Planning
Travel documents: what to carry, what to duplicate and where to keep it
The original, the copy and the copy of the copy. How to build a system that holds up even if you lose your phone and your wallet at once.
Tomás Berruezo 6 min Photo by Leo Roomets on Unsplash The rule is simple and hardly anyone follows it all the way: every important document has to sit in three places that can't be lost at the same time. The original on you, a copy in your case and a copy online.
What goes on the list
| Document | Where the original goes | Copy |
|---|---|---|
| Passport or ID card | On you, in an inside pocket | Photo in your email and in your case |
| Tickets and boarding passes | On your phone | PDF downloaded and in your email |
| Accommodation bookings | On your phone | In your email |
| Travel insurance | On your phone | Policy number on paper |
| Entry permits | On your phone | In your email |
| Driving licence and international permit | On you if you'll be driving | Photo in your email |
The copy that actually works
A photo of your passport in your phone's gallery isn't a backup: if the phone goes, it goes with it. The useful copy is the one you can open from ANY device, and that means your email or a cloud service you know how to get into without your phone.
And watch out for two-factor sign-in: if the second factor is a text to your number and your phone is gone, you won't be able to get into your own email. Setting up a second method before you leave is what avoids that dead end.
A copy that only exists inside your phone isn't a copy: it's the same egg in the same basket.
How to split it between two people
If two of you are travelling, each carries a copy of the other's documents. It's free, it takes a minute and it solves the most common scenario: one wallet lost, not two.
What belongs on paper
- The phone number of each night's accommodation.
- The insurer's assistance number along with the policy number.
- The number of the nearest consulate or embassy.
- The blocking number for your bank cards.
A folded sheet in your case doesn't run out of battery or ask for a password, and it's what lets you start solving the problem in the first minute.
The rest of the steps, if it comes to that, are in what to do if you lose your phone abroad.
Frequently asked questions
Does a photo of my passport count as a copy?
As a quick fallback yes, but not if it only lives on your phone: if the phone goes, it goes with it. The useful copy is the one you can open from another device.
Where should I keep the copies?
In your email or a cloud service you know how to get into without your phone, plus a physical copy in your case.
What should I write on paper?
The accommodation's number, the insurer's with the policy number, the consulate's and your cards' blocking number.
Can I leave my passport at the hotel?
It depends on the country: in some you're required by law to carry ID and a copy doesn't always do. Worth checking beforehand.
