A longtime OMAAT reader posed an interesting question about traveling with a passport:
I’m about to travel outside of the US and usually when I do, I always carry around my passport with me everywhere I go. As someone who frequently travels outside of the United States, I’m curious if you always have your passport on you or if you are comfortable leaving it at a hotel/Airbnb?
I figured I’d share my take here, and then I’m curious to hear what approach others take.
In this post:
I tend to not carry my passport around
I’m not suggesting others should do this, but rather am sharing my own experience. If I’m traveling internationally, I’ll almost always leave my passport in the hotel room (or wherever I’m staying), and don’t move around with it. While I often adjust my policies depending on where in the world I am, this is something I’m pretty consistent about.
There are only two exceptions, really. One is if I’m doing shopping, where showing your passport may be required in order to get a VAT refund. The other is if I’m going somewhere that requires identification, and/or I’m doing some day-long trip where there’s the potential for something to go wrong.
Now, I do always keep a picture of my passport on my phone, in case I need it, for whatever reason. So, why do I choose not to carry my passport with me? For one, I think my odds are worse of losing the passport if I have it on me, rather than if I leave it in my hotel room (hotel room theft isn’t something I’m terribly concerned about, personally).
When moving around with your passport, there’s always the risk of getting robbed or pickpocketed, and for that matter, you can also just easily lose something that’s in your pockets. I’ll take it a step further — I try to leave my hotel room with as few belongings as possible. I’ll usually have two credit cards, an ATM card, a small amount of cash, and my phone.
While a mild tangent, I should also mention that I’m basically 90% an athleisure guy when it comes to what I wear. I recently made the switch from lululemon to Alo Yoga, and I love how the latter has pockets with zippers on most pants and shorts, which gives me a lot of peace of mind when moving around, that stuff doesn’t accidentally fall out.
I’ve encountered my fair share of issues when traveling, though I’m lucky that I’ve never had an issue with losing or misplacing my passport… knock on wood.
I understand why others hold onto their passport
While I basically never carry my passport around with me, let me also acknowledge that I understand why others choose to do so. You don’t want to lose your passport in a foreign country, and many have more of a sense of security if they have their passport on them, rather than leaving it behind.
I should also mention that at least officially, some countries do require you to have your passport with you at all times. For example, the US Department of State page for Japan states the following:
“You must carry your U.S. passport or Japanese Residence Card (Zairyu Kado) with you at all times. In Japan, you may be taken in for questioning if you do not have your passport or Japanese residence card to show your identity and status in Japan (e.g., as a visitor, student, worker, or permanent resident).”
Now, I actually didn’t know about this until I started researching this topic for the purpose of this post. Perhaps in addition to carrying a photo of my passport, I should also carry a photo of the entry stamp into a country. Then again, in my many years of traveling this has never once been an issue, so I guess it’s working out okay for me.
Bottom line
When traveling internationally, there’s no right or wrong answer as to whether you’re better off carrying your passport around with you or leaving it in your hotel room. Personally I generally leave it behind, unless I’m going shopping or have some other activity where I think ID will be required.
Yes, there’s some risk of a passport being stolen from your hotel room (or wherever you’re staying), but in my opinion that risk is less than that of it being stolen or lost while you carry it around. I do always have a photo of my passport, though, should it be needed.
I do have dual citizenship, so I think some would argue I’d be best off carrying around one passport and leaving the other behind. But I maintain that the risk of my passport being separated is greater if I’m carrying it around.
Where do you keep your passport when traveling? Do you carry it around with you everywhere you go, or leave it behind?
" I recently made the switch from lululemon and Alo Yoga,"
Do you mean *to* Alo Yoga?
Always in my hotel safe unless I am planning on shopping and need it for the refund.
I always place my passport in a ziploc bag that I carry in a pouch across my chest. I am somehow not comfortable leaving it in a hotel room in a foreign country.
I don't carry it around, nowadays with Apple Pay I don't carry around anything except my drivers license (mostly in case of the need to identify myself at the embassy, worthless overseas) and a simple debit card and local cash and my hotel key. Thats all I need really.
Never been to Japan but been in Hong Kong and Singapore many many times and I'd rather take a visit to the police station in...
I don't carry it around, nowadays with Apple Pay I don't carry around anything except my drivers license (mostly in case of the need to identify myself at the embassy, worthless overseas) and a simple debit card and local cash and my hotel key. Thats all I need really.
