Loss or Theft of Personal Effects

There's nothing worse than losing your wallet, bag, passport or some other important personal document while you're away on holiday.

Read through the following tips to not only make sure you know how to react if you do lose any of your personal items, but also how to minimise the risk of it happening in the first place.

• Make a note of the emergency assistance telephone number provided by all good holiday insurance companies and keep it in more than one place, not just in your wallet or handbag.
• If you're the victim of theft, make sure it is reported to the police within 24 hours. They will then give you a report and incident number which you will need to make an insurance claim. All holiday insurance companies stipulate that you must report theft within 24 hours.
• Carry as much of your travel money as possible in traveller's cheques rather than cash. Traveller's cheques can normally be replaced very quickly by the issuer as long as you know the individual cheque numbers. So, make a separate note of these numbers and keep them safe along with the emergency telephone number of the issuer.
• If you lose your passport, a replacement can normally be arranged fairly quickly but you will need to make a personal visit to the nearest Embassy, Commission or Consulate. They may also be able to offer financial assistance in the form of a loan if you have no other means of getting home.
• Before you travel, have a photocopy of the key ID page of your passport and have some spare passport photos ready. This will speed up getting a replacement passport if you need one.
• Make a separate note of the emergency telephone numbers of your credit and cheque cards so they can be cancelled immediately in the event of their loss.
• Make use of your holiday representative if you have booked using a tour operator. They are experienced and will be able to help by contacting the relevant authorities for you and providing other general assistance.
• If you do find you have no direct access to further money, you can arrange for contacts in the UK to transfer money to you quickly using money transfer companies. This can normally be collected from banks, post offices and other approved outlets.

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