Keeping your travel documents safe is of the utmost importance. This is especially true once you’re out of the country because if you lose your travel documents or something happens to them, you’ll have a tough time replacing them and returning to the United States. Over the years, we’ve heard of many people losing their travel documents. But this doesn’t have to happen to you! Simply follow the tips below to keep your travel documents safe, so your trip goes as smoothly as possible.
Secure Your Travel Documents
No matter where you plan on traveling, you must keep your travel documents in a safe place and try to keep them close to you. This is especially important to do while going from one place to another, as it can be easy to misplace your travel documents while on the move. To help keep your documents secure, put them in a folder inside your backpack or in a bag with a zipper.
Consider Carrying Your Passport With You
Another way to protect your passport is to carry it with you while exploring your destination. This will ensure that you know exactly where it is at all times, which will, in turn, give you peace of mind. Carrying your passport with you is also a good idea because, in many countries, police can stop and ask to see your passport as a form of identification.
Wear a Pickpocket-Proof Bag
Although keeping your travel documents close to you is a good idea, you also need to be aware of your surroundings, as pickpockets could be near. This is why you should wear a pickpocket-proof bag and keep your passport inside. For example, you could get this anti-theft bag from Pacsafe to keep your travel documents safe. The bag is made with anti-theft technology and will help ensure no one can steal your passport.
Place Your Travel Documents in the Hotel Safe
If you don’t feel comfortable carrying around your passport, we recommend keeping it inside your hotel safe. Not only will this keep your passport secure, but it will also give you peace of mind knowing it is protected. To ensure you don’t forget the code to your hotel room safe, write it down on your phone or on a piece of paper and keep it in your bag.
Keep Your Passport in a Waterproof Bag
The last thing you want to happen is for liquid to spill on your travel documents or for them to get ruined in the rain. Fortunately, this can be easily avoided if you just place your passport inside a plastic bag when you aren’t using it. Bring a Ziploc bag with you while traveling, and place your travel documents inside as an extra form of protection.
Avoid Keeping Your Passport in an Easily Accessible Spot
Unfortunately, there are people out there who may try to take your passport. Although this may not be common, it can still happen, especially if you keep your passport in an easily accessible area, such as your pocket. Just make sure that if you carry your passport with you, you’re keeping it somewhere safe and that it’s not easy for other people to grab.
Have a Backup Plan in Case Something Goes Wrong
In the rare chance that something does go wrong and you end up losing or ruining your travel documents, you need to have a backup plan. Do your research beforehand and know where the nearest United States Embassy or United States Consulate is located. This will help you if you need to contact them to find out how to get a replacement passport before returning to the U.S.
Keeping your passport safe while traveling is essential and can be the difference between your trip going smoothly and you running into problems. But if you follow the tips listed above, you should be able to have a wonderful trip without worrying about your passport being stolen or losing it.Â
If you need a passport for your upcoming trip, Swift Passport and Visa Services is a leader in the industry, and we would love to help you obtain a passport. Simply visit our website to begin your application, complete the checkout process, and send in all the required documents. Once your application has been processed, we will send your passport to you. No matter where you plan on going, we’ll get you there.
