Passport photocopy?

Question

When travelling around I have read that authorities will accept a photocopy of your passport (so you can keep your original in a safety deposit box or safe at the hotel).

My question is what part of the passport has to be photocopied for things to go smoothly if you need to show ID while traveling around.

Answer 1

Copy the page with your foto, date of birth, date of issue, etc.  That is all the pertinent info.

Answer 2

In Costa Rica, in addition to the first two pages they would like to have a copy of the page with the exit visa stamp.

Answer 3

I don't know of any country where the authorities will accept a photocopy of a passport as proof of identity. However, you should make a copy of your passport to give to the hotel so they may not have to hold your real passport.  

Hotels in most countries (though not the USA) require foreign guests to present their passport at the time of check-in, and some hotels demand the traveller surrender their passport to the front desk staff. This can be due to local law or may just be hotel policy. Find out before you go - some hotels want to hold your passport hostage so you can't leave without paying. Other hotels merely need to record the information on your passport but don't really have to hold the real one.

Copy the photo page of your passport (color is best), cut away the excess paper, and have the result laminated.  Most copy places offer both color copying and laminating. Do NOT try to reproduce your whole passport via the copy machine or take any other action that could make it appear you are trying to counterfeit a passport.

Present the laminated copy to the desk clerk if they ask for your passport.  Know before you go if local law requires the hotel to hold your real passport. The law will be the same for all hotels, so contact the country's US embassy or consulate for information. Try to get the reply in writing. Large hotels chains (Best Western, Holiday Inn, etc.) can advise if you can't make contact with the appropriate embassy or consulate.

I don't trust hotel safes in less developed places, and wouldn't trust one in the US or EU for anything really valuable. A bank safe deposit box is probably OK, but can be very inconvenient. Try to avoid travelling with anything you really can't afford to lose, including items with sentimental value.

Consider buying an under-the-trousers security belt to carry your passport when you don't need it immediately available. They also have room for extra credit cards and cash. The belts are basically a zippered rectangular pouch with elastic to go around your waist (under your clothing), and are available at luggage shops for about $15.

Finally, record your passport's number, location of issue, and dates of issue & expiration in an email message to yourself. Tha't way the info is stored in cyberspace should you need it to repalce a destroyed, lost, or stolen passport. You can also scan an image of your passport's photo page and send it to yourself.

Answer 4

You have to photocopy the first two pages of your passport. The most important is the page that has your picture, full name, date of birth, nationality, issue date, passport number etc.