It’s travel Tuesday, where we check in with travel expert Claire Newell from Travel Best Bets for tips to make your next vacation a breeze.
Your passport is a valuable document – keep in a safe place at all times. However, if you lose it – you need to report it immediately. If you are in Canada you can do that in person at any Passport Canada office or by calling the toll free number 1-800-567-6868.
If you are out of the country you need to report it to the local police and the nearest Canadian government office abroad. There is a list of them at travel.gc.ca which is a good website to have on hand when you are traveling.
Even if you find your lost or stolen passport you can’t use it. You have to send it to Passport Canada and apply for a replacement passport, which can be a hassle. Canadian authorities will conduct an investigation into the circumstances.
Plus you need to provide all of the information you do when applying for a new passport. The pictures, the application signed by your guarantor and proof of citizenship. This may lead to delays in processing the replacement passport, which is a nightmare if you are at your destination.
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It could lead to you having to stay extra days, which means more hotel expenses, and even having to buy a new airline ticket home.
To make things easier and keep yourself safe, it’s a good idea to make two copies of your passport and give one to a friend or relative, take the other one with you when you travel. You should also scan the passport and email it to a secure address that you can access anywhere in the world.
Another thing worth doing is get a travel insurance policy that covers you if your passport is lost or stolen. A lot of the policies have this included and it will ensure you’re not out of pocket if you need to stay longer.
Hopefully, these tips will make the whole process easier if you ever do lose your passport, but let’s hope it never happens to you.
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