Expert travelers in 2026 recommend a multi-layered approach to document security. Your physical passport and primary ID should ideally be kept in a concealed money belt or a neck pouch worn under your clothes while in transit; keeping them in a backpack or "fanny pack" makes them vulnerable to pickpockets in crowded transit hubs. Once you arrive at your accommodation, the safest place is usually the bolted-down hotel safe. If no safe is available, a "locked suitcase" is a secondary backup. Equally important is your digital redundancy: you should store high-resolution scans of your passport, visas, and insurance papers in a secure, encrypted cloud service like iCloud or Google Drive with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) enabled. Many travelers also carry a physical "emergency kit"—a waterproof folder containing photocopies of their documents and a list of local embassy contacts—stashed in a separate piece of luggage from the originals. This ensures that if your primary bag is stolen, you still have the means to prove your identity and obtain a replacement, which is much faster if you have the passport number and expiration date readily available.