The National Superintendence of Migrations has announced that passport stamping for travelers on international flights were eliminated from May 29, adding that passenger transit will be registered on the Virtual Andean Migration Card (TAM for its acronym in Spanish) as a migration control mechanism.
This decision —enforced by Resolution No. 00119-2023-Migraciones and published in the Official Gazette El Peruano— was adopted after a careful assessment of the best international practices and the need to optimize the growing flow of passengers at air terminals, Superintendent Armando Garcia explained.
“In order to optimize the growing flow of passengers at international airports, following the best international practices and within a safety context, the decision to eliminate passport stamping for foreign and Peruvian citizens at the time of entry and exit from our international airports has been made,” he stated.
By removing the requirement for passport stamping, passengers on international flights will have a smoother and more comfortable experience when going through immigration checkpoints, since the time it takes to open the passport and find the corresponding page to stamp a seal is reduced, which will contribute to avoiding congestion at airports.
Another advantage, especially for frequent travelers, is that it prevents passport book pages from being filled with stamps, which otherwise forces the document to be replaced long before the end of its validity.
As of May 29, travelers are able to enjoy the full validity of their passports.
The elimination of passport stamping will also generate significant savings for the Peruvian State by avoiding the costs associated with the acquisition, maintenance, and management of stamps and special inks, the official explained.
At which airports will the provision be valid?
According to the superintendent, this provision will only apply to the following airports: Jorge Chavez International Airport (Callao), Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón (Arequipa), Alejandro Velasco Astete (Cusco), Air Force Captain José A. Quiñones (Chiclayo), and Air Force Captain Carlos Martínez de Pinillos (Trujillo). Only in case of contingency, passports would be stamped.
Security measures
This measure does not in any way compromise the security of immigration control at Peruvian airports hosting international flights, since this process is carried out using advanced technologies that verify the authenticity of documents and each traveler’s identity, Migrations said in a press release.
The transit of each passenger is registered on the Virtual Andean Migration Card (TAM), which collects all information of each passenger. This, in addition, is verified in real time at various databases with which Migrations interoperates, and is stored in the Migrations Information Registry managed by the State-run entity.
Besides, it contributes to eliminating the risk of stamp forgery since the migratory record is contained in the Virtual TAM, which can be verified online by clicking on this link.
The measure follows a global trend, since the innovative practice has been adopted at various airports’ immigration checkpoints, such as at air terminals in the United States, the European Union, South Korea, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Mexico, among others.
It should be noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic passport stamping at Jorge Chavez International Airport was suspended in order to minimize contagion risk