I'm a long-term resident of the Schengen area. Immigration at Frankfurt did not stamp my passport on arrival. Would this cause issues later on?
I am currently studying in the Netherlands and therefore have a temporary residence card. I am on a Zimbabwean passport and recently returned home. When i returned to the Netherlands i flew into Frankfurt first from south Africa and then connected to Netherlands. Upon arrival in Frankfurt i went through immigration but i have just noticed now that they did not stamp my passport in Frankfurt or in Amsterdam. Is this going to be a problem? I am in the process of applying for a transit visa for the UK and am concerned that my transit visa be denied because of this. Any information would me much appreciated!
Best Answer
Not all Schengen countries stamp passports of residence permit holders; this depends on national practice. Germany (along with, for example, Switzerland and Slovenia) doesn't stamp passports of residence permit holders.
And being that you have a valid residence permit, that is what dictates how long you can stay, so you will have no problems exiting or re-entering Schengen in the future.
As for the UK, they're not a Schengen country, and so don't care about what Schengen stamps you have or don't have.
Pictures about "I'm a long-term resident of the Schengen area. Immigration at Frankfurt did not stamp my passport on arrival. Would this cause issues later on?"
Why are passports not stamped anymore?
Governments and border control authorities relied on the symbols to monitor entry and exit for travelers. But, whether it's due to political reasons or technological advances, many countries are moving away from the old practice. Even if stamps are disappearing, a passport is still necessary for a trip abroad.Does Germany stamp your passport?
If you fly directly to Germany, your passport will be stamped when you arrive. If you travel by land, your passport should be stamped the first time you enter a Schengen country.Do Schengen countries stamp passports?
Your passport will be stamped once when you enter the Schengen area and once when you leave. Travelling between Schengen countries, there are no routine passport controls (although there can be random checks).Do you get your passport stamped in Europe?
And, unlike before Brexit, their passports will be stamped when they enter and leave Schengen countries.Kendrick Lamar - i (Official Video)
More answers regarding i'm a long-term resident of the Schengen area. Immigration at Frankfurt did not stamp my passport on arrival. Would this cause issues later on?
Answer 2
According to the rules as written you should have gotten an entry stamp when you crossed the external Schengen border in Frankfurt.
However, based on anecdotal evidence, it is not uncommon that border guards won't bother with stamps for travelers who have residence permits. That would be completely reasonable, were it not for the rules saying otherwise: The main purpose of the stamps is to enable checking whether the traveler complies with the appropriate length-of-stay rules, but those don't apply to you as a resident. (Or, to be precise, they don't apply in a form that can be enforced by looking at entry/exit stamps).
It is fairly well known that this happens in practice, and I cannot think of a reason why UK authorities would hold the sloppy practices of German border guards against you. It's not as if it would make sense for you to have sneaked in without being inspected, since you do hold a residence card.
If you desire to have complete peace of mind, though, go to whichever agency in the Netherlands deal with border control (if you don't know which, start with the local police) and ask for help with having your documentation corrected. Have boarding cards, tickets, etc. from your latest arrival ready as documentation. At worst you may need to spend a day going to the right office, so you might want to weigh that against the minuscule chance that not having the stamp would actually create trouble.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Max Vakhtbovych, Max Vakhtbovych, visionart.av, Claudia Schmalz