Why Didn't My Passport Get Stamped? A Country-by-Country Guide (2026)
14 countries have stopped stamping tourist passports altogether. Here's the full list, when each one stopped, and what to do if you collect stamps.
You arrived. The officer waved you through. No stamp. You're not alone. Millions of travelers are quietly losing the stamp tradition. Here's the list of countries that have fully stopped stamping tourist passports.
TL;DR
Roughly 14 countries have stopped stamping tourist passports altogether. You won't get ink at the border, even if you ask. Some replaced stamps with biometric records, some with entry slips, some just stopped without a replacement.
Why it's happening
Speed. Automation. Biometric records replace ink because they're faster to process and harder to forge.
Peru (2023)
This is where it all starts for me. I went to Peru in 2023 hoping for that classic border stamp, and the officer at Lima's Jorge Chavez airport just waved me through. No ink. Lima had gone fully digital that year. The only way to leave Peru with a stamp now is the souvenir one at Machu Picchu, which isn't an official border mark. A small disappointment, but it's the moment that started Stampie.
Here's the digital Peru stamp we made for your Stampie passport.
Argentina (2022)
Stopped in 2022. Buenos Aires international airports moved to biometric entry only.
Here's the digital Argentina stamp we made for your Stampie passport.
Uruguay (~2024)
Quietly phased out around 2024. No more stamps at Carrasco.
Here's the digital Uruguay stamp we made for your Stampie passport.
Israel (2013)
Famously dropped passport stamps back in 2013, replacing them with a small entry slip you keep with your passport. Still the cleanest version of the no-stamp policy: you get something, just not in your book.
Here's the digital Israel stamp we made for your Stampie passport.
Australia (2012)
The earliest of the big movers. SmartGate has handled most travelers since 2012. There's still a manual lane available for stamps, but they won't stamp by default.
Here's the digital Australia stamp we made for your Stampie passport.
Singapore (2019)
Singapore went fully automated in 2019. Tourist visitors at staffed counters can sometimes still get stamped, but Changi's auto-clearance lanes have replaced ink for most.
Here's the digital Singapore stamp we made for your Stampie passport.
Other countries that have fully stopped
Hong Kong (2013), Macau (2013), Iran (2016), Albania (~2023), Cambodia (2025), Jamaica (~2017), and Cuba have all moved to digital or no-stamp processes. North Korea and a handful of others have never stamped tourist passports at all. The list keeps growing.
Countries soon to stop
The list of "fully stopped" countries grows every year. Here's what's already locked in.
Europe (Schengen, 2025 to 2026)
The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) replaces physical stamps with biometric records (fingerprints, photos) for non-EU travelers entering the Schengen Area. Rolling out across late 2025 and early 2026. After that, stamping ends across all 29 Schengen countries. The biggest single change to passport stamping in decades.
United Kingdom (2026)
The UK Home Office is moving fully to electronic borders by 2026. For now, e-gates are open to most passport holders and there's no manual stamp by default. Ask the officer at a staffed counter and they may oblige, until they can't.
Here's the digital United Kingdom stamp we made for your Stampie passport.
Malaysia (MDAC, December 2023)
Malaysia introduced its Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) in December 2023 and is phasing out arrival stamping for travelers who pre-register online.
Here's the digital Malaysia stamp we made for your Stampie passport.
How to request a stamp anyway
In countries that haven't stopped completely, you can usually still get ink if you ask politely at a staffed counter and skip the e-gate. Have a small reason ready ("I collect them for memories") if needed. In the countries above, that trick stops working.
What this means if you collect stamps
The stamps you have already are a finite collection now. Many travelers are scanning them, framing them, or keeping their record in a digital journal like Stampie.
FAQ
Why is there no stamp on my passport? Almost certainly because you went through an e-gate, an automated kiosk, or you arrived in one of the countries above that have stopped stamping altogether.
Is no passport stamp normal? Yes, increasingly so. The list of countries that have fully stopped keeps growing each year.
Which countries have stopped stamping passports completely? Australia, Israel, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran, Singapore, Albania, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, Cambodia, Cuba, Jamaica, and North Korea.
Which countries have stopped stamping in 2025? Cambodia stopped completely in 2025. The EU's Entry/Exit System rolls out across all 29 Schengen countries in late 2025 and into 2026, ending stamping for non-EU travelers entering the area.
Does the United States stamp passports? The US stamps on entry only, not on exit. Global Entry and mobile passport control travelers usually skip the stamp; ask the officer politely at a staffed counter if you want one.
Behind Stampie
The idea for Stampie started in Peru, back in 2023. I’ve always loved collecting passport stamps, that small thrill of seeing a new one land at the border. On that trip they just waved me through. No stamp. A small thing, but it stuck with me.
Turns out a lot of countries have quietly stopped stamping. A couple of years later I built the first version of Stampie for a hackathon, somewhere to keep that little ritual alive even when the ink doesn’t come. A passport-style journal for anyone who still wants this souvenir from every trip.
It quietly found its way to people. As an indie team, we keep working on Stampie in coffee breaks, on weekends, and from wherever the next trip takes us.
More posts
How this post was made: AI-assisted tools may be used in research and drafting, then reviewed and edited by the author. Travel policies change quickly. For visa, border, and entry requirements, please check primary sources (official immigration sites, your embassy) before you go.