Never been to Japan but been in Hong Kong and Singapore many many times and I'd rather take a visit to the police station in comparison to having my passport be stolen.
I don't use the safe in the hotel room, passports and wallet are instead kept hidden.
Do you have a US passport card or the German ID card? If I were you, I would at least carry one or both of those instead of carrying the passports.
With many hundreds of days travel this century in, primarily, France, Australia, and New Zealand, I have been asked for identification only once outside of hotel and car rental checkin. That was on a train in southern France that had originated in Barcelona. I was chastised for only having a US drivers license. I now carry my passport card and leave the passport in the hotel. I don't expect they would find that an valid...
With many hundreds of days travel this century in, primarily, France, Australia, and New Zealand, I have been asked for identification only once outside of hotel and car rental checkin. That was on a train in southern France that had originated in Barcelona. I was chastised for only having a US drivers license. I now carry my passport card and leave the passport in the hotel. I don't expect they would find that an valid replacement for the booklet, but I'm unwilling to risk carrying the book. I figure if the book is stolen at the hotel, a passport card may have some value in establishing my identity (along with a photo of the book) at a US consulate.
"I recently made the switch from lululemon and Alo Yoga..."
TO Alo Yoga, I presume.
In Asia I recommend you carry your passport at all times . It is legally required in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan .
Many police in Asia will not accept a photo on your phone .
I never is a hotel safe. They are very easy to get into. Just takes a few seconds to google the model number. One of then very popular brands out there resets to a default PIN code it you remove the AA batteries from it.
I usually hide my passport and spare credit cards somewhere in the room like behind a dresser or on top of a wardrobe. Basically somewhere dusty which indicates that it doesn’t get cleaned or disturbed.
@Sean M. Perhaps a privilege of being white but I’ve never felt that need to carry passport around. I’ve travelled across 100 countries.
Always leave it in the hotel - I generally hide it under some clothes in my suitcase.
Next time you are in Japan, please follow the law and always carry your password. This is not a technicality; I have been checked by the police (when simply walking outside), others have been checked, you will find plenty of stories if you look. Japanese police might be polite, but they are also keen to do their job and will held you at a station until someone fetches your original passport. A photo or a copy is not a replacement.
I NEVER carry my passport around. I leave it in the hotel room in my backpack or the hotel safe. And I have a little passport leather holder to protect it. I was on a tour in Barcelona one time & an older guy got pickpocketed & lost his passport. It was a whole ta-do since we were on a cruise (they had specifically told us NOT to take our passports with us).
You only ever lose your passport once, at most.
I left mine in the front pouch of a Qantas First Class seat at LAX. Never again!
I presume you got it back pronto?
I never carry passport on me when at destination. Dual citizenship, so just as with credit cards, cash, drivers license etc I split all up in two batches and keep them in separate places. Never have all my stuff in one place. And I keep copies on my phone and in cloud but I assume we all have some digital backup
I keep my passport in the hotel safe ;-)
Hotel safe always. Photo copy of my passport on my phone. Too many bad things can happen to that passport when walking around. We stay in hotels that legit and higher end. I may carry my passport card if ID is an issue.
I keep mine zipped up in my locked bag in my hotel room. The bag has an AirTag, for what that's worth. I carry my Global Entry ID in my wallet but I've never presented it to any authority or ID check.
I've always carried a full-color printout of my passport ID page and I have a high-res JPG file in my Google Drive should I need to print it out again somewhere on...
I keep mine zipped up in my locked bag in my hotel room. The bag has an AirTag, for what that's worth. I carry my Global Entry ID in my wallet but I've never presented it to any authority or ID check.
I've always carried a full-color printout of my passport ID page and I have a high-res JPG file in my Google Drive should I need to print it out again somewhere on the road. It's my understanding that this is perfectly acceptable in just about every country on Earth where the police might stop you at random.
That said, the only time I've been stopped and put against a wall to be frisked was in Montreal. The cop took my NY driver's license and I asked what this was all about and he said "I didn't ask you to talk." Fun times.
It is advisable, when travelling to or in a country where you are not a resident or a citizen, to always have your passport with you. Two basic reasons. First, if there is a calamity of any kind restricting access to where you are staying, you have the most important document to identify you and enable you to try to sort yourself out. Secondly, should you be caught up in any calamity within the country...
