It is possible to plan an affordable trip abroad through the purchase of cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms or discount travel packages. However if you lose your passport, you will be faced with hassles and expenses you probably never even considered.
Lost passports often result in paying expedited passport fees, airline ticket change fees, as well as paying for unplanned additional hotel nights. A US passport is easy to misplace. Given the value of US passports, thieves are motivated to steal them from your bag, hotel room, or rental car.
When you arrive at your hotel destination place your passport in a hotel safe, if one is available.
Keep a physical copy of your passport or your passport card (which is available for an additional $30 when you renew your passport) in a safe, but different place.
Make certain that you renew your passport a minimum of six months prior to its expiration date. Many foreign countries require passports be good three to six months minimum after your arrival date before allowing entrance.
In the event your passport is lost or stolen:
Report this loss immediate by contacting the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. If you have a copy of your passport, it will prove invaluable when you have to fill out the required paperwork.
Dont give up if your passport disappears days before a nonrefundable trip. There are companies, including Rush Passport that can expedite a replacement passport within as few as 10 hours. Such super expedited services can cost an additional $375 on top of the $155 government passport fee.
Contact a credit bureau to make certain that your passport is not being used for identity theft.
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