September 16, 2025 | 06:16 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A passport stamp is not just a sign of entry into a country, but also a memento of your adventures around the world. However, physical stamps are slowly disappearing as countries around the world replace them with digital entry systems.
Twenty-nine countries in the European Union will phase out physical stamps starting October 12, 2025. This phase-out will be gradual and will be completed by 2026 in most parts of the European Union. After that, other countries will follow.
The United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Argentina have already phased out stamps. Now, Europe and the United States are also switching to biometric and digital entry systems to track travelers' movements using facial recognition, fingerprints, and digital scanning.
Digital System
The European Union launched a digital system called the Entry/Exit System (EES) on October 12, replacing physical stamps for non-EU travelers entering the Schengen Area. This area encompasses 29 countries.
On April 10, 2026, travelers visiting Europe will be scanned instead of stamped. The system will capture facial images and fingerprints, then digitally store entry and exit data. This border check will take less time, but with greater security and reduced opportunities for document forgery.
According to travel experts, this shift is part of a broader global trend. "The world is moving from physical passport stamps to digital systems, all for increased security, more efficient border crossings, and a more standardized form of data collection," Gabe Saglie, senior editor at Travelzoo, told HuffPost.
This has already been implemented in many other countries. Australia began eliminating stamps in 2012, replacing them with e-gates, or automated lanes that use biometrics. The e-gate process is quick. Travelers approach the gate, where the gate scans their biometrics, their passport, and takes a photo. Afterward, the gate opens, and travelers can pass through and officially enter the country.
Although stamps will be phased out, passports remain important. Travelers will still need them to travel internationally, and a digital system will complement the way arrivals and departures are tracked.
The following countries are gradually eliminating passport stamps:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
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