Passport stamp
Encyclopedia
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
upon entering or exiting a country. Passport stamps may occasionally take the form of sticker stamps, such as those received when entering Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Depending on nationality, a visitor may not receive a stamp (unless specifically requested), such as an EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
citizen traveling to another EU country. Most countries issue exit stamps in addition to entry stamps. A few countries only issue entry stamps, including Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Visas
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
may also take the form of passport stamps.
Use
Immigration authorities usually place stamps in passports at a port of entry or border crossing, as part of their immigration control or customs procedures. This endorsement can serve many different purposes. In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the immigration stamp in the passport includes the formal "leave to enter
Leave to enter
Leave to Enter is the technical term for someone granted entry to the United Kingdom by British immigration officers.According to the United Kingdom Border Agency, a person who is neither a British citizen nor a Commonwealth citizen with the right of abode nor a person who is entitled to enter or...
" granted on entry to the country to a person who is subject to immigration control. Alternatively, the stamps activates and/or acknowledges the continuing leave conferred in the individual's entry clearance. Other authorities, such as the Schengen system
Schengen Information System
The Schengen Information System , is a governmental database used by European countries to maintain and distribute information on individuals and pieces of property of interest. The intended uses of this system are for national security, border control and law enforcement purposes...
, simply stamp a passport with a date stamp that does not indicate any duration and this stamp is taken to mean either that the person is deemed to have permission to remain for three months or an alternative period as shown on their visa. In Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the passport entry sticker also contains a QR Code
QR Code
A QR code is a type of matrix barcode first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside of the industry due to its fast readability and comparatively large storage capacity. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white...
that allows the immigration official to electronically collect information related to that entry.
Most countries have different stamps for arrivals and departures to make it easier for officers to quickly identify the movements of the person concerned. The colour of the ink or the style of stamp may also provide such information.
Bangladesh
Entry and exit stamps are sealed on passports for all citizens upon arrival at or departure from BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. Handwritten scroll numbers on the stamp make it easier to track a person's complete journey - a Bangladeshi leaving Bangladesh would receive a scroll number upon exit; upon entry, the scroll number would be used to summon related journey information of the traveler. The same is the case for foreigners, except that the scroll number is given on entry and then used on exit.
The stamps are always in black except the date, which is in red. The stamps contain an arrow exiting a door to denote departure or an arrow entering a door for arrival on the top left corner, and the image of the mode of transportation on the top right corner.
Rectangular stamps for entry and oval stamps for exit make it visually easier to trace movements.
Hong Kong
Just prior to and after the 1997 transfer of sovereigntyTransfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong
The transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, referred to as ‘the Return’ or ‘the Reunification’ by the Chinese and ‘the Handover’ by others, took place on 1 July 1997...
from the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, arrival and departure stamps were identical at all ports of entry. Ink colour of the stamp was used to differentiate the points of entry. Those applied at the airport were in black ink while stamps from Hong Kong's sea entry points had blue, green or purple ink. Stamps for land border crossings with China were applied in red ink.
India
India uses the differentiation in passport stamp colours (blue/red) to quickly trace a passenger's movements. The stamp can be rectangular, circular or oval.Israel
Traveling with passports containing Israeli entry/exit stamps to certain Arab nations may lead to a denial of entry. Hence, travelers have an option at passport control to request that the Israeli stamps to be placed on a loose piece of paper instead of the passport.Macau
Immigration stamps applied by MacauMacau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
's immigration service under Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
administration had slightly different borders depending on whether the person arrived by land, sea, or air, but were all in the same ink color. After the transfer of sovereignty from Portugal to China in 1999, passport stamps naming the points of entry and departure were introduced.
Malaysia
Malaysian immigration authorities apply stamps for both entry and exit in all foreign passports and non-biometric Malaysian passportMalaysian Passport
The Malaysian passport is the passport issued to citizens of Malaysia by the Immigration Department of Malaysia...
s without in-built microchips. The only exception to the rule is for entry into Malaysia via train from Singapore, where a diplomatic standoff between Malaysia and Singapore has resulted in entries being "cleared electronically" without any stamping for the passport (see Malaysia-Singapore border
Malaysia-Singapore Border
The Malaysia–Singapore border is an international maritime border between the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, which lies to the north of the border, and Singapore to the south...
). Biometric Malaysian passports are not stamped as all movements in and out of the country are recorded electronically in the microchip.
Another peculiarity is the autonomy of the Malaysian states of Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
and Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
in terms of immigration. Residents of Peninsular Malaysia who travel to the two states are subjected to immigration controls and must get their passports stamped or fill in immigration disembarkation forms. There is also immigration control for travel between Sabah and Sarawak.
