Traveling can be an exciting adventure, but it also presents opportunities for theft and loss, especially regarding important documents like your passport. Here’s how to protect your passport based on years of travel experience.
One habit I’ve developed is immediately placing my wallet, cell phone, and passport in the seat pocket after settling into my seat on a plane. If I leave my seat, I always take my passport with me. I’ve maintained this practice for over 40 years of travelling without any issues.
Once off the plane, my passport is always in my pants pocket, just like my wallet. If it’s not there, it goes into a specific pocket in my carry-on bag. The key here is routine and consistency. I’m constantly checking and rechecking to make sure I know where it is.
There have been times when I had to temporarily relinquish my passport to access certain facilities. For instance, at a Foxconn factory working on an Apple line, security personnel expected me to leave it with them. I’d try to pretend I didn’t have it and offer my driver’s license instead. This strategy often worked once they recognized me and understood my role.
However, at Samsung’s Semiconductor fabrication plant, passport access was mandatory. These individuals were exceptionally cautious about anything brought in from the outside, even small scraps of paper.
The only time I ever “lost” my passport was travelling through customs from Malaysia to Singapore by car. I handed my passport to a colleague who was driving. He gave the passports (his and mine) to the customs agent for inspection and departure stamps. As we drove away, I asked him for my passport. He panicked when he realized he had left them behind.
He was a Japanese citizen living in Singapore, and losing a passport was more consequential for him than it was for me. We had driven about 5 minutes when I asked about it. We turned around, and fortunately, they returned our passports without much hassle.
Ultimately, the most critical strategy for protecting your passport is to develop and consistently follow a routine. Regularly check its location, but do so discreetly to avoid alerting potential thieves or pickpockets. This constant awareness and a fixed routine are your best defenses.
