How to Keep Your Travel Documents Safe (and What to Do If You Lose Them)

Your passport, visas, cards and bookings are the most important things you carry. Losing them is stressful, but a few habits before and during the trip make it much less likely, and much easier to fix.

Before you go

• Check passport validity. Many countries require your passport to be valid for a period beyond your travel dates, often three or six months, and to have blank pages. Check the entry rules for every country on your route.
• Check visas and entry permits, including electronic travel authorisations some countries now require.
• Make copies. Photograph your passport's photo page, visas, cards (front only), insurance policy and bookings. Store them in an encrypted cloud folder or a password manager's secure notes, and carry one paper copy separately from the originals.
• Note emergency numbers: your bank's card-loss line, your insurer's assistance line and your embassy or consulate at each destination.

While travelling

• Use the hotel safe for your passport when you do not need it, if local rules allow you not to carry it.
• Split cards and cash between your wallet, a bag and your accommodation.
• Use a zipped inner pocket or a cross-body bag in crowded places.
• Never leave documents in a parked car or unattended bag.

If your passport is lost or stolen

1. Report it to the local police and get a written report for insurance.
2. Contact your country's nearest embassy or consulate. They can issue an emergency travel document so you can get home or continue your trip. Government travel sites, such as the U.S. State Department's travel portal, explain the process for their citizens.
3. Bring your copies, a passport photo if you have one, and your travel details.
4. Contact your insurer about covered costs.
5. Cancel any lost cards immediately.

Pair these habits with good travel insurance, and a lost document becomes an inconvenience rather than a crisis.

Cover photo by Kit (formerly ConvertKit) on Unsplash.