US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced it will no longer routinely stamp passports during primary screening, the first checkpoint travellers pass through when entering the United States.
The decision was contained in a bulletin published on October 1, 2026, through CBP’s Carrier Liaison Program. Read more.
According to US CBP, it described the move as part of a broader effort to modernise its border management processes, which increasingly rely on automated forms, mobile services, and facial biometric technology.
The stamp does not disappear entirely. CBP confirmed that officers may still apply one during secondary screening, which happens when a traveller is directed for further examination after the initial check. Stamps may also continue to be used in certain situations at the primary stage, particularly when processing immigration visas.
Crucially, any traveller who wants a physical record of their entry can ask a CBP officer to stamp their passport. The request will be honoured even though stamping is no longer part of the standard procedure. The October 1 bulletin did not set a specific date for when the change will take full effect. CBP said only that the routine use of stamps will end as part of its ongoing modernisation drive.
