In the flurry of activity that accompanies an international trip, our travel documents—some of our most valuable and hard-to-replace possessions—can disappear.
That’s why we suggest you take some simple precautions before and during your trip.
Here are some of the best places to keep your travel documents:
1. Most importantly, make two photocopies of your passport. Specifically, the cover and the inside laminated page that shows your picture and vital details. Leave one copy at home with a relative or friend in case you need it faxed to the proper authorities and keep the second copy with you, but separate from your actual passport.
For example, keep your passport in one bag and the copy in another while in transit. Once you reach your destination, we suggest keeping your passport in a locked safe (preferable) or a locked bag.
Then tour the city with the photocopy on you. Some countries do require foreign citizens to have proof of citizenship on them at all times, so be sure to check the local laws.
2. Take a picture of the laminated page and email it to yourself. That way even if your actual photo, your photocopy, and your smartphone or computer are lost or stolen, you can log on to your email account from any desktop computer and print a copy.
3. We always like to carry a printout of our flight itinerary. Ideally, the itinerary will be from your airline and includes the flight receipt with the 13-digit ticket number. Some counties require you to have this on you when you go through immigration and customs upon arrival. Countries like to know you have a plan to leave—and not overstay your welcome (or tourist visa).
4. We also carry with us an RFID-blocking sleeve for our passport, like the ones made by Identity Stronghold. We keep our passport—and the chip buried in it with our personal information—inside an RFID-blocking sleeve at all times. Read more on what RFID is at Technovelgy.com
5. Some countries also require you to have proof of sufficient funds to support yourself on the trip. So if you plan to travel to one of these countries, simply take a printout of your latest checking or savings account balance.
6. Don’t forget to have at least six months left before your passport expires. As the US State Department warns on its website, “Passports Expiring Within Six Months May Disrupt Travel.” There’s a good explainer here as to why.
7. Always have a backup.
These tips will help keep your travel documents safe.
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