It is advisable, when travelling to or in a country where you are not a resident or a citizen, to always have your passport with you. Two basic reasons. First, if there is a calamity of any kind restricting access to where you are staying, you have the most important document to identify you and enable you to try to sort yourself out. Secondly, should you be caught up in any calamity within the country (coup, civil unrest, false identification, for example), you have the most important document to facilitate sorting yourself out, including getting assistance from your country's embassy.
We always leave our passports in our hotel locked up if possible.
I carry a photo copy(ies) of our passports and that has been sufficient for what we normally do. For example, museums entry and opening a bank account. I haven't had a problem with a photo copy. I imaging a phone copy would work as a backup.
I always carry the US Passport Card in my wallet (whether at home or abroad). So far have only used it at TSA checkpoints in lieu of showing my driver's license since random TSA agents don't need to see my address. I wonder if it would be better than nothing in a foreign country (team leave-passport-in-hotel-safe).
I have been asked for identification/passport only twice in the many years i have been travelling, once in the USA where a policeman reminded me that foreigners on visas or permanent residency (green card) are supposed to carry identification while they are in the country. i am not sure about this but it never happened again. The one in Cuba was truly catch 22. the police specializing in diplomats were called in and they said....
I have been asked for identification/passport only twice in the many years i have been travelling, once in the USA where a policeman reminded me that foreigners on visas or permanent residency (green card) are supposed to carry identification while they are in the country. i am not sure about this but it never happened again. The one in Cuba was truly catch 22. the police specializing in diplomats were called in and they said. since you dont have an ID on you we cannot allow you to go to your house which was just 500 metres away to fetch the passport. they took me to a police station and from that station two policement took me back to my house and then we went back to file a report. on leaving the country, the immigration officer asked me why there was a police notation on my file! i got it removed but it was an uncomfortable waste of many hours
The big risk not mentioned here is associated with the passport being wet or damaged. For me, in most circumstances this is bigger risk than passport being lost or stolen. Whatever your passport protection strategy is, it should seriously consider this risk.
Story. I have a friend working in the US on a long-term work visa. It’s stamped into his non-US passport. He visited his home country and stayed with his parents. His mother thought...
The big risk not mentioned here is associated with the passport being wet or damaged. For me, in most circumstances this is bigger risk than passport being lost or stolen. Whatever your passport protection strategy is, it should seriously consider this risk.
Story. I have a friend working in the US on a long-term work visa. It’s stamped into his non-US passport. He visited his home country and stayed with his parents. His mother thought she’d be motherly towards him and washed his clothes. Which had his passport contained inside. He was stuck in that country for ~2 weeks beyond his expected departure date and spent ~$2k (partially paid by employer) getting a new passport issued and getting a new visa from the US stamped into that passport. And his employer wasn’t happy.
For me this just reinforced that I must avoid getting passport wet or damaged because expense and hassle will be significant.
So, regardless of a country’s laws, unless I know passport will be required in a particular circumstance which I am very likely to encounter (eg Georgian military police at an off-road border with Russia), passport doesn’t come with me. Only a photo on my phone.
And passport always stays in a very interior pocket of whatever bag it’s in for the same reason.
Correction - it's the STEP program - not GOES
Sorry
Passport always stays inside my luggage locked in my room. All my luggage have AirTags. In Europe, a picture of the passport on the phone is enough for VAT refund. I only carry a PacSafe sling bag that stays in my chest with a small wallet with 2 credit cards, ATM card and DL. An iPhone and a magsafe power bank. That’s all I need.
I have both a passport and a passport card. I usually leave my passport in the hotel and always have my passport card with me.
Passport at hotel in safe or locked in luggage. On me at all times is passport card which looks and is accepted just any normal national ID card. Have used it for pretty much anything. Also just plain easier to carry in my wallet with a credit card.
Take a photocopy and keep it with you
More importantly - register your trip with the state department via their GOES website - this way, they know where you are in an emergency and if you do have your passport compromised they can replace it quickly
A tip from my state department friend!!
For extra $ 5.00 when you renewed your passport you can get "passport card"...size if drv.licence, but it's copy of your passport picture page...I carry that insted of passport any where in the world I go...it comes in protection sleeve...
This is the best plan. Lock the passport in the hotel safe and carry the passport card with you. Then if you need your passport the Passport Card works instead of the passport. So much easier and less bulky.
