Protect Your Passport from Getting Lost

Every year, far more passports are lost than are stolen. It’s expected that more than 200,000 Americans will report the loss of their passport this year!

Follow our tips to make sure you don’t become part of that number.

1. Keep Your Passport Safe at Home

At G3, we’ve heard a lot of stories of how passports got lost. By far, the most common scenario is that passports are misplaced at home!

Make sure to designate a secure spot to store your passport, and make it a place that you can remember! A fireproof box or filing cabinet are good options to store your passport between trips. The most important thing is to always return your passport to the same storage spot. No matter how tired you are when you get home from a trip, put your passport away as soon as you get in! Don’t leave it in your bag or your jacket, where you might forget it.

2. Keep Your Passport Safe When Moving

We’ve also had many travelers tell us that their passports were lost when they were moving house. It’s understandable — moving is a major endeavor, with a lot of stuff to keep track of! But when you need your passport to travel, you don’t want it to be just “in a box somewhere.”

As you pack, set aside a special box for your most important documents, such as passports, birth certificates, and financial records. Make this one of the items that you move yourself, rather than packing it on a moving van. Once you get to your new home, find a secure spot to store your passport and other key papers.

3. Keep Your Passport Safe While Traveling

The one time you can’t keep your passport securely tucked away is while you are traveling! We’ve also known travelers to misplace their passports while they are in transit. At the airport, you’ll need to pull your passport out many times. Choose a place to keep your passport where it will be accessible but secure from falling out and getting lost. For instance, it’s much safer to keep your passport in a deep inner pocket of your jacket than a shallow front pocket. Put it back in that safe spot every time, and you’ll save yourself a lot of frantic pat-downs!

Protect Your Passport From Theft

Passport thefts are far less common than lost passports, but they do happen. Although it’s not unknown for thieves to specifically try to steal passports, most passports are stolen by thieves who are quickly trying to grab your money or other valuables. In a British Government survey of tourists who had their passports stolen, 40% of thefts were bag snatchings!

Here are some tips to keep your passport safe from being stolen:

• At home, keep your passport in a locked cabinet, or hidden away from other valuables.
• When traveling, keep your passport separate from your wallet. Consider keeping it in the safe in your hotel room rather than carrying it.
• Do not carry your passport in your back pocket or in the outer pocket of a backpack, where it would be an easy target for pickpockets.
• For maximum security when carrying your passport, use a traveler’s wallet that is kept under your clothes.
• If you carry your passport in your bag, keep a close eye on your bag. Don’t leave it slung over the back of a chair. In areas with a higher level of street crime, consider carrying your bag cross-body rather than over your shoulder.
• Take particular care when you are in crowded tourist spots or on public transportation.

We understand that no matter how careful you are, passports can still get lost or stolen. If you need a replacement, G3 is here to help!

The post Keep Your Passport Safe from Loss or Theft! appeared first on G3Passports.

Most Common Reason for a Stolen Passport: Pickpockets

Even in the safest cities, pickpockets can be a problem.  Petty thieves love to target distracted tourists, looking for an opportunity to grab a wallet, phone, camera, or passport.  A pickpocket could strike anywhere, but you’re most at risk when you’re at a crowded tourist attraction or using public transportation.   Luckily, with a little forethought, you can keep your passport safe from thieves!

• Don’t keep your passport in your back pocket, or in the outer pocket of your backpack.  Pickpockets have that name for a reason — they are amazingly good at slipping your belongings out of your pocket without you feeling a thing!
• Don’t sling your bag over the back of a chair.  It’s too easy for a thief to grab the bag, or just brush by and yank your wallet out of your bag.
• Beware of distractions. Pickpockets often work in pairs or teams. One will distract you by bumping in to you, spilling something on you, or handing you a flower or card.  Meanwhile, their partner in crime will be robbing you of anything they can grab!
• Do use a traveler’s security wallet to store your passport, credit cards, and cash under your clothes.  We know, they’re not the coolest accessory, but spending part of your trip at the police station and US Embassy isn’t cool either!  There are many different kinds of traveler’s security wallets, including ones to be worn around the waist, the neck, or even around your leg. Another good option is to keep your passport in the inner pocket of a coat that you’ll keep buttoned or zippered… but don’t leave that hanging over the back of a chair!

If your passport is stolen while you are in the United States, G3passports.com can help you replace your stolen passport quickly.  However, if your passport is stolen while you are overseas, you will need to visit a US Embassy or US Consulate to have a new passport issued before you fly home.

Most Common Reason for a Mutilated Passport:  Water Damage

If you’ve taken our advice about keeping your passport in the inner pocket of your jacket, make sure you take it out before you do your laundry!  Believe it or not, one of the most common reasons for a mutilated passport replacement is because the passport has gone through the washing machine and the dryer.  The US State Department has been steadily improving the design of passports to make them more impervious to damage, but water damage is still a serious concern.  We have seen water-damaged passports that were considered mutilated because mildew grew under the plastic coating of the information page, or because the binding of the cover became loose.  If you have any visas in your passport, those are even more susceptible to water damage.  The ink on your visa can easily run, or the water can loosen the glue, causing your visa sticker to fall out.

In addition to keeping your passport out of the washing machine, we recommend using a plastic or vinyl passport cover to help keep your passport dry in case it’s ever caught out in the rain.

G3passports.com can help you determine if your damaged passport is in bad enough shape to need the mutilated passport replacement procedure.  If your passport is only lightly damaged, you may be able to do an early passport renewal instead.

Most Common Reason for a Lost Passport: Misplaced at Home

We can’t tell you how often we’ve spoken to travelers who have lost their passports inside their own homes!  “It’s around here somewhere,” they’ll say, but with an international trip rapidly approaching, they may wind up having to do a lost passport replacement if the passport can’t be found.  We always encourage travelers to do a thorough search before starting the replacement process, because once you have reported your passport lost, it will be cancelled.  Even if you find your passport the next day, you won’t be able to use it for travel.

The simple solution is to designate a place that you always store your passport between trips.  As soon as you get home, put your passport away in the same safe place as before.  This will help keep it out of the washing machine, too!

The post Keep Your Passport Safe! appeared first on G3Passports.