# Passport stamps - not important anymore? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2001, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passport-stamps-not-important-anymore/93869 "2001-11-17T02:38:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passport-stamps-not-important-anymore/93869/21 "2001-11-19T00:47:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kipper \* > \*\*A few years ago I traveled into and out of the UK in my EEC passport (I have dual citzenship) and my passport was not even opened to check that I was mine! I just had it ready and they waved me on through. > > I remarked on this to the imagration guy when I left and he just smiled and said that if it wasn’t my passport “they would know”. \*\* Ditto when I came into Rome with a Canadian passport, was only asked to show the front cover. The immigration dude did not claim to have second sight, however. ---
**Author:** ![Hemlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Hemlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hemlock)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passport-stamps-not-important-anymore/93869/22 "2001-11-19T01:03:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ace309 \* > \*\*When I was visiting Finland and Estonia with my wrestling team this summer, I noticed that when re-entering Finland from Estonia, the Finnish passcontrol guy stamped near the back of my passport. This made no sense, since it was more or less a brand-new passport (I had gotten it especially for this trip). > > Any idea why? \*\* He was obviously a graduate of the special Advanced Insouciance course many immigration guys attand. Putting a stamp on the bottom corner of page 32 of a passport that’s hardly been used is an important skill. Putting a small stamp right in the middle of one of the few blank pages, so it cannot be used for a full-page visa, is another one. 🙂 **Kipper** - it seems to be standard procedure these days. Unless you like someone they’re interested in, they just wave you though. I wouldn’t say it applies to (say) Nigerian PP holders, though. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passport-stamps-not-important-anymore/93869/23 "2001-11-19T10:21:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ace309 \* > \*\*When I was visiting Finland and Estonia with my wrestling team this summer, I noticed that when re-entering Finland from Estonia, the Finnish passcontrol guy stamped near the back of my passport. This made no sense, since it was more or less a brand-new passport (I had gotten it especially for this trip). > > Any idea why? \*\* My first ever stamp was for the US (British citizen flying from Toronto to Atlanta). For some reason the Lady felt the need to stamp right in the middle of the passport on about page 20. At least Lithuania (my only other Country so far - I only seem to travel within the EU) got both on the first available page. ---
**Author:** ![mighty\_maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@mighty\_maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mighty_maxx)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passport-stamps-not-important-anymore/93869/24 "2001-11-20T00:49:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Goo \* > \*\*…And if you try and enter Japan with a passport full of south-east asian destinations, on a flight from Thailand, believe me they notice, and they also sort through your backpack for over an hour ! :rolleyes: \*\* Really? I’ve been to thailand several times and have never had a problem. Interesting, I guess it stands to reason though. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passport-stamps-not-important-anymore/93869/25 "2001-11-20T01:31:44Z")
It was years ago, but you used to be able to ask customs agents on trains to stamp your passport, even though it wasn’t necessary, as you went through each country. As far as eagle-eyed passport control: Back in the Iranian hostage days, the Canadian government gave an American a fake German passport in order to escape Iran. At the airport, an observent Iranian guard noticed the name on the passport was Hans A. Muller and demanded to know what was up, “Germany does not allow initials to be used in names on passports.” The quick thinking American said quietly, “My parents gave me the middle name of Adolf and I have been embarrassed about it so they made an exception and let me use an initial instead of using my full middle name.” The Iranian guard bought the story and let the American get on the plane. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passport-stamps-not-important-anymore/93869.md?page=1)