A photo of a passport is not a replacement for the physical passport. In Japan especially, a photo could actually get you in a bit of trouble.
It does not leave my pocket.
Safe & sound, right up in between my butt cheeks :)
Assuming one doesn't have local ID, it's a requirement to have passport on one in most European countries as well as Japan.
And I think in most of the rest of the world too?
In practice, a copy on the 'phone (previously a photocopy) will nearly always do for the police.
For building security (E.g. offices in Singapore) I suspect it wouldn't - they need you to deposit something you really don't want...
Assuming one doesn't have local ID, it's a requirement to have passport on one in most European countries as well as Japan.
And I think in most of the rest of the world too?
In practice, a copy on the 'phone (previously a photocopy) will nearly always do for the police.
For building security (E.g. offices in Singapore) I suspect it wouldn't - they need you to deposit something you really don't want to lose.
So I always have it on me (I wear a jacket unless it is very hot)
I feel both police and consulate would be more sympathetic to having lost passport in robbery than in theft from hotel room, but I might be wrong.
Leave the passport in the room but carry my driving licence and a photocopy of my passport with me at all times on foreign land.
You guys travel to some seriously dodgy places if you carry your passport 1/2 inch from your junk 24/7.
Always always always have either the original passport (or acceptable national ID if passport exempt) when in a foreign country.
If you don't have it with you, that makes you literally "undocumented". Given the current global crisis on migration, you don't want to be caught up in that kind of situation.
When I'm outside of the US, I keep my passport on my person 100% of the time. I got into the habit in my 20s when I was living in Europe and would often travel for work to Spain where you are required to have it on you at all times (like Japan). I figure if anything were to ever happen, there are a ton of situations where nobody is gonna accept my California drivers...
When I'm outside of the US, I keep my passport on my person 100% of the time. I got into the habit in my 20s when I was living in Europe and would often travel for work to Spain where you are required to have it on you at all times (like Japan). I figure if anything were to ever happen, there are a ton of situations where nobody is gonna accept my California drivers license so I might as well have my passport on me just in case. Also I like knowing that in some sort of disaster situation, I'm always able to just leave the country in a hurry. If a civil war breaks out, the last thing you want is to be stuck at the border because you can't get back to your hotel to get your passport.
US , technically,has a law that requires all non citizens carry a proof of a legal status. We all understand that it is not only not inforced (as long as I know, only some checkpoints next to Mexica/Canada border appear time to time (managed by the border control), but also many non citizens are not aware of this law.
Vest - The man purse!
I have a lite vest which I often use during travel, and I keep the valuables in the inner pockets and zip it up!
It is 100F in Europe right now. I don’t think you can wear a vest.
I dunno. Saw some Americans yesterday in vests and with fanny packs.
I keep in a section of my laptop bag that way if I lose my wallet (not likely) or stolen while traveling I can still get on a plane.
In the hotel safe or tossed in a drawer in my AirBnB. If I think I'll need it while out and about, I always put it in a money belt (either around my waist or a necklace-style pouch) along with money and credit cards. I *never* just keep it in my pocket except to get through the airport; after landing, I put it back in the money belt as soon as I'm through immigration at the destination.
When I travel my passport is in my pants/shorts pocket for takeoff and landing in case of an emergency evacuation. Once I'm at my destination it is locked in my backpack that stays in my hotel (I stopped using hotel safes after seeing how easy they are to break into). I do carry my U.S. driver's license around with me so that I have ID and that's all I've ever needed.
The first several...
When I travel my passport is in my pants/shorts pocket for takeoff and landing in case of an emergency evacuation. Once I'm at my destination it is locked in my backpack that stays in my hotel (I stopped using hotel safes after seeing how easy they are to break into). I do carry my U.S. driver's license around with me so that I have ID and that's all I've ever needed.
The first several years that I traveled internationally I carried my passport on me at all times and I never needed it, so I finally stopped doing that, and don't regret a thing.
The one exception to this are the times I'm in a VERY high risk country, not just a "third world" country, but a truly unstable one, like Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, etc., in a case like that I have my passport on me at all times in case I have to evacuate the country at a moment's notice.
Most of the time my passport lives in a specific spot in my carry on bag, protected inside a sturdy zip lock bag. I don’t like bulky passport holders, but don’t want my passport getting damaged in my pocket from sweat or rain or whatever. Unless I know I will need it, I keep it in the hotel. I used to put it into the in room safe, but one time I rushed out without...
