Passport Information

Tips and advice on applying for your first U.S. passport or doing a passport renewal, including information on passport fees, name changes, expedited passports and more.

Continue reading for more details

The Independent Traveler: Travel Resources RSS Feeds

How to Keep Your Money and Travel Documents Safe

Losing your money to a thief or pickpocket is the last thing that anyone wants to happen, but when you are far from home, or in a foreign country it can be even more worrying, and even frightening. The best preparation you can make to avoid such a troubling situation is to keep all your important documents and money safely hidden away.

A number of travel belts and pouches are available which offer a practical way of carrying money. Many thieves will be aware of these solutions, but they will not be able to get at your money quickly and easily enough to rob you if you are using your belt or pouch properly. You should wear them under your clothes, as otherwise they are no better tan any other bag or pocket. Many travel belts have hidden compartments that are difficult to find even if someone does get hold of your belt. This is a good place to put some emergency money. Documents, such as your passport are harder to conceal as they cannot be rolled or folded up like money. A pouch worn under your clothes is a good solution. If you are wearing clothes made of a light material then people will be able to see that the pouch is there, but they will not be able to get at it without your knowledge. Some belts have larger compartments which can hold documents as well as money. These are more obvious than hidden compartment belts, but when strapped around your waist under your clothes they are a safe place for all your important papers.

A simple way of making your own hidden pocket is to cut one from an old piece of clothing and sew it or pin it to the inside of a new one, for example in the leg of a pair of pants. You can also come up with a number of clever places just by considering the items you might be carrying with you. The handle of an old disposable razor, for instance, is a perfect fit for a rolled up bill. There are plenty of places where you can spread your valuable around, so that even if one is found it is unlikely that a thief will locate everything.

Your shoes can also be a good hiding place. The inner sole should lift up, so you can put a couple of notes in your shoes, just in case. Of course, if you have very expensive shoes a thief might take them even without knowing that the money is there.

You should never keep all your money in one place, particularly if you are carrying quite a lot. In most places you will be able to use a card to withdraw cash from an ATM so you shouldn’t need to have too much money on you. Split up what you are carrying and hide it in a number of places so that even if you are unlucky and some goes missing, you will not be left with nothing. You only need to keep a small amount of money to hand; the rest can be hidden carefully in inaccessible places, which you should never reveal in public.

Thieves can also get into hotel rooms, so you should apply the same tactics to anything that you have to leave behind there. Hide your valuables in a number of spots, and don’t leave anything expensive lying around as an opportunistic employee could be tempted to take it. Choose a safe hotel, and ideally one with a secure safe if you have a lot of valuables.

One sneaky way of making sure that a pickpocket doesn’t look hard enough to find your money is to put a cheap decoy wallet, stuffed with some slips of paper in an obvious place, such as your pocket or bag. Once they find it they’ll run off, leaving you with your valuables secure.

Caribbean Vacations

Throughout history, many people have taken Caribbean vacations. Nowadays, many United States citizens, over a million, go on a Caribbean vacation of some sort. Now, let us talk about some tips that will help you have a great Caribbean vacation.

Always plan ahead. Planning ahead can mean a variety of things. One thing that will help is if you gather up all the documents that you could possible need to have with you on your trip. One of these things needs to be your passport. Also have a copy of your birth certificate handy in case you are asked to show proof that you are a U.S. citizen. Another thing is to purchase your flight in advance not the day that you plan on going to the island. This way, you will save money and have less stress at the airport.

The next thing you need to do is choose where you will actually be going. Remember it’s the Caribbean islands not island. Each of these islands has their own culture. Remember research as much as you can about the culture of the island that you will actually be going to. Also check to see if the island you will be going to has had outbreaks of yellow fever. If the island that you are going to has had cases of yellow fever, remember to get vaccinated.

Also, keep in mind things that have been happening at the island you want to go to. If there are any sorts of natural disasters going on then try to change where you are going.

To actually get on the island, you must pass the requirements the island has in place. Most of the islands will ask you for a way to prove that you are a United States Citizen, and that you have a flight to go back to the United States. This way they know that you will not try to stay and live on the island.

When you are coming back to the United States, you will again be made to prove that you are a United States citizen. There are some certain documents that will help prove your United States citizen status. Here are some of these documents.

An expired passport

A Certified copy of your birth certificate.

Your certificate of Naturalization

Your certificate of Citizenship

Any of those documents should be enough to prove that you are a United States citizen.

Now go on and have fun on your next Caribbean vacation.