Tag: Best Passport Photos with Free Postage

Safety tips for a stress-free trip abroad

Published on in photography, travel by Paspic

We all have a tendency to get lazy about security when we travel – it is a break from real life after all! But there’s nothing worse than running into problems when abroad. Taking a few simple cautionary steps can help prevent incidents, and ensure they won’t ruin your trip if they happen.

1. Have copies of important documents

Should something happen and you end up losing important documents like your passport, credit cards, national ID, and other sensitive documents, there are steps you can take to ensure you can get these documents replaced quickly. You should always travel with photocopies of these types of documents, and extra prints of your passports photos from Paspic. This will make getting replacements much easier. Having copies will also make it easier for your embassy or security abroad to help you get home.

2. Spread money around

When you pack, both for your trip and just when packing your backpack or purse for the day out, try to keep your money spread around. If you have two credit cards, leave one in the hotel safe. If you have a lot of cash, divide it up to put in different places. This reduces your risk of losing everything if you are pick-pocketed or robbed.

3. Invest in a good purse, bag, or backpack

Nothing makes travelers a better target than when they have their carrying bags open, loosely at their side, or not secured. The best purses for travel should have a zip, buttons, or magnets (or more than one of these things). Backpacks should also have more than just a zip, or at least not lots of smaller zip pockets that could be easily opened without you noticing. If you’re especially worried or going to a less safe area, invest in a money belt or other device that you can wear under your clothes to hold valuables.

4. Look into travel insurance

If for whatever reason, you know you will be traveling with valuables, it doesn’t hurt to look into traveler’s insurance. You can often insure single items of value or insure yourself for any accidents that could happen while abroad. This can give you complete peace of mind while you travel.

Photo: Tourist by iantmcfarland licensed under Creative commons 2

4 international travel safety tips to keep in mind

Published on in photography, travel by Paspic

When you travel across national borders, it’s important to keep in mind a few additional safety tips—ones which either don’t apply to shorter-distance travel or apply much more when you go abroad. Here are four tips you’ll want to keep in mind the next time you travel outside of your home country:

1. Keep information on the embassy handy

Your home nation’s embassy will be your lifeline in any emergency, so make sure you have all the information for the embassy at hand—just in case. A phone number is a must, and other information such as the physical location, email address, etc. can be valuable as well. If something goes wrong during your stay, contact your embassy ASAP.

2. Secure your passport

Your passport is very important as a form of identification when you’re traveling outside of your home country, especially if you’re traveling to nations where passport theft is a problem. Find a good place to keep your passport safe and sound—either somewhere on your body or somewhere reliably secured at your hotel. Losing your passport isn’t the worst thing that can happen to you, but it’s a huge pain.

3. Make sure you have emergency funds

Having accessible money you can use in case you lose your normal form of payment is crucial when you’re traveling overseas—so far from your normal safety net, any problem can blow up in a big way. Something which would be a minor inconvenience normally can send you running to the embassy for help during international travel.

4. Do your homework

Make sure you learn enough about where you’re going in advance to prepare properly. Laws differ, customs differ, and not every part of every town is tourist-friendly. Just like any city at home, there are going to be rough areas—make sure you know where they are and avoid them (or act with appropriate caution if you do choose to visit them). A little homework will save you a lot of trouble.

If you’d like more tips on travel, or you need help checking your passport photos meet the necessary requirements, find out more on our blog or use our Paspic photo checking service.

Photo: Good bye ! by CJS*64 licensed under Creative commons 2

4 clever places to hide your passport while sightseeing

Published on in photography, travel by Paspic

When you’re on vacation and spending the day sightseeing, you should keep your passport with you. Many foreign countries have laws that state that tourists must have identification with them at all times. But keeping your passport safe while sightseeing can be challenging. Here are some clever places to hide your passport while walking around.

1. Inside your hat

If you happen to be in a chilly climate, the inside of your hat can be a safe place to hide your passport. Just make sure it’s the kind of hat that can’t be blown away in a gusty wind. A tight, knit cap is the best hat to wear for storing a passport.

