Tips to preserve passport page space
 

During my last renewal, I thought about getting the thicker book but thought it would be annoying to carry around. I counted the number of stamps I had along with the countries I typically visit that don't stamp and thought I'd be OK.
My passport is less than 5yrs old and I'm already looking to renew. It turns out I've traveled to Europe much more often than expected and asia (where they don't stamp) much less.

Looking trough my book, I find there's less stamps overall and they tend to randomly stamp leaving lots of open space. Some pages only have three stamps but they're at odd angles to make it hard to fit another.
I remember when I was entering Schengen from Belarus, they were very efficient with stamping, fitting around 10 on a page.

Sometimes if the border agent seems friendly, I ask them if they can try to fit the stamp pointing out I'm running out of space. Other countries, they barely speak english or seem very angry and annoyed. It's also a strange request when you're first starting out with an empty passport.

Maybe it's a moot point since I'll need to renew soon. I only have two pages left currently.

EU is supposed to eliminate passport stamps in November 2024. It keeps getting delayed, but it might happen.

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2024...sical%20stamps.

If you travel a lot to EU countries, that might eliminate some of your issues.

Maybe, it would certainly cut down alot on the stamps.
November is coming up pretty soon.

When you renew, I would suggest just getting the bigger book, it's not really that much thicker. I got it last time I renewed and it's not that noticeable. Similar experience to you where there's a lot of "wasted" space but I never wanted to request border agents to do anything specific to save space. Ended up renewing about 3 years early.

I really miss the stamps, it's too bad they are going away... Pins on a map is neat but seeing physical stamps in the book really brings back memories and is fun to show the kids.

I read some "Travel blogs" suggesting you should put sticky notes with "please use other page" on every page except the one you want them to use.
I think I'd get some strange looks

Agents in SIN and MNL were always nice when I asked them to stamp on certain pages where there was just enough room for an entry and exit. I had written down on a sticky (for myself) where the open spaces were.

Once, I also very carefully peeled off a visa that was taking up a full page.:) I can't remember the country.

I had a page with six or so stamps, and the agent in SIN tried to fit in her stamp, with only 75% or so of the actual stamp showing up close to the edge of the page. :eek:

I feel the ones in BKK are the worst. Their stamps are still big and bulky (triangular), and each usually takes a full quarter of a page, and they stamp away so haphazardly, sometimes stamping over a crease or center crease! :rolleyes:

Any page with more than six stamps on it is a blessing for those trying to conserve pages.:)

I think agents are taught to not stamp over other stamps, but I don't see why a little overlap should be a problem so long as the dates are readable, esp. since they often stamp the exit stamp partially over the entry to show the connection between the two.

Old Thai agents may have learned to be haphazard when they had to also stamp the no longer used TM6 cards, which was literally twice the work.:)

Btw, I once took a taxi from Singapore into Johor Bahru and saw the taxi driver had dozens of stamps on a single page and the stamps were all one shape, meaning they were all entry or exit on that page.:)

I was old enough to have experienced having to fill up a physical arrival card in BKK (nowadays, DMK). On arrival, they staple the departure card on your passport. When you receive your passport, the card is haphazardly stapled so that corner or edges are sticking out in multiple edges of your own passport after you close that page. On departure, they use the old style staple removers at the end of the stapler to yank out the staple wire, sometimes leaving a hole on your passport page, not to mention an indent on the adjacent pages. Sometimes, they just pluck the card out without any care for what might happen to the passport page. You have got to admire the passion that these Thai agents have for stamping passports and plucking out the stapled cards.

When I was still in HS and one time I was traveling with my dad, he almost got scolded for having a small hole on a passport page at some immigration (can't remember which country), and the agent almost wanted to say his passport was "defaced." My dad then pointed out the Thai stamp on the same page. The agent then waved him away. So yes, I guess those Thai agents are also known as passport butchers.

I never really grasped the "problem" where some countries want a bunch of blank pages in your passport. If there is no room left, nothing would prevent them from simply pasting or stapling in a sheet covering over old stamps, or even stamping on top of faint stamps (from countries failing to spend much on new ink pads).

Very recently, we found that Peru and Argentina do not stamp passports at all, instead relying on electronic data in their computers to check on your arrival date.

That's the trend. US is typically not stamping as well at airports, SE Asian countries (e.g. Singapore) does not stamp, last I remember same with Australia. EU will get rid of theirs soon...

I just wish we all can switch to passport control like Singapore - you scan your passport, pre-fill everything, and than take 10 seconds to go through the gate.

I'll make a prediction, that in 20 years' time, passport stamps anywhere will be a rarity.

My passports tend to fill up with visas that have been pasted in. My "expanded" passport tends to last about five years, then I continue to carry old passports, along with my current, to continue using visas. Recent trip to China (10-year visa), I was carrying three, sequential passports.

I have a thick book and it's really not a problem. In fact, it's stiffer so there's less wear.

Having gotten my latest passport this year, I've come to the conclusion that it will be mostly blank due to the proliferation of countries that do not stamp. I don't usually go to countries that need a visa, though I have in the past.

To start a list, the following countries that I visit or might visit often do not stamp:
Canada
USA
Singapore
Australia
UK
EU (probably starting April 2026)

Countries that do stamp:
Japan
Taiwan