Leaving your passport?

A lot of hotels will keep your passport for a short period to fill out paperwork. It's really nothing to be paranoid about, it happens hundreds if not thousands of times a day. You should be more concerned about protecting your passport from pickpockets, that's where the real danger is.

Thanks. I do plan to wear a money belt.

It is required by law in some countries for hotels, etc. to register their guests with the local police department. In decades past, they did indeed keep your passport for awhile to do this work. However, with computers and things, most take care of this when you check in. Wherever we've been, we have always had our passports returned to us before leaving the check-in area.

In a Milan hotel, they kept my passport apx. 1 hr.
That was very quick! Rick Steves brought this up also in one of his TV shows, and insists for us not to worry, and have a great time!

Rebecca as noted by others, its not dangerous to leave it with desk clerk, and in many countries they are required to see it and fill out some forms. Main issue in a busy hotel ,, they may wish to keep it and have a staff member fill out all the forms later , instead of trying to do it while others may be waiting to check in. You could offer to show them the original ,, but if they ask to keep it you could offer a copy, or ask them to make a copy, just explain you need it later that day to do something with.. . If they say no they need the orginal for an hour or two do not panic, it is not a big deal..

Remember Rebecca,, even if your PP is lost or stolen you will never be stuck in Europe forever. LOL Worst case it not to lose it in last few days before you depart for home, as you do not want to miss plane!( they do take a few days to replace) . Keep a copy in suitcase as it does apparently speed up replacement as all info is there, plus some people email a copy to themselves for same purpose.

Good luck and don't worry.,, be more careful of your money and CC in crowded places..

This question has come up before and I always see the same answers... don't worry about it... Well, this time I'm speaking up.

10 years ago, I reluctantly left my passport with the hotel front desk one night and come morning, mine and several others were gone.

Getting a new passport was such a hassle and took so much time. I had to hunt up the US consulate, fill out all sorts of paperwork and be interrogated. I did have to alter my plans, since I didn't have a passport and all, I was stranded for several days. I also incurred the expense of new pictures and passport fees. Eventually, I was issued a temporary passport that was only good for a year.

A year later I had to go through all that again back home and they eventually extended my passport for another nine years. And all that was the least of it... because my identity was stolen. It took me three years to deal with the ramifications of that.

So, I never let anyone keep my passport, I guess I'm just funny that way. On my most recent European trip, I scanned the key pages of my passport and printed and laminated it. One place in northern Italy asked to keep my passport and, with it already in his hands, he simply slid it into the key slot next to the desk well within reach of anyone passing by.

I took my passport back and asked him nicely to get any information he may need now or as an alternative I offered him my little card. I figured if that was stolen, I risk my identity being stolen again, but at least I'd still have my passport and could still move about and get home.

I was told by the consulate guys, that it would have been easier had I stopped by when I first arrived and "registered" my passport, so that's an option you may want to consider. I was also reminded that in the passport, it clearly says keep the passport in your possession at all times.

The odds are that nothing like this will happen to you. But, if it does, you'll be so sorry.

Cheers,
Maggie

Usually it's fine, but you can always request that they copy the information down right then and there. Thus far, all three hotels I've stayed at in Italy (where it's required) have promptly copied the information down and returned my passport immediately. The longest was a hotel where I and several other tour group members had all arrived at the same time. We just waited in the lobby for about 15 minutes while the clerk filled out the information and returned our passports.

If it makes you nervous, just politely ask them to fill out their forms and return the passport immediately. Most people will be happy to honor your request.

Maggie - Kent can check me on this but yours is the first ever report on this board of a passport lost while in a hotel's possession. I would have thought the local police would have made a huge stink with the hotel owner? Did you report the loss to the local police? Where did this happen?

I ask because I'm one of the first regulars here to try to reassure people it's a common practice and nothing to worry about.

Hey Doug,

It was in London. Oh yeah, I called the Police, I had to have a report done to take to the consulate, where by the way, I was treated like the criminal. It was really weird. I'm not sure if the police came down on the hotel, but I sure did. I had to stay three days past my planned departure date and you better believe it was gratis, as was my food.

A couple of times I've been asked for my passport by a hotel clerk and reassured that it will be safe, and I just show them the last page in the passport where it says, "This is a replacement for a stolen passport".

Then, when I got the passport extended for the balance of the ten years, I didn't get a new one, they just typed on the next to the last page "This passport was extended to 09/21/2009". Every time I go through customs, the agent sometimes gets all riled up at first because they see on the first page that my passport expired in 2000. Sometimes it's difficult to get them to listen and look at the last two pages. Oh woe is me.

Anyway, I'm sure that 99.7% of the time, you'll be just fine and I don't want to labeled a fear monger or anything, but it can happen.

I also had my passport stolen in London, but not in a hotel. I agree completely with the previous poster about being treated like a criminal at the Embassy.
I had to go back 3 times and drag a friend as they wanted ID and all mine had been stolen! Despite the fact that I could give them chapter and verse on my passport history, they could find no record of my ever having a passport in Washington!!!!!! And I have had a passport for 37 years! In the end, I was not issued a new passport but rather a letter to officials to allow me to leave England and enter the US. I believe it cost me something like $100.00. And then when I was home I had to reapply for a passport which was stamped in the back that it was a replacement of a stolen passport. Believe me you do not want to go through this. The only good thing was that I contacted my airline, Virgin Atlantic, explained the situation and they said I could fly on another day without any penalty if the paperwork did not come through (which it did in the end before my departure date). I was in London for over a week which helped in this case but too much time was spent at the Embassy. This occurred pre-9/11.

Thank you for sharing about what a pain it is to have your passport stolen or lost. One will be reminded of it for the next 10 years, every time you re-enter the country. And if by chance you lose it or have it stolen again within those 10 years, they will only issue you one for a year at a time for the next 10 years. I hated coming through immigration every time I came home to the states and being treated like I was some illegal trying to slip into the country. Texas was the worst. I had to go sit in immigration for 45 min. before they finally got around to asking me what my mothers maiden name was and then letting me and my kids race to the gate at the last minute to catch our plane. It will be awhile before I will want to land at Dallas-Ft.Worth airport. All the other airports simply asked the question and let me go on through.

So, for anybody that thinks getting another passport is not a big deal, think again.