As a traveler, you need to know how to carry your passport safely and at times, doing it efficiently is no easy task.
It’s a super important part of your life and one of the most important documents you will ever have/need.
You need it to travel and to identify yourself for a million reasons, and it’s a must if you want to enter and exit other countries.
So, how do you carry your passport safely and efficiently without worrying about losing or damaging it?
I want to show you how I manage to take my passport all over the world and still bring it home as if I just picked it up from the post office.
How to Carry Your Passport Safely and Efficiently
You need to know several things before you embark on your next trip when it comes to your passport and hauling it around.
Whether you’re on your way to a frequent destination or you’re traveling there for the first time.
Rules and laws change, and people act differently over the years, which will require you to adjust the way you operate and most especially the way you think.
So, as the traveler/tourist, you need to understand where it is that you are going and what safety measures you need to know and understand.
Here is how to carry your passport safely and efficiently.
1. Treat Your Passport With Utmost Importance
If you are taking your passport around like it’s any old document, you’re wrong.
Your passport is one valuable little book that you need to treat as such.
It’s your ticket (literally) to entering other countries and can mean many challenges when trying to leave.
Your passport is your key to everything when it comes to traveling abroad, so consider it important or find yourself in trouble like Yona Shemesh during the pandemic.
2. Protect Your Passport
As a traveler, you want to protect all your valuables, especially your documents.
Your passport falls in that category, and you need to get some kind of protection for it.
You don’t need anything fancy, but you definitely want something designed specifically for passports.
There are all kinds of cheap passport protectors out there, but for me, I like to be a little stylish.
I have the Bellroy Passport Sleeve, and even after five years, it still looks brand spanking new.
However, it does sit in my drawer most of the time, so it hasn’t really been tested.
But it still looks amazing.
3. Get a Good Travel Bag
Finding the best travel bag is not easy, especially with the crazy selection out there.
However, not all bags are created equal when it comes to keeping your things safe, and that’s why you need a really good bag.
Not only do you need an ample amount of space, but you need to keep your valuables safe.
Getting the proper carry is the best way to carry your passport safely, so get something with great quality and even some YKK zippers.
Settle for some cheap gear, and you’ll find yourself paying for it later.
4. Carry Your Passport ONLY When Necessary
Some people wonder if you should always carry your passport with you, which comes with a very confusing answer.
IF NEEDED, then, and only then, should you carry your passport.
If you have landed at your destination and don’t need it, you should leave it at your hotel or Airbnb.
Carry another form of ID for identification’s sake, but you should not need your passport.
You only risk losing it, and exiting another country will not be easy.
5. Consider Functionality
You can have the nicest passport sleeve in the world, but if it doesn’t get you through TSA easily, I don’t think it’s worth it.
You don’t want to be pulling your passport out of its case just to look pretty to the airport’s staff.
You want to be able to get your passport out without going through too many steps.
Get something functional that can assist with your boarding passes as well.
Having a functional passport case will make life that much easier, along with a fanny pack for easier access.
6. Do Not Carry Your Passport in Your Back Pocket
Sometimes we feel that our back pocket is the best place to carry things, but it’s really not.
Some people carry their wallets, which I would never recommend.
What more your passport?
That is the last place you want to put your passport, so do yourself a favor and leave any valuables out of your back pocket.
Not to mention the discomfort and damaging factors.
7. Keep Your Passport Near You at All Times
I know it sounds very contradicting to point #4, but it’s not.
If you are traveling around a bunch of strangers, you want to ensure the bag, or whatever your passport is in, remains with you wherever you go.
Everyone and their mothers know you are traveling, and they know that you need specific documents and things like passports.
Not everyone is your friend out there (I know, it’s really sad), and not everyone cares about you.
So, they will try to take what you have and use it against you.
In this case, it will be your passport, and it can ruin a lot of things if you’re not careful.
Conclusion – Carry Your Passport Safely
Your passport is very much an important part of your life, especially if you plan on traveling.
Take care of it, keep it in a safe place, and never compromise security over trying to look pretty.
I hope these tips help you carry your passport safely, and I hope you enjoy wherever it is that you are headed.
Remember to watch your six and never trust anyone you know nothing about.
Happy travels!