Part of the fun of travel has always been filling up a passport book full of stamps to mark all the countries you’ve been to. Unfortunately for collectors, that hobby will soon be a thing of the past in Europe, as it finally phases out passport stamps for a new digital system.
Starting October 12, Europe’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) will be deployed gradually across the borders of the 29 EU countries over a period of 6 months. The full rollout will not go into effect until April 10, 2026.
Rather than track their travels with passport stamps, travelers will have to provide a fingerprint or face scan for entry to EU countries, including France, Germany and Spain.
According to a Reddit thread originally discussing the news, some commenters lamented the change. “I miss getting a fresh stamp on my passport!” wrote one.
Others wrote that it’s just part of a global trend to phase out stamps, noting countries including Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Indonesia have already done it.
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While the move may not score points with fans of the stamps’ romance, it could ultimately prove to be a major time saver.
“The EES will gradually replace passport stamps with a digital system that records when travellers enter and exit, making border checks faster and helping staff to work more efficiently,” the European Union wrote on the EES website. “With EES, travellers will spend less time at the border thanks to faster checks, self-service options and the possibility to give their information in advance.”
Announced in 2023 with plans to originally start up in 2024, the program was delayed. Now, the EU says, the rollout will be a progressive one.
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“European countries will introduce the different elements of the EES in phases, including the collection of biometric data, such as facial images and fingerprints. This means that travellers’ biometric data (facial image and fingerprints) might not be collected at every border crossing point right away, and their personal information may not be registered in the system.”
Those who want to use the new self-service entry system will need a specialbiometric passport containing a chip with biometric information collected during the passport application process. If you don’t have one, you can still go through border control the typical way. And even when the system is fully implemented, travelers will still have the option of going through the typical manual border control process.
And if you’re still hoping to collect a few more passport stamps before the practice ends, you’re in luck. Passports will continue to be stamped until April 9, 2026.
