Safety and travel

Personal document safety

Leave at home all credit cards, keys, and other items not needed abroad.  Make photocopies of your valuable documents and maintain an “emergency file” at home containing: airline ticket, passport, traveler’s checks, driver's license, blood type and Rh factor, eyeglass prescription, name of doctor and dentist, supplemental insurance policies, and the credit cards you take abroad.  Leave one set at home and keep another with you in a separate place from the originals. 

Leave a copy of your itinerary and contact information with family or friends at home.  Prior to departure you will be provided with the address and telephone number of where you are going to live.

NEVER pack your passport or any other important documents in your checked-in luggage or your carry-on luggage.  Passports (including visa page), credit cards, and money should be worn in a pouch or a money belt as close to your body as possible.  Be aware that certain reading material or literature may offend officials of some countries.

If your passport is lost or stolen abroad, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for assistance.