2. Around your neck

For a small investment, you can purchase a plastic case with a ring on it for hiding your passport. Just slip the passport inside the case, and attach the whole thing to a long necklace or chain for your neck. Your passport will be safely tucked up against your chest, inside your shirt. There’s no way anyone can take it without you knowing about it.

3. Inside your scarf

If you are handy with sewing, you can sew a hidden pocket on one side of a scarf. Just open the scarf seam with a seam ripper, sew in a pocket and add a small zipper that’s the same color as the scarf. Now when you sightsee, just wear the scarf around your neck, and your passport will be safely inside it the whole time, without anyone else – including passport thieves – suspecting.

4. In your shoe

If you’re not planning on doing a lot of walking; for instance, if you’re taking a bus or boat tour – you could conceivably store your passport inside your shoe. It won’t be the most comfortable hiding place, but if you’re traveling in a country with high crime, the minor inconvenience will be worth it.

These four clever places for hiding your passport will help you to keep your most valuable traveling possession safe and sound. Even if you lose your wallet, your passport will enable you to get back home to your own country.

How to replace a lost or stolen passport when abroad

Published on in photography, travel by Paspic

Losing or having your passport stolen when abroad is a disaster. Almost all money transactions require identification. Almost all travel requires identification. Any interaction with law enforcement requires identification. And, the only legitimate identification for an American citizen traveling abroad is a U.S. Passport.

Luckily, replacing a passport abroad is not as difficult as one might think. U.S. Embassies are extremely helpful and very efficient with respect to assisting United States citizens.

First 3 things to do when you lose your passport

Once you have retraced your steps in an effort to find a lost passport, and you are certain it is gone:

1) Get online

Before doing anything else, find the location and address of the U.S. Embassy in the country you are visiting. In addition to the address, write down the phone number of the embassy as well. If you do not have access to a computer, find the closest police station and tell them you need to contact the U.S. Embassy.

2) Get two passport photos

Make absolutely certain that the size of the photos are 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm); that distance from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head takes up 1 -1 3/8 inches (25 – 35 mm); that the photo paper is matte or glossy quality; that you are looking directly at the camera; that the background is plain or off-white; and that the photo is in color. Do not have anything on your head (unless you use head wear for religious purposes); have anything in your ears with the exception of an aid, or over your eyes except non-glare prescription glasses.

3) Go to the embassy immediately

Even if you have no money, the embassy can help you. Simply explain your situation to the guard outside and the embassy staff will take care of everything else.

Do not waste too much time looking for a lost or stolen passport. Even an emergency passport can take up to five days to arrive. Every hour you spend looking for a lost or stolen passport delays the arrival of a replacement passport.

If you request an emergency passport and then find your original, call the embassy and notify the staff immediately. Under no circumstances should you dispose of or destroy a passport.

Tips for taking a good baby passport photo

Published on in photography, travel by Paspic

If you are planning to travel as a family, there are usually many arrangements to make. Ensuring that your passports are in order is a matter of priority. Taking passport photos for adults and the older children is easy. However, if you have a baby, you need to take extra care to ensure that you get the right picture. If it is your first time taking a baby passport photo, you need all the help you can get.

Tips for preparing and taking a good baby passport photo

Understand the requirements

Before taking a passport picture of your child, you need to know the legal provisions of such a picture. You can visit the State Department’s website for all the information you need.

Do it from home

Whether you are going to ask an expert to take the photo or you intend to do it yourself, it is best to do the session at home. If the baby is in familiar surroundings, they are likely to be more composed. Toddlers are sharp enough to notice a change of environment and it may affect their mood.

Feed the baby before the session

If you do not want to spend a lot of time taking the child passport photo, it is best to prepare the baby by making them as comfortable as possible. A parent should wash the baby and feed them just before the session.

Avoid holding the baby during the session

Many parents assume that they have to hold the head of the child when taking the photo. The best way of going about it is to lay out some towels or use an infant car seat to support the kid upright. One can then cover the support item with a white sheet to ensure that the background has a uniform color.

Avoid putting any toys next to the baby

You may be tempted to place some toys next to the baby to comfort them. Should the toys be in the shot, the picture will not meet the required conditions.

Once you have the child ready and looking at the camera, you can take the pictures. It is best to take many shots to allow you to select the best passport photo from the batch.