Travel sanity: Protect your passport by planning ahead

If you manage to get to the gate at the airport, you might feel that’s half the problem of travel solved.

But international travel has inherent hazards, not the least of which is what happens if your passport is stolen or lost.

A lost or stolen passport means your vacation could be over. It is possible to get an expedited full-validity passport, but it will take days, if all goes well. In the meantime, you can’t travel to another country.

You can get an emergency temporary passport, but that will only take you back home. If you are one-week into a multi-country 2-week vacation and your passport is stolen, then the sad truth is your next stop is probably home.

According to Business Insider, here are the steps to take if your passport is stolen:

– Call the police and get a copy of the police report. That might help you establish that you are the victim of a crime, which could possibly get you an expedited passport.

– Contact the US embassy consular section. Tell the officer if you were a victim of a crime and tell when you are planning to leave the country. This will help determine if you need an emergency passport of a fully valid passport.

– Get a new passport photo before you visit the consulate. There you can fill out the passport application and a stolen passport statement.

– Next you’ll have to provide ID at the consulate. This is where pre-planning makes a big difference. If you have planned ahead, you have a photocopy of your passport, driver’s license, birth certificate, and plane tickets or itinerary.

The new passport will cost $140, if you can wait for it to arrive.

Before traveling:

Make copies of your ID documents and put them in a suitcase, one that locks will help.

Leave a copy of your documents with a trusted ally at home.

While traveling, experts recommend that you keep your passport on your body, not in a bag or purse.. Wear a waistband holder so you can conceal it under your clothes.

According to US News, If you are not required to carry your passport in country, then consider locking it in a hotel safe.