When you go on a trip, especially overseas, all travelers should consider what they would do if they lost or had their important travel documents stolen. While this might not be a big problem here domestically, but once you are in another country, it’s a whole different ballpark.
If a traveler is not prepared before they leave on their trip, they should be prepared that they will spend a lot of lost time, money, and most often, patience trying to recover from this significant inconvenience.
Storing travel documents so you can have easy access to them in an emergency is not difficult, but travelers must have a method before they leave so they can quickly get on with their trip. Here are a few tips to help.
Step 1
Make copies of all important travel documents before you leave on your trip. Copies should include the following documents:
Passport (including pages within prior countries visited
- Visas;
- Credit cards;
- Birth certificate;
- Work permit;
- Driver's license; and/or
- Any other important documents.
When making copies of credit cards, do not make copies of the CV code on the back of the card – or better yet, just obliterate that number. Know that the back of most credit cards have the banks phone numbers to call to contact the card issuer in case of an emergency.
When possible, make copies of these documents in both color and black and white. Store the copies as a bundle (one copy of each document per bundle). While having copies won't get you back on the plane, they will help you if you have to go to the embassy and get new documentation.
Step 2
Get a second set of passport photos taken at the same time you get your originals taken. This will save you time if you need to replace your passport.
Step 3
Have all of these documents digitally scanned and email them to yourself so you have access to them in case of an emergency. By doing so, you will have access to them anywhere in the world. This can be very valuable if you lost all of your ID and need to help prove who you are.
Step 4
Bring one set of the copies with you on your trip--particularly if you are traveling overseas. Keep the copies in your hotel safe.
Step 5
Depending on the country you are visiting, you usually don’t have to keep your passport with you during the day, and keeping it in hotel safe behind the front desk is usually the safest place. Many travelers just keep a copy of their passport with them.
When in transit, keep your original travel documents on your person – stored in some type of travel document wallet or holder. Several different types are available, however you might want to consider ones that have built in anti theft security features – as well as ones that provide RFID protection to the newly issued passport and credit cards that contain RFID chips. Located at www.CorporateTravelSafety.com are a variety of travel document holders that have these built-in security features.
Women should be very careful when placing their documents in purses and handbags, and they can easily fall victim to slick fingered pickpockets and bag snatchers.
Step 5
If you think your documents may be exposed to water, consider keeping your documents in a waterproof or resistant case. You can purchase a waterproof travel document folder and wallets if needed, otherwise, you can easily use a zip-style plastic bag to keep your documents safe from rain to a leaky sun tan lotion bottle in your travel bag. Here are a few waterproof travel document holders to consider.
Step 6
Be careful. When you're in a crowded place, either at the airport, a party, a bus or train station or a store, keep a low profile. Don't wear a lot of jewelry or other "affluent" styles of clothing. You don't want to call attention to yourself as either a tourist or as someone who might have something worth taking.
Our site contains over 100 pages of travel safety tips and security tips that are useful for any traveler. You will find tips involving luggage theft, avoiding pickpockets, laptop theft, hotel burglary, and airplane, train, automobile, and boat travel crimes.
