Keeping your passport and documents safe while travelling

Your passport is the single most important document you carry abroad. A few simple habits make losing it, or having it misused, much less likely.

Before you go

• Check your passport’s expiry date and the validity rules of every country on your route, including transit stops.
• Make digital copies of your passport, visa, insurance and key documents, stored securely (for example in an encrypted cloud folder) and shared with a trusted person.
• Note the contact details of your country’s embassy or consulate in your destination.

While travelling

• Carry your passport only when needed and keep it in a secure, closed bag, not a back pocket.
• Be cautious about who you hand it to. Hotels and officials may legitimately ask to see it; strangers and “agents” should not keep it.
• Never post photos of your passport or boarding passes online: barcodes can contain personal booking data.

If your passport is lost or stolen

1. Report it to the local police and get a written report.
2. Contact your embassy or consulate for an emergency travel document.
3. If a visa or residence permit was inside, contact the relevant immigration authority as instructed on its official website.

A calm plan, made in advance, turns a crisis into a manageable problem.