How to Keep Your Passport Safe While Traveling? (2023 Guide) (2024)

Your passport is integral to leaving and returning to the U.S. So, if you lose it, you will have to jump through hoops to get a new one in time for your return. Moreover, being in a foreign country without a valid passport can land you in trouble with the authorities. So, should you carry your passport with you when moving around? The key lies in knowing how to protect your passport while traveling.

How to Keep Your Passport Safe While Traveling

Passport safety starts with you. The more wary you are, the easier to avoid losing your passport or exposing it to theft. So, how should you go about it?

1. Conceal your passport: Exposing your passport leaves you vulnerable to thieves who may be lurking around you. As such, you should leave your passport out of sight unless you need to use it. So, if you’re not boarding a flight or going through customs, you should not have your passport exposed.
2. Be wary of your environment: Knowing who and what’s around you goes a long way in protecting your travel documents. Keep an eye on the people around you and avoid crowded areas where you can be prone to pickpocketing. Such incidents can even happen in the airport. So, the more cautious you are, the harder it will be to fall prey to such criminals.
3. Leave your passport behind: Your original passport is only mandatory when going through customs or boarding a flight. But away from these situations, you won’t need your passport much. So, should you carry your passport with you when leaving the hotel? The answer is no. Instead, process some passport copies, which you can present to officials as needed.
4. Use a passport bag: Passports are small and prone to getting lost during baggage checks. You can avoid such incidents by putting your passport in a small bag or pouch you will always have. It enables you to worry less about its whereabouts. And it reduces the chance of having your passport checked in as cabin luggage.
5. Make passport copies: Losing your original passport can land you in legal trouble. You can avoid such consequences by making several copies. Have some of them as hard copies and others as soft copies. That way, if you lose your passport, you can use the copies to process a replacement. You can also use copies instead of the original passport in official transactions.
6. Don’t entrust the passport to other people: While you can trust others to do other things, this trust should not extend to your passport. You should be responsible for your passport as you know best how to protect your passport while traveling.
7. Get a passport cover: Your passport should be safe from water, heat, and other damaging conditions. Else, even if it does not get stolen or lost, it will be invalid as it will have poor condition.

Most passport safety recommendations revolve around protecting your passport from theft and damage. You should also take care not to lose it when traveling.

Should You Carry Your Passport With You?

Suppose you want to go on a hike. Should you carry your passport with you? No. Your passport is only necessary when presenting your documents to airlines and customs officials. Besides these situations, you should not carry your passport around. As a result, many people ask, where should I keep my passport when traveling? You should leave it behind and use passport copies for official transactions. Else, you will run the risk of damaging it, losing it, or someone stealing it.

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