All about passport stamps 

I don’t know about you, but for me, one of the tiny joys of travelling has always been getting a passport stamp. While clearing immigration can be stressful, there’s just something satisfying about that little mark, almost like a badge of honour of having travelled widely.

But frequent travellers might have noticed something missing in recent years. Those passport stamps are slowly disappearing, and no, it’s not because you’ve been sneaking past borders – it’s part of a bigger shift in how the world travels today.

Why are passport stamps disappearing?

Image credit: @anders.jpg via Instagram

Many countries are phasing out passport stamps in favour of digital alternatives for the sake of making travel smoother, faster, and more secure. Furthermore, e-gates and biometric scanners can now scan your passport, compare it against databases, and let you through automatically, so there’s no need for a stamp.

Here at home, Singapore has already made the switch – foreign visitors on short-term passes no longer have their passports stamped since 2022. Instead, they’re issued electronic visit passes, or e-Passes, which make immigration clearance safer and quicker, according to ICA.