look at my passport let alone stamp it.
I did fill a passport in just over two years. Expensive now to keep renewing them.

rdoetjes

Sun, 2007-07-08 10:35

A stamp or a VISA is nice as a sort of memento. However, these stamps and VISAs can also cause you pain, specially when it comes to skittish countries, like US, countries from the middle east and former Sovjet Union.

When I had a VISA from the Ukraine in my passport a lot of the times when I crossed into the US I've gotten additional questions in the lines of: 'Why were you there, what did you do overthere for your work, does your work involve biological or chemical knowledge?'. And this was after the cold war!

cas

Tue, 2007-07-10 12:09

I travelled on the eurostar many times from London to Paris and Brussels for the few years I was living in London, from 2003. The very first time to Paris from London, my passport wasn't stamped when leaving London. I didn't really think anything of it at the time, as I didn't know what was expected, although I was a little gutted not getting a stamp to show my first trip out of London since being there (my first time in Europe and all...). From then on, if I didn't get a stamp (it happened another time in Brussels), I simply requested one, and the stamp was put in. Although one time I asked if I needed a stamp, and was told no!

The funny thing was that I hold a New Zealand passport, so thought it was rather odd?!

patelisn

Tue, 2007-07-10 12:42

very strange! Are you sure you do not pass through a lane for EU citizens when you cross the passport control? I recently traveled from Paris to London and there was no way to pass without having your passport checked and stamped (if needed).

cas

Tue, 2007-07-10 13:14

Yes, I'm sure. I was used to standing in the lane that stood still for minutes at a time as I watched all the EU citizens file through their lane nicely... no congestion there.

But now that you mention it, the only time I went through the EU citizens lane was when that was the only lane open, which happened one time on a return trip to London. Passports weren't stamped that particular time (don't know why). They just filed everyone through and out we went. I left London at the end of 2005, but will be returning in a few months for a few weeks holiday. Hopefully I'll get a stamp on my way to Paris?!

But yes, very strange indeed!

panorama

Fri, 2007-08-03 13:05

I remember years ago, when I started traveling, you'd get stamped and stamped everywhere. asia was stamp happy, you had to get pages added to your passport. Visas used to be these big postage stamps, yes, they licked em and stuck em on...slowly that dissappeared. Electronic visas are the new thing, passport stamps nearly gome completely. You still get it in asia and africa, but it seems little place else, or just these little tiny ink-efficent stamps you can hardly read... makes overstaying too easy...

boriss

Fri, 2008-09-12 10:56

I come from Chile to Lisbon with conecction in Paris (Charles de Gaulle). I have a visa to residence... The police doesn't stamp my passport.... someone have an idea why? Maybe the visa givesme the status of resident of the EU and i don't need the stamp?

 

its weird considering the restriction for south americans citizens in Europe...

ValuJet

Sat, 2008-09-13 19:17

I, on the other hand, do hold a UK passport, but when travelling by Eurotunnel from UK to France, I got a stamp without request.  They seemed to be stamping everyone's passport.  This was on the passenger train, when I have been on the car/lorry etc train before they have never even looked at my passport.

On the other hand, when I asked for a stamp in Iceland, I was told that it was not allowed.  Strange.