What to do when you are in deep trouble overseas
You’re in a foreign country, and the unthinkable happens. You’ve lost your passport and all your money. Or you’re injured. Or you’ve been arrested. Or you have visa problems. What do you do? A recent conversation with Karen Christensen, deputy assistant secretary for Overseas Citizen Services for the U.S. State Department, brought new and surprising issues to light.
The missing passport
“The most common difficulty is a lost or stolen passport,” Christensen said.
Steps to take before n trouble occurs: Carry a color copy of your passport. Why color? “It’s more accurate,” Christensen said. Email yourself a copy and carry one with you. (And it’s a good idea to carry an extra credit card and stash some cash away from your wallet and passport case, in any case.)
Find help: Go to www. n travel.state.gov, choose “Country Specific Information” and type in the name of the country. You’ll see a box called “Assistance for U.S. citizens” with contact information for embassies and consulates.
What the State Department n can do: You usually can get an emergency passport from the embassy or consulate. It costs the same as a new passport but is good only for a year. You can turn it in for a passport that’s valid for 10 years (for adults). The State Department also can help you contact friends or relatives if you’ve lost all your money and, in some instances, arrange a loan.
Little land mines: n U.S. Embassies and Consulates observe U.S. holidays and often the host country’s holidays. If your problem occurs at such a time, help with a passport reissue may not be available immediately.
Sick traveler
“Travel insurance is really important for a lot of travelers,” Christensen said.
Before trouble occurs: n Your everyday health insurance may cover you when you’re traveling abroad, but Medicare does not cover you outside of the United States. Travel insurance with medical is rarely a bad idea, especially if it comes with medical evacuation coverage. Carry your insurance policy info on a thumb drive or printout.
Find help: The embassy n or consulate can help with a list of English-speaking doctors. Many travel insurers also provide this benefit. To learn more about navigating travel insurance, go to www.lat.ms/travelinsurance. If the injury or illness results in death, the consulate can advise you on procedures for repatriation of remains. In many cases, so can your travel insurer.
Little land mines: It’s n a good idea to have a credit card with lots of available credit or access to cash, or both, in case you wind up in a hospital that demands immediate payment.
The lawbreaker
It doesn’t have to be something major; for example, you may get tripped up by laws about being drunk in public. If you’re a young traveler, be especially wary. “Alcohol is a big problem with that age group,” Christensen said.
Before trouble occurs: n Read up on local laws (under country-specific information on www .travel. state.gov). You can get into trouble in innocuous ways (taking pictures of certain buildings or authorities, for instance).
Find help: If you’re n arrested, the Vienna Convention mandates that the U.S. Embassy or Consulate be notified. If you’re traveling with friends, make sure they also contact the embassy or consulate on your behalf. Among the services the State Department can render: provide lists of local attorneys, arrange visits by a clergy member and create a fund so the person has access to some money.
Little land mines: n Some countries are extraordinarily strict about things you might not think are issues. I stumbled across this on the Japan page: “You must carry your U.S. passport or Japanese residence card (zairyu kado) with you at all times so ... you can prove your identity, citizenship and immigration status. Under Japanese law, the police may stop any person on the street at any time and demand to see identification. If you do not have with you either a passport or valid Japanese residence card, you are subject to arrest.”
The invalid visa
Traveling in Europe when she was 18, Christensen was removed from a train in the middle of the night when officials discovered she didn’t have the proper visa. “I was pretty scared,” she said.
Before trouble occurs: n Know the visa requirements — find country-specific information at www.travel.state.gov — and follow them to the letter. Check your passport to make sure you have the proper stamps.
Find help: The State n Department will provide a list of lawyers, but it does not generally get involved in visa issues and visa penalties can be severe. Overstay your Indian visa and, the State Department site says, “Generally, you will be fined and, in some cases, may be jailed for months until deportation can be arranged.”