Passport stamps, love them or loath them?

[harvyk]

Over on FT there is a discussion over passport stamps. They are certainly becoming a part of a bygone era as more places use electronic means for tracking boarder movements. However are you happy to see them go or do you still love getting that stamp, if nothing else to say you've been there.

For me, I love the stamp. I look over my passport and see the places I've been and it always brings back good memories. However it took me nearly 2 years from the day I received my passport to the day I got my first stamp in it, since in those years I was simply flying MEL-AKL vv flights, which of course for AU citizens you don't get stamps for these days.

 

[boomy]

I love the stamps. Sometimes when I'm not sure about the date I traveled to a certain place I have a look at the passport to refresh my memory

 

[RooFlyer]

Love 'em. Great current reminder of travels and fantastic family history resource for others "later on" .

 

[Denali]

My husband loves love loves the stamps and we have wasted time standing around while they find a stamp. Last time, in NZ, he stood around so long for a stamp they gave him a permanent visa stamp.

I remember as a kid, flicking through passports and seeing stamps. Sad that we're losing it although I have quite a few nice visa stickers in the passport.

 

[Fifa]

I was only saying the other day that the stamps (and stickers) are filling up my passport too quickly .
I'm only just half way through my 10 years but more than half way through my passport!

 

[dmitri]

It will be a great memory to show people the stamps I have in 20yrs when they are no more

 

[Gredgy69]

I have always enjoyed getting the stamp in the passport - it's nice to look back on. Shame I don't know where my passport is from when I was a little tacker though.

 

[codash1099]

Love 'em. Helps me to remember where I went. I've still got my passports from the 1960's and they help prompt a rapidly weakening memory.

 

[casanovawa]

I used to like them then with my last passport i filled it up after only 5 years, so hit with another several hundred dollars to get a new one, this time I went for the 64 page variety...

But yes they can be interesting to look back on... At least places like Indonesia now use a smaller visa sticker that allows other stamps on the same page rather than the old sticker which took up a whole page everytime...

 

[stoneman]

Love them too, brings back happy (and sad) visits, and reminds you of all the wonderful places you've been lucky enough to see and experience!
My passports are all precious to me

 

[Himeno]

Love the entry/exit/visa stamps stickers.
Hate the security stickers they attempt to put on the cover.

 

[defurax]

I used to like them then with my last passport i filled it up after only 5 years, so hit with another several hundred dollars to get a new one, this time I went for the 64 page variety...

One of my passports is from a country that charges no fee to replace a passport when all visa pages are full. Needless to say it is the passport I use when traveling to countries that are stamping passports.

 

[Robert K]

why would you loath stamps?? do you loath puppies too?

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Love the stamps.... when I have plenty of pages!

 

[harvyk]

why would you loath stamps?? do you loath puppies too?

Well there is an argument that if your crossing a border ever week or so that you'll run out pages very quickly.

 

[markis10]

Well there is an argument that if your crossing a border ever week or so that you'll run out pages very quickly.

Agree, people tend to loath unnecessary spending of money when said stamps fill a passport.

 

[cmon0005]

Yeah I love getting them, just not when they're oversized stamps, or blurry or stamped over the top of another or when the officer is too lazy to find the corresponding entry stamp and stamps elsewhere.. Really I don't care that much but do like them when they're available.

 

[docjames]

I was only saying the other day that the stamps (and stickers) are filling up my passport too quickly .
I'm only just half way through my 10 years but more than half way through my passport!

You can get a 64 page pp.

Love the stamps btw.

 

[docjames]

One of my passports is from a country that charges no fee to replace a passport when all visa pages are full. Needless to say it is the passport I use when traveling to countries that are stamping passports.

Care to share which country that is?

Can't imagine Australia (land f user pays) ever going for that. Victoria has finally agreed to give up charging for speed camera photos (from December - don't want to make the switch too soon)!

 

[defurax]

Care to share which country that is?

Can't imagine Australia (land f user pays) ever going for that. Victoria has finally agreed to give up charging for speed camera photos (from December - don't want to make the switch too soon)!

It is a European country, I'd rather not say which one.... Lots of stereotypes....