Looking at the State Department section about replacing lost or stolen passport, it seems like having a copy of the old passport is sufficient.
It wouldn’t hurt, but it looks like other ID is fine.
My friend had a possport stolen in Thailand and had no problems getting an emergency replacement.
In Japan, visitors need to show passports for things such as checking into hotels. I don’t believe that other forms of ID are generally accepted.
On occasion, I’ve run into idiots who wanted to see my passport, even though I’ve got a Japanese government issued alien registration card.
Other than driving, where driver licenses and an international driver’s permit are required, I can’t think of incidents offhand where other forms of ID would be accepted
I’ve encountered that almost everywhere, outside of North America. (My Alberta driver’s licence works just fine at hotels in the US and Canada.) But the UK, Europe, Australia—their hotels, at least in my experience, all want to see a passport when you check in.
I guess in North America, places such as hotels and such are more used to dealing with other forms of ID, but the average individual in Japan isn’t likely to know what a GE identification is.
I keep a photocopy in my nightcase/toiletries bag and another in my laptop bag. I’ve never needed one but it’s a nice & easy reassurance. Even domestically, if my wallet and phone get stolen/lost during a weekend in Vegas, I have something that will probably get me on a plane back home.
Which reminds me I haven’t done that yet. New passport, new backups.
What I did at one point was to keep digital photos of my passport and driver’s license in my Gmail mailbox, on the theory that I could probably borrow a computer someplace to print them wherever I was.
(And another thing; if your wallet was stolen, would you remember everything that’s in it and all of the contact information to cancel all of the credit cards and such in it? So I also took all of the cards out of my wallet and photographed the front and back of all of them.)
Double-factor authentication can make this challenging when you’re travelling. For whatever reason, I can’t receive domestic texts while travelling overseas, which means accessing gmail from a new device is a no-go.
Consider using the Google Authenticator app, which provides the kind of 6-digit verification codes that are often sent via text messages. Authenticator apps like this are supposed to be more secure than text messages (since a SIM-swap attack won’t get someone into your authenticator app), and a lot of places (e.g. investment banks) that send 6-digit codes via text will accept codes provided by an authenticator app. And an authenticator app will work even without any internet access.
We have Telus, so… who knows? It may have been just me: for a long time, I couldn’t get texts or make / receive calls in the US, either (despite having a US/Canada plan), but after fighting with them back and forth, they finally fixed that.
I’ll look into the Google Authenicator app, though: just in case!
I just noticed our GE expires next year. Any experience renewing recently? I just looked up the renewal process and it may simply be an online application with no interview required. It also said this:
You become eligible to renew your membership one year prior to program expiration. If you submit a renewal application before your membership expires, you will be able to continue to use benefits up to 24 months after your membership expiration date.
I renewed earlier this year. I think I started the process in August 2023 with the Global Entry status set to expire in March 2024 but the renewal didn’t happen until April or May. So eight or nine months for renewal.
I also renewed online. They were still backed up from the pandemic. It wasn’t really fast, but it was easy and everything went smoothly. No new interview required, although perhaps they leave open that option.
Now that I’m reading more about it, there are numerous authenticator apps out there, and Google’s app isn’t necessarily the best one. Example, Microsoft offers one as well, and it’s said to be better.
You may want to do some research before choosing one.
In addition to the paper copy I carry with me and the photo on my phone, we have digital copies of all the passports that can be accesses by both my wife and I, so when we are traveling separately we can get them that way.
We also have given digital copies to my sister-in-law.
I have Google and Microsoft authenticator apps (and used to also have something called Duo) and i generally prefer Google to MS, maybe for no good reason.
I wonder if having a cane or other evidence of disability would have the same effect?
Having a limp-noodle 5 year old also helps (as my husband found, when travelling with his family as a kid). His younger brother was a) completely hung over (he’d swiped a BIG glug of his father’s alcoholic beverage), and b) cranky, and started yelling, as they were in the customs line “He can’t look at MY suitcase. I’m not letting him look at MY SUITCASE”. The Customs agent had just nailed someone for smuggling something or other, and apparently looked at this very frazzled-looking family, and waved them through.
Not security-related, but on a trip to NY, we were going to a theatre, and I had my trek pole. An usher saw me standing outside and had us come into the entry foyer ahead of others. As we stood there, I was wondering why… then I realized he thought I had a disability. Which, I mean, if I had, it would have been tremendously helpful, but I was more mortified than anything. I just hoped that if there was someone who genuinely needed early entry / more help, they got it as well.