It is a traveler’s worst nightmare: you can’t find your passport and you’re a foreign country. Is it lost, or was it stolen? Either way, you and your trip could be in a world of hurt.  In order to help deal with this gut-wrenching situation,  you need to create an “Emergency Passport Kit” before you go on your next international trip. While the actual procedures for getting an emergency passport will differ depending on which country you’re visiting. The following is what you need to have ready in case of theft or loss of your passport while traveling to make the replacement of it as smooth and quick as possible.

Before you leave on your trip, visit the US government’s website to learn how to, and the cost of replacing a passport in a foreign country.  https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html

“Emergency Passport Replacement Kit” Contents:

• Three passport photos (some embassies only require two).  These should be identical 2″ x 2″ photographs taken within the last six months, featuring a front view of your face on a white background. Take the photos with you, it saves time should you need them for a new passport.

The following can be kept digitally on your phone, emailed as attachments to yourself so that you can retrieve them, or taken along as hard copies.

• A copy of your passport identification page
• Another form of an official government photo ID such as a driver’s license
• Proof of U.S. citizenship (such as a copy of your birth certificate, social security card or Certificate of Naturalization),
• Airline ticket, booking confirmation or itinerary
• A police report of the loss or theft, if possible
• An in-person passport application fee in U.S. dollars or the currency of your current destination (credit cards are usually accepted, but check)
• A passport application form (you can get this at the embassy of the country where the loss occurred.)

Trust us – you’ll thank your clever self for putting this together if your passport goes missing and you have to deal with the headaches of replacing it.

Pre-trip planning

If you plan to be abroad for more than two weeks, you may want to register with the U.S. embassy in the country you are visiting.  You now do this online by enrolling in Step Program.