It’s a nightmare no one ever wants to face: being stuck in a foreign country without a passport. One dad learned that lesson on a trip abroad to South Korea for the holidays. His bored child decided to get artistic one day, taking paper to pen in order to enhance, we’ll call it, the man’s passport.
The photo circulating online depicts some potential for real artistic talent. Nice lines, good use of shadow and light, excellent bunny-ear-to-face ratio. I mean, the kid’s a natural. (1)
Joking aside, this is no joke. If you looked at the photo and immediately laugh/cringed, you may be one of those unfortunate souls who’ve found themselves on the business end of a passport fiasco. In hindsight, perhaps it’s good for a laugh, but at the time, it’s a miserable affair. You will miss your flight. Then you will miss your connecting flight. And then, somehow, it will get even worse.
The thing to remember is that it will be fine, it’s all fixable. But your timelines mean nothing now, so just take a number and a seat. You’re back on vacation time, but with a lot more angst and nowhere near enough booze.
Protect Your Passport And Other Belongings Abroad!
There are a few helpful rules of thumb to be aware of when traveling abroad. (2) Of course, nothing can guarantee total immunity against trouble, for instance, your kid getting creative with your mug shot. But by planning ahead, you can recover much quicker from what could be a scary and isolating experience.
First things first, be aware of your passport’s expiration date. Travel can get a little hit and miss as you approach 6 months until expiration. Depending on how long your trip is if you’ll be passing into that window while abroad, it may be wise to renew now.
Before you ever leave the country, take photocopies of your passport and credit cards. Leave one copy of everything with a trusted friend back home. Bring with you at least one photocopy of each document.
When packing, if you’ll be checking a bag, ensure that your carry-on has a change of clothes, your toiletries, and all your important documents. Don’t check anything irreplaceable. Assume you’ll be without your stuff for longer than you want. It’s unlikely anything will happen, but there’s nothing like clean underwear after a long day of traveling. Especially when the day ends in disappointment and all you have now is room service and this clean underwear.
If you don’t have to take your passport, don’t. Leave it in the hotel safe and keep the photocopy in your wallet.
If you have more than one credit card, don’t ever take them all with you. Leave at least one in the hotel safe, in case your stuff is stolen.
Don’t let your stuff get stolen! Wear your travel belt or passport necklace under your shirt. Wear your backpack as a front pack. Leave the Rolex at home. Don’t get drunk in public, and don’t take unopened beverages from strangers.
Suck Abroad With No Passport: What To Do?
Though having your child deface your passport is kinda funny (again: much, much later), the more common scenario is that it gets lost or stolen while traveling.
This is one of the main functions a U.S. embassy serves, so get yourself there right away. If there are two lines out front, inquire as to which is for U.S. citizens. One of them is probably for locals in pursuit of a visa to the U.S.; you don’t want to get to the front only to realize you wasted your time! (2)
Bring photocopies of your passport and any other documentation that will help establish who you are and help the authorities get you back home. Often if you’ve been stranded without cash, you may be able to obtain a special loan from the embassy to get you to where you need to go.
The bottom line is that you aren’t alone, even if you’re stuck! There is support available, so keep calm and carry on, as they say. You’ll be in the air on your way home in no time.
