Passport Safety Tips While Traveling

Updated: October 18, 2023

Having a passport is a wonderful thing. With it, you have access to thousands of incredible destinations around the globe. Without it, you’re stuck in your own country.

Whether your passport is stolen, misplaced, or wrecked, having to replace it while abroad is ridiculously stressful, and something which can really throw a wrench in your trip. Replacing it means traveling to your nearest consulate or embassy, and in some parts of the world, these buildings may be in another country. Better to keep your passport safe.

So, it’s important to keep it safe at all times. It’s a small document, but ever so crucial, and whether it’s before, during, or after your travels, you should treat it as if it’s gold. The following are tips for keeping your passport safe, as well as other important passport information.

How to Keep Your Passport Safe While Traveling

1) Make Copies

Regardless of whether you’re traveling for a year, a month, or a day, you should always make multiple copies of your passport (you only need to photocopy the information page with your photo and name on it).

Place a photocopy in each piece of luggage, keeping them hidden, and leave an extra copy at home. Be sure to scan and keep an electronic copy too (email it to yourself or store in a password-protected file on your computer).

Having a paper photocopy will help with the process of getting it replaced and act as your identification should it be stolen or misplaced. If you want to go the extra mile, you can always have these photocopies certified (there is usually a fee involved with this).

Pro tip: It’s not a bad idea to travel with a set of extra passport photos in the unlikely event that you have to replace it. You can usually obtain these from a local post office or grocery store.

2) Protect It from the Weather

If your travels include drastic changes in climate, buy a passport protector and store it in a room that is as climate controlled as possible. If you’re traveling with it stored in your bag, make sure you have some form of waterproof cover.

Extreme humidity, rain, and other environmental factors can lead to your passport becoming damp, with ink running and stamps becoming blurry, with some sticking to the next page. You may then receive stern lectures from immigration officials about the importance of taking care of your documents, or worse, you could even be denied the ability to travel using your passport.

Note that storing your passport somewhere climate controlled is also important when you’re at home. If you find that your passport is damaged before your trip, don’t stress, you can look into getting it expedited.

3) Lock It in the Hotel Safe

The best place to keep a passport while traveling is in your hotel safe. You do not need to carry your passport with you at all times, and it is much safer to keep it in the hotel.

If your room doesn’t have a safe, head to the front desk and ask if management will put it in theirs. Otherwise, if you have doubts about the safety of your accommodation, find a lock for your travel bags and place it in a secure location in your room.

Apart from airport security and clearing immigration, it’s not necessary to pull out your passport for everyone who asks for it, not even the police. Always try to use a driver’s license instead. One of your photocopies will do just fine.

4) Keep It on Your Person When Carrying It

There are certain times when you’ll have to carry your passport with you, namely when in transit. In instances where you need to have it on you, make sure you keep it concealed and that you know where it is at all times.

Keeping it under your clothes or in a hidden pocket is a good way of carrying it, although you should make sure you have it in something that is water resistant and discreet, so that it doesn’t give away that it’s there. Do not buy a money belt. DO make sure you have removed it from your pocket before throwing your clothes in the wash.

If you don’t have a suitable pocket or place to hide it under your clothing, hide it in your backpack. Do not leave your bag unattended, and avoid placing it anywhere that is easy to access. Make sure it’s hidden, preferably within a concealed pocket.

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