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Your passport is probably
the most important item you will have with you on
your trip. You don't want to end up stuck
somewhere unable to return home because
you don't have your passport.
Keep your passport with you at all times if
possible. There may be activities when
you are unable to keep it with you such as when
participating in some type of water sport but
for the most part, always try to keep it with
you.
If your passport is
lost or stolen abroad
You will have to replace
the passport before returning to the United
States. Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or
consulate for assistance. Contact information
for U.S. embassies and consulates is also
available in our country information pages. Ask
to speak to the Consular Section to report your
passport lost or stolen. If you have been the
victim of a serious crime, be sure to tell a
consular officer about it as soon as possible so
we can provide appropriate assistance. If you
are scheduled to leave the foreign country
shortly, please provide our consular staff with
the details of your travel. We will make every
effort to assist you quickly. You will also be
directed to where you can obtain a photo for
your replacement passport. In most cases, you
will need to get a passport photo prior to your
arrival at the consular section.
If you are notified by a relative or friend
traveling abroad that his/her U.S. passport has
been lost/stolen, you may wish to contact the
Office of Overseas Citizens Services, U.S.
Department of State in Washington, D.C, at
1-888-407-4747. That office will be able to help
you put your friend or loved one in touch with
the closest U.S. embassy or consulate. Your
relative/friend must apply in person for a new
passport at the U.S. embassy or consulate.
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The
following website provides
information for lost or stolen
passports
Hotels and
Passports
There’s a long tradition
throughout Europe of statutes requiring hotels
to collect information on guests—including name,
nationality, and ID number—enabling law
enforcement to cross-check for wanted
individuals, criminals, or missing persons. The
European Union has since made such data
collection a requirement for hotels in member
states. Most of this information is simply
stored to be made available to authorities upon
request, though in certain areas, it is
regularly collected. In the past, some hotels
would hold guests’ passports for hours or even
overnight to manually complete the registration
process. Today, you usually just have to show it
at check-in.
Do not leave your
passport unattended
If you are traveling
alone with no one to help keep an eye on your
belongings, there may be situations such as
staying in a hostel with other people when you
have to leave items unattended. Do not leave your passport,
rail passes, money or other valuable items unattended;
take them with you.
Six Month Validity
Rule
Everyone knows a
passport is required to travel
internationally and of course your passport
cannot expire at anytime during your trip.
Several countries
require passports to be valid for at least 6
months beyond your planned return date.
In fact, you could be denied leaving the US
or entry into a country if your passport has
less than 6 months remaining.
To be
safe, verify your passport is valid for at
least 6 months beyond your intended return
date. Based on your travel dates, if
your passport expiration date will be
getting close to the 6 months cutoff, get it
renewed well in advance.
Secure your
passport
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 Your hotel may have an in-room safe
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Your hotel may have a
desk safe
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Keep your passport
with you in a
Money Belt or other secure location
Prior to your departure, make a photo copy of
the main information page inside your passport
showing your photo, personal information and id
number. Keep this copy with you on your
travels in a separate location from your
passport. It may even be a good idea to
swap copies with other members in your travel
party so should anything happen, there will
always be a backup copy. Having a copy may
assist you should something happen to
your passport.
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Zero Grid Passport Wallet - Travel Document Holder w/ RFID Blocking |
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This is the passport travel wallet we have upgraded to and find it to be exactly what we need. It has
RFID Blocking Technology, so your passport information cannot be scanned and stolen. There are multiple pockets that will hold several credit cards, paper cash and other small documents. It also has a zipper closure so nothing will fall out. It's almost exactly the size of your passport but a little thicker to accommodate the other items. Overall, it's extremely thin and compact. The best thing is, if you are traveling with a backpack or day bag, you can just toss it in your bag and not worry about anything being lost or bending your passport.
It comes will a pen in the center slot that we replaced with our
Fisher Bullet Space Pen with Clip that fits perfectly.
We really like this case for the
features and price. It can be
found on Amazon for less than $20.00.
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