Your passport is probably the most powerful document you can own as a traveler. Without it, there is simply no way you can travel and enter foreign countries that require you to have one. But, believe it or not, hundreds and thousands of passports around the world get lost or stolen each year. If your passport is lost or stolen, you will find yourself in a very difficult and stressful situation. In most cases, you will have to spend hours and even days in the embassy office if it happens. To ensure the security of your passport and that of your identity, and to save yourself the frustration, keep the following tips in mind.
Take a Picture of Your Passport
While you are at it, take a picture of your credit card and other identification cards and important travel documents as well. The pictures may not be as official as the real thing, but you will be able to use the information there in case something happens and you lose your passport. After taking pictures of your documents, don’t forget to email them to yourself or save them in other cloud storages like Dropbox or SkyDrive.
Leave it in the Security Box
There is no point in taking your passport with you every single time you leave your hotel to dine or visit some tourist spots in the city you’re staying in. Doing this will increase the chances of your passport getting lost or stolen. To keep your passport safe, leave it in your hotel room. Most hotel rooms provide security boxes where occupants can leave important items in.
Tape it Somewhere Secure
Not all hotels provide safe boxes. If this is the case, you will need to find a more creative way to secure your passport and other important documents and IDs. One way is by taping your passport to somewhere secure like under the table or the bathroom cabinet. Just make sure you are going to tape and hide it in a place where room service won’t possibly be snooping around. If your hotel doesn’t provide a safe box and you are not comfortable hiding it somewhere inside the hotel room, you can just take it along with you, but see to it that you keep your eyes all the time on the purse or travel wallet where you are keeping it.
Remember to Take Passport Before Leaving
Finally, make sure that you don’t forget your passport in that security storage or underneath that table in your hotel room before checking out. Whether you are an inexperienced traveler or not, always make it a habit of looking back, not just when you check out of your hotel, but also when you get down of a cab or get up from a table after dining out.
Going to a country that’s new and unfamiliar to you can be very intimidating and daunting, especially if you are not used to traveling abroad. However, if you use your instincts and keep in mind the tips mentioned above, you will just be fine and you will definitely have a trip that’s both safe and memorable.
