Have you crossed the Ukrainian border but have no stamp in your international passport? This is not necessarily a mistake: Ukrainian citizens receive one at their personal request, while data on departure or return is stored in the database of the State Border Guard Service. Rules may be different abroad.
When it is worth asking for a stamp in your passport and how to confirm your trip without one is explained by UNN.
Are Ukrainian border guards required to stamp passports?
The rules are set out in Article 12 of the Law of Ukraine "On Border Control." Under paragraph 1 of part three, marks confirming the crossing of the state border are not placed in the passport documents of Ukrainian citizens, except when a person personally requests this. Therefore, a border guard is not required to automatically stamp every Ukrainian citizen when they depart or return. If a person has passed the inspection and received permission to cross the border, the absence of a stamp in the passport does not in itself make the trip illegal. Nor does it indicate that the border guard forgot to record the crossing.
If a stamp is needed, it should be requested directly during the document check. After the passport is returned, it is advisable to check whether the stamp was added and whether the date was entered correctly. In the event of an error, one should immediately contact a border service officer.
What a stamp may be needed for
A stamp makes it possible to quickly confirm the entry or departure date indicated in it. This may be convenient when an institution requests documents confirming a person’s stay abroad or the circumstances of their trip. However, there is no universal rule requiring all institutions to demand a stamp specifically. Before preparing documents, it is worth clarifying what type of confirmation the relevant authority accepts: a passport page, an official response from the border guard service, or other documents.
It is also important to distinguish between departure from Ukraine and entry into another country. A Ukrainian stamp confirms that the Ukrainian border was crossed. It does not replace the registration of entry by a foreign border service and does not determine the permitted length of stay abroad.
What to do if there is no Ukrainian stamp
If the absence of a stamp is noticed during the inspection, you can ask the border guard to add one. If the trip has already taken place and the date of the crossing needs to be documented, a practical option is to obtain the relevant information from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. The Service maintains a database of persons who have crossed Ukraine’s state border. To obtain data on a border crossing, an application must be submitted to the agency.
It is worth remembering that this information is confidential, so it is not provided to third parties without a proper legal basis.
How to obtain information from the State Border Guard Service
The application must state the person’s surname, first name and patronymic, place of residence or stay, details of the identity document, and contact information. The period for which information about crossings is required should also be specified, and a copy of the passport document should be attached. A sample application is available on the State Border Guard Service website.
The request can be submitted in person to the public reception office of the Administration of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, sent by post, or emailed to gcosi-dpsu@dpsu.gov.ua.
It is worth noting that an electronic request must include a scan of a handwritten application bearing the applicant’s handwritten signature, or an electronic document certified with an electronic signature that can be verified. Therefore, simply sending a message requesting the data without a properly completed application is insufficient. In addition, before sending it, it is advisable to check the requirements and details against the current instructions of the State Border Guard Service.
Why there may also be no stamp at the Schengen Area border
The electronic Entry/Exit System (EES) applies to short-term trips to the Schengen Area. According to the European Commission, as of April 10, 2026, it is fully operational at the Schengen Area’s external border crossing points. For travelers covered by the system, stamps have been replaced with digital records of border crossings.
If there are doubts regarding the registration of a crossing of a foreign border, you should contact the competent authority of the respective country. For EES data, there is a right to request access to one’s own information, as well as its correction or supplementation. Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service does not correct records of foreign border services.
Reminder
Earlier, UNN reported that the official authorities in Warsaw plan to introduce paid electronic queue reservations for freight transport at certain road border-crossing points on the European Union’s external border. The fee will be 20 zlotys, or UAH 237.