Goodbye passport stamps—these 29 countries are phasing them out beginning next month

News Express |11th Sep 2025 | 130

For many travelers, a stamp in their passport is an official souvenir of a visit to a new country, and a passport full of unique stamps reflects a lifetime of adventures. Unfortunately, the passport stamp is on its way out. That little travel trophy is being replaced by digital systems designed to be faster, safer and more efficient.

Europe is leading the charge, and starting October 12, 29 EU countries will begin rolling out a new Entry/Exit System that will eventually replace stamps with biometrics. By April 2026, facial images, fingerprints and digital records will fully replace the ritual of the border officer's stamp. It's billed as modernization, but for many travelers, it's the end of an era.

And Europe isn't alone. The UK launched its electronic travel authorization (ETA) in January, following the likes of Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Argentina—all of which scrapped stamps years ago. Even the United States is quietly phasing them out, while also expanding facial recognition and programs like Global Entry, TSA PreCheck and Clear Plus. The world of travel is going paperless.

On a practical level, it makes sense. Digital systems cut down on fraud, speed up border checks and make movement easier to track. But for travelers, stamps were never just a bit of ink. They were souvenirs, time capsules and proof of adventure. Flipping through a passport full of faded imprints was like revisiting a personal travel diary.

Now that ritual is slipping away, much like writing checks or carrying boarding passes. And while you definitely shouldn’t stamp your passport yourself (it's illegal), some airports do offer commemorative stamps for visitors, so it’s worth asking at customs.

While the passport stamp is disappearing, the journeys remain. You’ll still make memories at every border; you just won’t see them smudged across a page anymore.