Passport stamps and manual tracking

Confirm if a second passport is required for exiting France, particularly when going through automatic border control. Standard exit procedures usually rely on the primary valid passport.

It is becoming common for passport stamps not to be issued upon entry or exit from France, including cities like Nice. Immigration procedures are increasingly being handled electronically. If you do not receive a stamp, it is likely a normal occurrence.

Currently, border control in France (e.g., EuroAirport Basel/Mulhouse) may not issue entry stamps on Schengen visas. The key rule for Schengen visa validity is to spend the majority of your time in the country that issued the visa, rather than the country of initial entry.

With the increasing use of automated border control gates (e.g., at Orly, Lyon), physical entry/exit stamps are often not applied in Schengen passports. This can create issues for future visa applications or French visa validation (e.g., for "visiteur" visa requiring proof of entry date). * **Proof of Travel:** Retain all boarding passes and flight tickets as primary proof of entry and exit dates. These documents may be requested by consulates or visa centers. * **Manual Stamp:** If no automatic stamp is received, travelers may attempt to request a manual stamp from a border control officer. * **French Visa Validation:** For French visa validation, the entry date is required. While a declaration of entry (déclaration d'entrée sur le territoire français) can be used, retaining physical evidence like boarding passes is highly recommended for future administrative processes (e.g., residency permits). * It is crucial to be able to demonstrate that previous visas issued by France were used primarily for travel to France.