September 9, 2025, 12:47 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Who doesn’t enjoy getting a new stamp in their passport after a nice vacation? But that’s largely coming to an end: More and more countries are doing away with stamps. TRAVELBOOK shows which countries will soon completely eliminate them and cases where stamps can cause entry problems.
The era of passport stamps is slowly but surely coming to an end—at least in some parts of the world. Starting October 12, several countries are adopting a new biometric procedure, the so-called Entry/Exit System (EES). Instead of stamps in the passport, data, including photos and fingerprints, will be scanned directly. According to Time Out, the system is expected to be fully implemented in all participating countries by April 10, 2026, at the latest.
Overview
Countries Where Stamps Are Being Eliminated
Included are 29 European countries that are gradually eliminating passport stamps:
EU Member States in the Schengen Area
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
Schengen-Associated Countries
- Iceland
- Liechtenstein
- Norway
- Switzerland
4 Things Travelers Should Consider in 2025
Which Countries Require a Passport?
Where Stamps Can Cause Problems
Israeli stamps
Many Arab and Muslim countries, including Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, deny entry to travelers with an Israeli stamp or visa visible in their passports. In other countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, entry is possible even with an Israeli entry stamp, according to the German Federal Foreign Office.
To prevent travelers from encountering difficulties due to the stamp, Israeli authorities have stopped stamping passports. Instead, they now issue entry cards at the border. Generally, the stamp has not been used for several years, except in some cases.
Stamps from Countries with Entry Restrictions
Many countries now deliberately avoid using stamps to prevent complications. However, some countries, such as the U.S., may pose challenges for travelers with stamps from certain countries in their passports. This is particularly evident in the U.S.: Travelers with a stamp from one of these countries in their passport can face difficulties.
Also of interest: Old Stamps Remain Visible
Old stamps remain visible
Old passports remain valid until their expiration date, even as the new system is implemented. Since all entries remain visible, travelers may still encounter entry issues as long as they travel with these passports.
Second Passport Can Avoid Problems
In some cases, travelers can avoid issues by obtaining a second passport. According to the Potsdam city website, this can be useful if entry into one country is jeopardized by evidence of a visit to another country, such as due to political conflicts. This can also be beneficial for those working for an airline.