Keeping your passport safe is one of the most important steps to enjoying an overseas vacation. Your passport is an essential travel document and also a prized trophy for many thieves as they can be used or sold on the black market for big bucks. You can prevent a stolen U.S. passport by taking some easy measures to keep your documents secure.
If you are unlucky enough to have your passport stolen while you are overseas, you will need to make contact with your country’s embassy or consulate. They will be able to advise you on how to get a replacement pass port and give you the necessary paper work to fill in. Some nations now have an online service through the department of foreign affairs.
Your reissued passport can most likely be delivered to the diplomatic mission where you are staying. In some circumstances you may need the help of the embassy to work out the best way for delivery to occur. You can work out these details when you visit the mission in order to fill in the passport application and pay for the replacement. Usually you also have to pay an extra fee for the lost passport.
There are several measures that you can take while traveling to keep your passport safe. The first one is to always keep your passport safe. The best place is close to your body in a traveler’s pouch around your stomach. Do not place your passport inside suitcases as they can easily be misplaced en route and do not place them inside back packs while you are out and about visiting places as these may be stolen or pick pocketed easily.
After you have used your passport put it away immediately. Do not leave it lying on counters or tables as you can very easily forget to pick it up again. If you are using your passport to change money, register at a hotel, at customs or in any other situation, do not let it leave your sight. You should also not leave your passport in your hotel room unattended or with the staff of the hotel.
Keep copies of your passport with you in case they are needed. It is a good idea as well to have copy of your visa for the country you are visiting if you have one. Scanning your documents and storing them in your email account is a good idea in case of stolen passport.
As well as preventing a stolen passport, you should also be careful with your financial transactions. Be alert when you are withdrawing money from an ATM machine, using a currency exchange or visiting a bank. Put your money away quickly and do not flash it about, there are often thieves that prowl these areas looking for unsuspecting victims.
Simple safety and security measures while traveling in a foreign location can strongly minimize your chances of a stolen passport or any other problems. It is always better to prevent a problem through vigilance and common sense regarding your USA passport, than to have to go through a bureaucratic tangle in another country. If you experience any problems then your national representative should be your first port of call every time.
