When traveling internationally, you should generally carry your passport with you at all times as it is your primary form of identification and is required for various checks like immigration, hotel check-in, and sometimes even when exchanging money; keep it in a secure place like a money belt or concealed travel wallet to prevent loss or theft
Key points to remember
- Always carry it: Even if you’re just exploring a local area, having your passport on you is crucial in case you need to verify your identity.
- Secure storage: Use a hidden pocket or a passport pouch to keep it safe from pickpockets.
- Copies for backup: Make photocopies of your passport’s important pages and keep them separately in case of loss.
- Consider the location: In high-crime areas, be extra vigilant about protecting your passport.
The best place to put your passport is definitely not the seatback pocket on an overnight flight from Orlando to Paris. Which is exactly where my young son left his
He’d been so insistent on carrying his own passport, and I thought, “Why not? It’ll teach him to be responsible.”
But my timing was off. My son, then 11, left his passport on the Air France flight. And of course, once my family had disembarked, they would not let us back on the plane.
How would we get through customs
What to do with your passport when you travel
Here are a few tricks for keeping carry your passport safe
Never put your passport in your back pocket
“That’s one of the worst places for it,” says Jeremy Murchland, president of Seven Corners Travel Insurance. He says many Americans feel they have to carry your passport with them at all times, but it puts them at greater risk of being pickpocketed. Murchland recommends that you leave your passport in your hotel safwhen traveling should i carry my passport
carry your passport luggage has a hidden zipper pocket
There are also times when you have to carry your passport it. So then what? “My luggage has a hidden zipper pocket built into the lining,” says Adam St. John, CEO of Sitata. “I store valuables like my passport and spare cash in there.” Other popular places to store a passport include a money belt and the inner pockets of a backpack
There’s a third way to keep your passport safe
You may need to show carry your passport if you’re shopping and want to get a VAT refund. But you can still leave your passport in the hotel safe, says Julie Ann Hargett, a luxury travel advisor. Just take a picture of your passport,” she says. Often, showing a picture of the document is enough. And if it isn’t, Hargett says you bring the passport, keep it in a safe place like a money belt, but make a copy of the passport and leave it in the safe. Having a picture makes it easier to get a replacement if your passport is lost or stolenwhen traveling should i carry your passport
What if your passport is lost or stolen while you’re abroad?
If you have an American passport, you’ll have to appear in person at the nearest embassy or consulate to apply for a replacement passport. Most of the passports issued by the State Department are valid for 10 years for adults and five for minors. But if it’s an emergency passport, it may only be valid for one year. I also have some advanced strategies for handling your passport in my complete guide to passports on my advocacy website, Elliott.org
Passport safety strategies you need to know
Sometimes when you check into a hotel while you’re abroad, the property will ask to make a copy of it. Be discreet. Don’t leave it unattended anywhere, like on a table when you’re in a café. “It’ll get stolen from right under your nose in less than a blink of your eye,” says Sangeeta Sadarangani, CEO of Crossing Travel. Instead, be discreet and always have eyes on your passport when it’s out in the open.carry your passport
carry your passport
If you store your passport in the hotel safe, don’t forget it when you leave. How do you do that? Betsy Ball, a partner at Euro Travel Coach, always puts one of her shoes in the safe. “That way, when you are packing up, you’ll notice that one shoe is missing,” she says. “That will prompt you to get your shoe, and your passport and valuables, out of the safe and pack them up with your other belongings before moving on in your travels.”https://newstd.in/wp
If your passport is lost or stolen, if you have the right insurance policy, it will reimburse the cost of replacing it. David Weisselberger, an attorney from Miami, says he’ll never forget the terrifying experience of having his passport stolen while traveling abroad.
“I assumed my travel insurance policy would cover the charges,” he says. “But I was surprised to learn that it only refunded a portion of the expenses. The policy’s fine print said that it only covered theft from a hotel safe, not from a personal bag.”