While travelling abroad, passport is the most important document and having your passport lost or stolen could turn your trip into a nightmare! “While on my honeymoon to Australia I lost my handbag which had all are important documents including passports and cash. Clueless about what to do next our trip turned into havoc and it’s been four years but we never traveled abroad”, says a miffed Swati Shah, a 28-year-old working professional.
Many of us while travelling abroad just think about how to avoid the extra luggage and forget to take care of some very essential things. Here are the most important tips while traveling to a foreign country, how to protect your passport and what to do in case it gets lost or stolen.
Take precautions: Money lures robbers, so take precautions to avoid being a target of crime. Do not wear expensive statement jewelry or carry excessive cash. It is always advisable to use a Forex card (a pre-paid traveller’s card) as it lets you access money in the required regional currency. Also, do not leave luggage in public areas or accept packages from strangers.
Tip: If you are not comfortable with Forex card then divide the money and keep it in different bags, don’t keep all the cash at one place.
Keep a back up: Always keep a back up of your passport in form of a print out or a scan copy in your e-mail and luggage. Avoid carrying along all the documents while travelling in the city, carry the print out instead. Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas with family too.
Activate net banking: Use technology in the right way. Before going abroad activate your net banking account, so that in case of any financial trouble you can make use of it. And if your wallet gets stolen, you can easily block the cards through account.
Keep all essential phone numbers handy: Try to keep all the important telephone numbers like Indian embassy, banks, travel agent and family with you. In case of anything goes wrong you or others can get in touch with them.
For lost passport: As soon as you realize that your passport is missing, contact the nearest police station. File a complaint. The police complaint serves as an identity proof for bank and embassy formalities.
Overseas insurance: One should always opt for overseas insurance while travelling abroad. It helps compensate the loss in case any). You can also contact the Indian embassy and seek assistance.
