Should I make copies of my passport before traveling?
Yes. Make one paper copy and one secure digital copy of the photo page. A copy is not valid ID, but it makes replacing a lost passport much faster.
Updated
Why copies matter
If your passport disappears, the first thing your embassy asks for is the passport number, the issue date and the place of issue. Having a copy turns a long, stressful morning into a short one.
Copies help in smaller ways too. Visa forms ask for passport details, insurance claims need them, and hotel reception can finish the guest registration paperwork for your trip1 booking faster when you have everything to hand.
What to copy
- The photo page in full and readable, including the machine readable lines at the bottom.
- Any valid visa, residence permit or entry stamp you might need to prove.
- Your travel insurance policy number and the insurer's emergency phone number.
- Your flight references and the trip1 booking confirmation for your accommodation.
- The address and phone number of your embassy or consulate at the destination.
Make a set for everyone travelling with you, children included, and keep each person's set together.
Where to keep them
The paper copy
Put it in a different bag from the passport. If the passport is in the hotel safe, the copy travels in your day bag, and if the passport is on you, the copy stays in the room.
The digital copy
Store it in a password protected note or an encrypted cloud folder you could open from a borrowed laptop. Do not leave it loose in your camera roll where anyone glancing at your phone can read it, and do not email it to yourself in plain text.
The copy at home
Leave a third set with someone you trust. If your phone and your bag both vanish on the same day, that person can send you everything you need.
What a copy will not do
A copy is not identification. No border accepts it, no airline boards you on it, and most hotels will not check you in on it.
Treat it as a recovery tool rather than a substitute document. If you lose the original, the copy speeds up getting an emergency travel document, but it does not stand in for one.
Important: Report a lost or stolen passport to the police and your embassy immediately. A reported passport is cancelled, so you cannot travel on it later even if it turns up in a jacket pocket.
Making copies of your passport - FAQ
Yes. Make one paper copy and one secure digital copy of your photo page, and keep both separate from the passport. The US State Department also suggests leaving a set with someone you trust at home. A copy makes replacing a lost or stolen passport much quicker, because the embassy needs those details first.
Yes, but keep it secure. Store it in a password protected note or an encrypted cloud folder you could open from a borrowed laptop, not loose in your camera roll or in a plain email to yourself. Carry a paper copy too, in a different bag, in case your phone goes missing with the passport.
No. A copy is not identification: no border accepts it, no airline boards you on it, and most hotels will not check you in on it. Treat it as a recovery tool. If you lose the original, the copy speeds up getting an emergency travel document, but it does not replace one.
Copy the full photo page, including the machine readable lines at the bottom, plus any visa, residence permit or entry stamp you might need to prove. Add your travel insurance number and emergency phone line, flight references, your trip1 booking confirmation and your embassy's contact details. Make a set for everyone travelling, children included.
Report it to the local police and your embassy or consulate straight away. Your copy gives them the passport number, issue date and place of issue, which speeds up an emergency travel document. A reported passport is cancelled, so you cannot travel on it later even if it turns up.