Years ago, I studied abroad in Australia. I climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge, frolicked in a field of kangaroos, and I lost my friend’s passport.
What they don’t tell you before you head to another country is that you will need your passport for most activities, drinking or otherwise. As the one with the most pockets—cargo shorts were my attire of choice—I was often tasked with carrying other people’s belongings. This unavoidably included passports.
We walked everywhere, without the ability to rent a car or the desire to do so since driving on the opposite side of the road seemed treacherous in itself. And on one of those countless walks, a rogue passport slid from my pocket…and it wasn’t mine.
Luckily, a good civilian found it on the street—Australians are the friendliest of people—and turned it in to a police station. The passport was safely returned in a very tearful reunion. But few are so lucky.
It may seem like a far-fetched possibility that you too could lose your passport—or in my case, lose someone else’s. You imagine yourself clinging to this little booklet for dear life, but unexpected things happen, especially when it is as necessary as a normal ID.
Whether its misplaced during a long day of tourism in Italy, disappears after a weekend of back-to-back-to-back business meetings in Tokyo, or it’s stolen from a tour bus, hotel room, or your own bag, the likelihood that something could happen to your passport is relatively high. In fact, each year more than 300,000 U.S. passports are reported lost or stolen.
How do you know what to do in this situation? Where do you turn? What is the protocol?
It can be frustrating and even frightening losing your passport, especially when you don’t know when you can get another one.
Forgo the hassle with the passport replacement services available within Ultimate Health’s Take Me Home program, TopDoc Connect with Take Me Home, and TopDoc Connect with Global Assistance. This service can help you travel confidently. So if you do happen to lose your passport, don’t worry. We’ll help you get it replaced. This service can also replace other important items like glasses, prescriptions and medical equipment if needed.
So if you find yourself in Australia, Italy, Tokyo or wherever else your travels may take you, and your passport falls out of your cargo shorts, don’t panic. Just give us a call.