E-Passport Query

[gaia]

I think the reason why they don't stamp it is to save you from getting a new passport so quickly, saving you money. Some countries' visas take up the whole page.

I have the APEC card, HK Frequent Visitor and Smartgate and I don't want to have to get them over again. I'm less than 2 years into a 10 year passport and it's 2/3 full. The China visas take a whole page and I've been waiting since February 2005 for the China APEC endorsement. OZ never stamps it and neither do NZ. I now ask the Asian countries to stamp it carefully and can get up to 10 stamps a page rather than the usual 6.

 

[N860CR]

I know between Singapore and Malaysia they definatley have to do it. I've heard stories of people who's passports weren't stamped (immigration officer must have forgotten or something) and were arrested when trying to get back into Singapore because they Malaysians figured they'd illegally crossed the boarder.

Things like that are enough to encourage me to ask for the stamp to go in!

 

[Mal]

At least the following countries/authorities stamp when entering/exiting in Asia:

Hong Kong
Singapore
Macau
Malaysia
China [plus of course the full page visa!]
Thailand

Several European Countries also seem to stamp in/out, but only if you are flying rather than driving.

Sometimes I like having the stamps, sometimes I don't.

As an example, I have several Thailand entry stamps. This may indicate to certain immigration officers that I am a "suspect" person due to certain [often wrong, and definately wrong in my case!] preconceptions about the intentions of male Thailand visitors.

Same if I have many stamps relating to countries which have a reputation for drug cultivation/smuggling.

 

[JohnK]

Sometimes I like having the stamps, sometimes I don't.

I like having the stamps in the passport both Australian and overseas. Sometimes I go through the passport to see where I have been in the last 3 years and what dates I was overseas.

My first 10 year passport had 2-3 pages of stamps. This one now is 6 years old and still not even half full. I intend to fill it up before it expires in 2010.

As an example, I have several Thailand entry stamps. This may indicate to certain immigration officers that I am a "suspect" person due to certain [often wrong, and definately wrong in my case!] preconceptions about the intentions of male Thailand visitors.

I have 8 entry/exit stamps now in my passport and after the next trip it will be 12. They must think that I am a butterfly, no helicopter or even airport! If you have been to Thailand you should know what these mean.

A couple of visits back I wasn't paying attention on arrival and somehow ended up in Terminal 1 instead of Terminal 2 after taking a wrong turn. The immigration officer took my passport and saw that I arrived with one world, and obviously in the wrong Terminal, and after looking through passport and finding full page Thai visa plus a bunch of stamps said to me that I should know better after so many visits to Thailand. I thought it was funny but he didn't think so. Eventually after 5 minutes of looking around for supervisor he stamped my passport and told me not to do it again.

 

[NM]

A few years back, a visit to Ukraine required two full pages - one for the visa and one for the visit validation authority stamp. This changes about 4 years ago when they removed the need for the validation stamp (you had to visit a specific office in Kiev to have the passport stamped within 96 hours of arriving).

So after 3 visits to Ukraine, I have 4 pages taken up with 3 visas and one validation stamp. The first visa was a full page stamp, the new ones are a full page sticker.

I don't have any long-term visas etc in my passport, so replacement is just the cost and paperwork effort. Next time I will get the frequent traveller 100-page version.

 

[serfty]

At least the following countries/authorities stamp when entering/exiting in Asia:

Hong Kong
Singapore
Macau
Malaysia
China [plus of course the full page visa!]
Thailand ...

Other Recent Counties with Co-ee of OZ who stamp:

Sri Lanka
Japan
UAE &
LOTFAP.

 

[Dave Noble]

Other Recent Counties with Co-ee of OZ who stamp:

LOTFAP.

The USA only stamps on entry , not on exit. Entry stamps are , ime, common when entering countries without right of abode and exit stamps are much less common; getting stamps in countries with right of abode via citizenship of a country, I have not had

Given the computerisation of records, I see no reason for the need for an exit stamp since the exit record is recorded; having an arrival stamp provides the purpose of recording date of entry into the country and restrictions so that the bearer has a record to hand and for quick reference for appropriate officials so has a use for those without right to remain in the country

Dave