Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Europe
Reload this Page >

Blank Page Requirement in Passport

Search

Blank Page Requirement in Passport

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 21st, 2019 | 07:44 AM
  #21  
10 Anniversary
 
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 8,336
Likes: 0
Italy never stamps my passport, neither on entry nor on exit. Maybe because it's an Italian passport? However, someone told me that it's because everything's electronic now, they just need to scan the passport. (In my case, they just look at it, and wave me on.) I just checked my Italian passport, and it has 40 blank pages, and not a single stamp. I've traveled to the US at least once a year, and often several times in the five years since I renewed my passport. (I use my US passport when entering and leaving the US, but otherwise use the Italian passport.)

I'm fairly certain that Italy also neglects to stamp non-EU passports, because I've seen complaints on TripAdvisor about the following situation: someone enters the EU in Italy, and their passport doesn't get stamped. A few weeks later, the person exits the EU at Schiphol airport in the Netherlands and gets a lot of grief because there's no entry stamp, meaning that it's not possible to determine if the person overstayed their allowed tourist visit time. All of the complaints I've seen have specifically involved exit from Schiphol airport, but it may be a problem at other airports.
bvlenci is offline  
Old Feb 21st, 2019 | 09:13 AM
  #22  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 35,153
Likes: 0
In this day and age, it's hard to believe that the Dutch are that backward (or the Schengen countires) that they have no computer system set up to register people when they enter and leave countries. In fact, that contradicts what I've read about SIS, the information system they share which is maintained by France and updated every five minutes.
eg
https://www.rte.ie/news/europe/2017/...ecks-airports/
Christina is offline  
Old Feb 21st, 2019 | 09:25 AM
  #23  
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,763
Likes: 0
I think all of this is a non-issue, as I suggested initially, but, perhaps, more importantly, as others have suggested, because most places simply do not stamp passports anymore. Except if you ask for it as a souvenir. In Paris last year, I swear that the guy stamped it with a loud noise but there is nothing there. We have looked at our passports and, despite numerous trips to Europe in recent years, our only stamps have been in the Caribbean and Cuba. None from Europe. As bvlenci says, it is all electronic.
whitehall is offline  
Old Feb 21st, 2019 | 09:38 AM
  #24  
Community Builder
Conversation Starter
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 75,014
Likes: 50
From: https://www.us-passport-service-guid...for-visas.html

>>A standard, 28-page U.S. passport book has 17 blank pages for visa stamps. The non-standard, 52-page book has 43 blank pages for visas. Most foreign countries require a specific number of blank visa pages in a passport as an entry requirement. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met.<<
janisj is offline  
Old Feb 21st, 2019 | 09:57 AM
  #25  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,696
Likes: 0
My passport almost always gets stamped in Europe if I am entering or exiting the Schengen area. The only time it never gets stamped is when leaving the UK (it only gets stamped on the way in) and once last year, arriving in Rome the agent didn't stamp it and I had to ask him to. I would be nervous without a stamp, call me old fashioned but the last thing I want to do is get hassled by some dude for a missing one.
rialtogrl is offline  
Old Feb 22nd, 2019 | 12:59 PM
  #26  
10 Anniversary
 
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 8,336
Likes: 0
It's possible that the problem leaving the EU without an entry stamp is no longer an issue. I know I've read about it more than once in the Tripadvisor travel forums, but usually people reporting these things rarely say when it happened, I just did a search and found one such complaint from six years ago, but maybe the incident happened even earlier.
bvlenci is offline  
Old Feb 24th, 2019 | 08:55 AM
  #27  
 
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
We fly twice a year from Boston to Nice entering Europe through Germany and exiting through Zurich. I can't remember the last time they have not stamped our passports both entering and exiting. Upon exiting, the officers have sometimes taken exaggerated deep breaths when they have trouble finding the entrance stamp. I'd say the computerization has a ways to go.
mazzaschi is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
pbigham
Europe
23
May 8th, 2015 10:37 AM
mexeagle
Mexico & Central America
10
Feb 14th, 2009 10:18 PM
NJrunr3
Europe
18
May 29th, 2008 06:34 PM
Worktowander
Europe
7
Apr 14th, 2005 08:32 AM
Trey Andrews
Europe
38
Oct 30th, 2002 07:24 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement -