Passport Safety Tips While Traveling in 2025 so You Are Not a Target for Theft

Hey there in today's travel tip video I have new passport tips for 2025. There are two things to do with your passport before you travel. Later I will also show you some tips for carrying your passport in airports as well as in a pickpocket tourist area. The number one thing is to take a picture of the barcode that's on the back cover of your passport. You could just take a photo of your inside information that's written and then hide it in the notes section of your phone or lock it in the notes section of your phone. But the reason why you're going to take a photo of just the barcode is that in order to read the information in the barcode you have to have certain technology. It's just another layer of protecting your passport. If someone steals your phone they only have a picture of the barcode if they get to it. Remember that criminals want whatever is going to make them money so your phone might be the first thing they try to steal from you. Tip number two is to take photos of your passport information and make paper copies. Just keep those one in your suitcase one in your crossbody bag maybe. Tip number three I would also take a photo of your credit card information especially if your wallet or purse is stolen. That way you at least have the phone number and the important numbers from your card in that hidden note in your phone or in an email. If a criminal has this high-tech radio frequency identification reader he or she can get close to you with this technology and steal information from your credit card chip let's say. But in a passport your passport has to be completely open and the identification stealing machine technology has to be within six inches of your open passport or they can just steal your passport. And I'll get to that tip later. Here are four quick travel tips to protect your passport. Number one wear a hidden money belt and the key tip there is is that it's hidden and it should remain hidden. But a travel tip is that you cannot wear a hidden money belt in airport security. Quick tip number two is you can just keep your passport in the hotel safe. We have done that for over 20 years and have never had our passport stolen. One really important thing to remember is that your credit cards have more information of your personal identification in their chip than your passport does. So you really want to make sure you're protecting your credit cards by one separating them. Keep some in your wallet or one in your wallet one in your hidden sock. The hidden sock has a little pocket for maybe two cards and only one of the socks has the pocket in it. You can wear that in the flight if you want to and while you're touring in a touristy city. Or you can use a little sleeve and put one of your credit cards in there inside your purse and then leave the other one in your sock as well. And you want to use an RFID blocking wallet. One huge tip to remember and then we'll get back to the list is I do not want you to use the slots that are in most anti-theft crossbody bags. Because even though they're RFID, you are taking your eyes off of your surroundings by making sure your card fits perfectly in that pocket. Which means somebody can come really fast and pull your purse off of your shoulder and get away with all of your information. It takes too long. So just put it in a wallet down in there. If your crossbody bag has a little clip you could clip your wallet to it. Because my RFID blocking wallet has a little clip on the end for that. Sometimes when we travel we have to carry our passport with us when we are walking through a touristy area to get to another country. When we are walking through the bus terminal to get into the airport or maybe when we are on a train or a bus to get to another country. So when I have to do that I make sure that my passport is inside or inside an inner zipped pocket and I do not reach for it in public while I am out in front of people. This one has a wire inside the strap but I have three other ones that I can recommend. Another one too that do have wire mesh panels around the side. So that makes them slash resistant. This one I did not return it in time. Here's why mesh panels, a wire in your strap could help. Number one, it could slow down a thief from stealing your passport. They are trained to be swift and pick your pockets really fast so no one even notices. So if your purse is slash resistant or they have to go inside a zipped pocket that's inside your crossbody bag it's going to slow them down and they'll move on to some other tourist. So we have done our best by hiding our passport deep within that crossbody bag pocket. Not within reach. We're not reaching for it in public and we're slowing down a criminal with wire mesh or wire in the strap. Many of our travel community is worried about losing their passport or getting it stolen mid-flight or in the airport. So here are some things you can do after and before the airport security TSA line. You're going to show the officer your ID then put it in a hidden pocket or one that is super deep or one that is within your crossbody bag that zips and send it on through airport security. Airport security is where I want to be swift but accurate. So having an easily accessible pocket just for that part of the line is helpful and then after airport security I can put everything in a secure place where I need it for the long flight. If you are really worried you can have the little zipper clips. These work fine for me. They would slow down someone from getting into your bag in the airplane like in a dark airplane. Good luck because those things get dark. Or you can buy the little locking zipper clips. I don't think they're really that necessary because any seconds long of delay that it takes someone to steal something they're going to move on. But my recommendation they do lock but they're not that easy to use with large fingers and I just suggest that you try it several times so you get used to doing it. But they really do work. Another thing you can do to protect your passport is to put it in a hidden pocket of a scarf. So make sure though that the zipper and the threading is the same exact color. I will try and make mine pop up right here but you don't want it to scream oh that's a hidden pocket she's got a passport or money in there. You can also wear this during the flight. They are pull-on so it's not a zipper that you take off but in the flight it might give you peace of mind and that's what this is all about. It will have room for two passports laying side by side in this pocket and then it has two short little zippered pockets if you need that. My tip is do not wear this in airport security just like the hidden money belt. It's not allowed in airport security. Put it on after. There is a new passport cover that just came out on Amazon that has a spot for a tracker. I just do not think it's necessary but I have it in case I want to. So you'll have one in your suitcase and then one it comes out of this. This is just the key ring that's easier for me to put it in my suitcase and then just put your little tracker right there and it has a little pocket so it is very secure and it won't fall out easily. Here's a very important tip that is going to give you peace of mind when traveling with a passport. Knowing before your trip if it is lost you need to go to this website usembassy.gov. I will have it in the pinned first comment. That's going to tell you the website of the U.S. Embassy in the country you're traveling to. So if you're going to Afghanistan which is not it is on the do not fly list. Let's choose another happier one. If you're going to Scotland, my people, if you're going to Scotland you are going to know the address of the U.S. Embassy. You're going to see their website. You're going to also see like a phone number or a way to contact them if your passport is lost and you're going to have that information on a piece of paper inside your suitcase even or in the notes section of your phone. I want to show you this travel backpack purse that is anti-theft while walking through a crowded tourist area where pickpocket thieves could be watching you. There are two reasons why this is good for travel. Number one, it can be worn as a crossbody bag because of the added strap or you can wear it like a backpack. And number two, it has a hidden pocket that would sit against your back if you're wearing it on your back. But it also has a hidden pocket along the front that is very hidden. It is size large but it looks like a backpack purse. Since so many of us travelers need a small personal item now for foreign travel, this may solve your problems with a strict airline. All of these travel tips are going to give you peace of mind so that you can be in vacation mode before you have even left your home. Do not miss the shoe features needed for a Europe trip. I went twice last year. I also have my newest videos in this list that I'm going to have for you. That list is there and I will also have some in the first comment for you and in the description box right under this. Do not forget to scan the comments because some of our regular community travels more than I do. So they have some really good practical and smart tips. Thanks for your time.