Most of the time my passport lives in a specific spot in my carry on bag, protected inside a sturdy zip lock bag. I don’t like bulky passport holders, but don’t want my passport getting damaged in my pocket from sweat or rain or whatever. Unless I know I will need it, I keep it in the hotel. I used to put it into the in room safe, but one time I rushed out without checking the safe and didn’t realize it until the hotel called me! Thankfully I only wasted an hour to go back and pick it up, but that was so embarrassing.
I ~always carry it with me. If I expect that I need to show it (Nightclub, train, museum..) I’ll have it in my wallet on my zippered pocked on my trousers. If I expect that it’s not needed I’ll carry it under my clothing in ”money belt”. This has saved me 2 times from bribery^W fine in country where it’s required to be carried and police has stopped me and asked for a passport, even just a cross from hotel.
Depends on the country and accommodation for me. Usually in a safe in the hotel room. Sometimes, actually more often, I’m in a developing country staying in local lodges, and then I keep it in a hidden money belt.
Ironically I often visit “third world” cities that many might worry about safety, yet the only time I’ve been mugged was in Paris at a very busy street corner in front of hundreds of people that...
Depends on the country and accommodation for me. Usually in a safe in the hotel room. Sometimes, actually more often, I’m in a developing country staying in local lodges, and then I keep it in a hidden money belt.
Ironically I often visit “third world” cities that many might worry about safety, yet the only time I’ve been mugged was in Paris at a very busy street corner in front of hundreds of people that chose not to get involved…but I can also understand their reaction.
Common sense goes a long way to keep safe.
Traveling in Central and South America, many places ask to see my passport, but in reality most are content if I just show them any government ID (even just a foreign drivers license). For cases where they do insist on a passport, a photo of the picture page from your phone frequently suffices. Going further still, in some countries’ hotels charge tax differently depending on if you’re a resident or tourist, so they may want...
Traveling in Central and South America, many places ask to see my passport, but in reality most are content if I just show them any government ID (even just a foreign drivers license). For cases where they do insist on a passport, a photo of the picture page from your phone frequently suffices. Going further still, in some countries’ hotels charge tax differently depending on if you’re a resident or tourist, so they may want to see the entry stamp. Again, copy on the phone generally works.
Where do I keep passport (and some other valuables perhaps)? I am not telling. This is the whole point in keeping valuables at least a bit safer. Not flashing around, keeping low profile etc. :-)
I didn’t realize Ben did much wandering around in the places he visits. The trip reports always make it seem like he takes seven connected flights, then stays in a swanky hotel for one night, then moves on to his next review flight sequence. There’s nary a mention of visiting a museum or a tourist trap, or trying exotic cuisine.
He never seems to mention the everyday details of the places he visits - the...
I didn’t realize Ben did much wandering around in the places he visits. The trip reports always make it seem like he takes seven connected flights, then stays in a swanky hotel for one night, then moves on to his next review flight sequence. There’s nary a mention of visiting a museum or a tourist trap, or trying exotic cuisine.
He never seems to mention the everyday details of the places he visits - the sights, the food, the physical immersion of travel - so I just assumed he’d keep his passport in his carryon.
@ JamesW -- I take different kinds of trips. I take some pure review trips, where I don't leave the airport much, and just try to cram in as much content as quickly as possible. On those trips I indeed don't do much.
However, I also take actual vacations sometimes, where I enjoy destinations like anyone else would. In those situations, I don't typically write so much about the destinations.
Why? Well, for one,...
@ JamesW -- I take different kinds of trips. I take some pure review trips, where I don't leave the airport much, and just try to cram in as much content as quickly as possible. On those trips I indeed don't do much.
However, I also take actual vacations sometimes, where I enjoy destinations like anyone else would. In those situations, I don't typically write so much about the destinations.
Why? Well, for one, the blog is focused on airlines and hotels, and there are a lot of other great destination resources out there (and this isn't one of them). Furthermore, I want to actually enjoy my time at a destination, rather than feeling like I have a list of things I need to do, documenting everything, etc.
Hopefully that makes sense. :-)
I have two passports / dual citizenship too, but I usually carry one. Always in my left pocket when flying / at airports, otherwise in the hotel safe.