1.Being prepared and having an idea of what to accomplish ahead of time
When you’re on vacation and realize your passport is missing, your ideal getaway may quickly become a nightmare. When we think of securing our assets while on holiday, we think about jewelry or pricey photographic equipment. Nonetheless, in this day and age of widespread identity theft, personal papers like passports have an added worth.
As a traveler, even the notion of losing one’s passport is enough to make some people feel anxious. A plan of action in case the worst happens allows you to respond quickly and minimize the damage as much as possible.
2. Before embarking on a journey, be sure you...
Make a duplicate of any important papers you want to bring on your trip. It’s more convenient to use scanning and printing since you may save the digital copy to your email and retrieve it at any time.
It will save you time and bother if you ever need to acquire a replacement for your passport, driving license, or even your bank cards. To apply for a new travel document, you’ll also have to give a passport picture and a copy of your itinerary, so consider including those items in your list of things to bring.
You should also find the closest embassy in your destination location and note its address and phone number. You may get help here if you lose your passport or become sick and can’t go on your trip.
3. If your passport is stolen, what to do?
Regardless of whether or not you believe your passport has been stolen, the first step is to cancel it as you would a debit or credit card. You have a higher chance of stopping fraud if you respond quickly. Online reporting is the most suitable method.
Your local police department will also need to be informed of the incident. Once the passport has been invalidated, authorities may put processes in place to prevent anybody else from using it in the future.
Once you’ve notified the embassy of the loss, you may schedule an appointment to have a new passport sent to you. If you lose your passport, you’ll be given an emergency travel document instead of a new one. You may go back home and through up to five additional countries as long as you have this document. This situation is excellent news for individuals planning a long journey or traveling overland.
Obtaining an emergency travel document is as easy as filling out an application. The embassy will tell you to fill out a particular form on the government’s website over the phone. The extra passport picture you packed before you went, a copy of your travel schedule, and a copy of the police report are all items you’ll need to bring to your appointment.
There are, however, a few drawbacks to consider. An emergency travel document costs £100 and may take a few days for processing if your appointment is scheduled over the weekend.