Malaysian entry stamps for non-citizens and non-residents are rectangular and stamped in blue. They bear the date of entry, point of entry and terms of entry. Entry stamps for residents are also stamped in blue ink but have an oval shape and bear the date and point of entry. Exit stamps are triangular and stamped in red. They bear the date and point of departure. Immigration officers have a tendency to scribble flight numbers or stamp or write the name of vessels next to the entry/exit stamps.
Nepal
Nepal is one of the few countries which use sticker stamps. Nepalese immigration authorities use separate Arrival and Departure stickers for entry and exit on all types of passports.Singapore
Singapore entry stamps are in blue or black and either rectangular for those entitled to 14 days, rounded rectangular for those entitled to 30 days stay, or hexagonal for those entitled to 90 day stay. Exit stamps are circular and in green. Both depict the date of entry/exit and entry stamps also state the terms of entry and permitted duration of stay.Both entry and exit stamps do not name the point of entry/exit but indicate them by the use of letters of the alphabet - "A" is used for entry by air, namely through Changi International Airport; "S" by sea though the Singapore Cruiseship Terminal or Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal; "T" by land via the Tuas Checkpoint; and "W" by land via the Woodlands Checkpoint. The entry stamp has the letter running along the border of the stamp together with a code number while the exit stamp has a single letter marked in the center of the stamp.
Vietnam
Vietnam passport stamps rectangular and name the point of entry, date of entry and whether the person is exiting or entering the country by using an arrow out of or into an box similar to the Schengen passport stamps. Mode of entry is indicated by an icon and also differentiated by the colour of the stamp - blue for air, red for land crossings. The permitted length of stay is printed with a separate stamp and the final date handwritten.Schengen zone
All 25 European countries within the Schengen AreaSchengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
have uniform entry and exit stamps. All stamps are applied in black ink except for the red date stamp and bear the country abbreviation within a circle of stars, the name of the entry/exit point, an icon to denote the mode of entry/exit. The entry stamps are rectangular and have an arrow into a square, while exit stamps are rounded rectangles and have an arrow out of a square. The stamps do not indicate any duration of stay and is taken to mean either that the person has permission to remain for three months or the period as shown on his visa.
Countries of the Schengen Area do not have border controls between each other. Border controls, and thus the application of passport stamps, are only carried out for those travelling to/from non-member states. Passports of Schengen-countries are generally only stamped upon request.
Romania
Romania is not a member of the Schengen Area, but is expected to enter in March 2011. However, being in the European Union since 2007, their entry and exit stamps have been harmonized with the stamp format of the Schengen states.Russian Federation
Entry and exit stamps are placed in a passport regardless of citizenship, Russian passportRussian passport
Russian passports are of two types: domestic passports issued to citizens of Russia for the purpose of certifying identity, international passports are issued for the purpose of international travel.- Internal passport :...
s are stamped as well as the foreign ones, except the Internal passport
Internal passport
An internal passport is an identity document used in some countries to control the internal movement and residence of its people. Countries that currently have internal passports include Russia, Ukraine, China and North Korea...
s, with which Russian citizens may travel to a few countries of the CIS
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
. The stamp shows the name of the country (КПП below the country name stands for checkpoint), the date, and the name of the entry/exit point. Stamp colours and series (the last number following the date) change every time in few years, currently the colour of the stamps is orange, but it can suddenly turn to be blue or red as well. Entry or exit is designated by a direction of an angle bracket in the stamp. Ukrainian passport stamps are identical to the Russian stamps and have the same information. They can be stamped in green, red, orange, and some times black ink.
San Marino Republic
Even though in an open border agreement with Italy, visitors can have their passport stamped by the San Marino authority at the passport office downtown.Switzerland
Switzerland although not a member of the EU has joined the Schengen zone recently.United Kingdom
The United Kingdom Border Agency only stamps travellers entering the UK by air, sea and rail via the EurostarEurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
. There are no checkpoints along its land border with the Republic of Ireland as the two countries have a passport-free travel agreement called the Common Travel Area
Common Travel Area
The Common Travel Area is a passport-free zone that comprises the islands of Ireland, Great Britain, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The area's internal borders are subject to minimal or non-existent border controls and can normally be crossed by Irish and British citizens with only...
. Travel from the European mainland is still subject to immigration checks, as the UK is not part of the Schengen area
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
.
The immigration stamp, usually in black ink, includes the formal "leave to enter
Leave to enter
Leave to Enter is the technical term for someone granted entry to the United Kingdom by British immigration officers.According to the United Kingdom Border Agency, a person who is neither a British citizen nor a Commonwealth citizen with the right of abode nor a person who is entitled to enter or...
" granted on entry to the country to a person who is subject to immigration control. Besides the date, the stamp also bears the name of the entry point.
External links
- PassportStamp A site for recording passport stamp visits