The Two Most Important Things When Traveling Internationally: Your Passport and Money

Packing lists tend to focus on clothing, chargers, toiletries, adapters and other useful travel gear. Those things can make a trip easier, but most are replaceable.

When you strip international travel down to its essentials, two things matter more than almost everything else: control of your passport and reliable access to money.

Your passport comes first because it is the one essential item money cannot immediately replace. It establishes your identity and citizenship while allowing you to cross international borders and return home.

Money comes second because it is the universal travel problem solver. It can buy replacement clothing, transportation, lodging, food, a new phone, medical care and help with the cost of replacing a lost passport.

Your phone and essential medication also deserve special attention. A phone has become a central hub for communication, directions, payments, reservations and account access. Medication may be personally more important than anything else on this list, although many replacement situations can ultimately be addressed with money, documentation and medical assistance.

Stuff happens. Wallets are lost, bags are misplaced, cards stop working and pickpockets target distracted travelers. The goal is to make sure that one lost wallet, stolen bag, misplaced document or missing phone cannot disable your entire trip.

In This Post

• Why Your Passport and Money Come First
• Number One: Your Passport
• Number Two: Reliable Access to Money
• Strongly Recommended: Wise Travel Account
• Strategic Money Plan Summary
• Honorable Mention: Your Phone
• Also Essential: Medication
• Quick International Travel Checklist
• Final Thoughts

Why Your Passport and Money Come First

A useful way to rank travel essentials is to ask two questions:

1. What happens if I lose this item?
2. Can another resource solve the problem?

Your passport ranks first because there is no true immediate substitute for it. A copy can help with replacement, and money can cover fees, transportation and emergency lodging, but neither allows you to cross a border or board an international flight in place of the original document.

Money ranks second because it can solve or reduce most other travel problems. If your luggage disappears, money can buy clothing and toiletries. If your phone breaks, money can buy a replacement. If you miss a train or your hotel reservation falls apart, money gives you other options.

Your phone earns honorable mention because it may provide access to maps, reservations, communication, digital payments and account authentication. Medication follows closely behind and may personally rank first for travelers who depend on medically essential treatments.

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Number One: Your Passport

Your passport is the most important individual item for international travel. A lost passport does not necessarily end a trip, but it can cause delays, added expenses, visits to an embassy or consulate and major itinerary changes.

Money can pay for transportation to an embassy, passport photos, fees and replacement lodging. It cannot authorize you to cross a border without the required travel document.

A Passport Card Is a Useful Secondary ID

A U.S. passport card can be useful in limited circumstances, but it is not valid for international air travel and should not be treated as a complete replacement for a passport book.

Even with that limitation, I recommend carrying one when possible. It is a quality backup identification document that takes up very little room and may be helpful if your passport book or wallet is lost.

Make Multiple Passport Copies

The U.S. Department of State recommends making copies of important travel documents and leaving one with a trusted friend or relative.

A practical passport backup system can include:

• A printed copy carried separately from the original
• A secure digital copy available from your phone or computer
• A copy stored securely with a trusted person at home

A photocopy does not permit international travel. Its value is in providing your passport number and identifying information that may make replacement easier.

Consider keeping the passport copy in a secure digital travel file along with your visas, travel insurance, reservations, emergency contacts and prescription information. Do not depend entirely on internet access; a securely protected offline copy may also be helpful.

Store the Original Safely and Consistently

Avoid repeatedly moving your passport between pockets, bags and different locations. Choose a consistent location and return it there immediately after use.

When you do not need to carry it, a hotel or cruise cabin safe may be appropriate. When you need it with you, use a secure travel wallet, concealed pouch, zipped interior compartment or secure zipped pocket.

Do not place your passport in an unattended bag or carry it loosely with cash, cards and receipts.

Consider a passport holder that is designed to hold an Apple AirTag or similar tracker. This can provide another layer of protection, but it should not replace secure passport storage.

Know How to Get Help

Before departure, identify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate at your destination. The State Department provides instructions for replacing a lost or stolen passport abroad.

A passport copy, another form of identification, your itinerary and information about where the passport was lost may help with the replacement process. Consular personnel may still be able to assist when every document is not available.

U.S. travelers can also consider enrolling in the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, commonly known as STEP. It can provide embassy messages and make it easier for officials to contact you or your emergency contact during certain emergencies.

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Number Two: Reliable Access to Money

The most important financial travel item is not one particular card or stack of cash. It is reliable access to money through more than one method.

A wallet containing every card you own is not a backup system. It is a collection of payment methods that can all disappear at the same time.

Access to money creates options. It may allow you to take a taxi, book an emergency hotel, replace a damaged suitcase, obtain medical care or purchase a new ticket after a cancellation. Some solutions may be expensive, but access to funds can prevent a disruption from becoming a full-scale emergency.

Carry Cards From More Than One Issuer

Travel with at least two cards from different financial institutions when possible. Ideally, your backup should not rely on the same bank account, issuer or payment network as your primary card.

This protects against a card being lost, declined, frozen because of suspected fraud or rejected by a particular ATM or merchant.

Before departure, confirm that your cards can be used internationally and check whether your issuer accepts or requires travel notifications.

Keep Payment Methods Separate

Keep your primary card in your wallet and at least one backup somewhere separate and secure.

That could mean:

• One card in your wallet and another in a secure travel organizer
• One card carried by you and another carried by your travel partner
• A backup card stored in your hotel or cruise cabin safe
• Emergency cash stored separately from your daily spending money

The objective is simple: losing one wallet should not eliminate every way you have to pay.

Strongly Recommended: Wise Travel Account

A Wise account and card can be funded with a limited travel balance rather than providing direct access to your primary checking account. Wise can also be used to hold destination currency, make purchases and withdraw money from compatible ATMs.

If your Wise card is lost or stolen, you can freeze it and generate a new digital card. This makes Wise a useful primary or backup payment method that can act as a firewall of sorts between travel transactions and your everyday accounts.

For a limited time, get a fee-free transfer of up to $600 USD when you use my referral link.

See: Using Wise for Travel: Convert Currency, Spend Abroad & Protect Your Everyday Card.

Carry Some Emergency Cash

Cards are widely useful, but they are not infallible. Cash can help when a payment terminal is offline, a taxi does not accept cards, an ATM is unavailable or a small business requires local currency.

The appropriate amount depends on the destination. Avoid carrying an unnecessarily large sum, and divide your emergency cash between secure locations.

Use Digital Wallets

Adding eligible cards to Apple Pay, Google Pay or another supported digital wallet provides another way to pay if a physical card is damaged or unavailable. When traveling with a partner, consider setting up payment options on both phones.

We have found digital wallets to be one of our main payment methods when traveling in Europe. I primarily use my Apple Watch for payments. Using it means I rarely need to take out my wallet, reducing the chance that the wallet will be dropped, misplaced or exposed to a pickpocket.

Backups to the Backups

A trusted person at home should know how to reach you and may be able to transfer money or help coordinate assistance during a serious emergency.

The U.S. Department of State publishes information about emergency financial assistance for U.S. citizens abroad. This should be viewed as a last-resort resource rather than a replacement for your own backup plan.

Strategic Money Plan Summary

• Set up a Wise account and card. It offers several useful travel features and can act as a buffer between travel spending and your everyday financial accounts.
• Carry multiple credit cards from different issuers and, when possible, different payment networks.
• Carry a small amount of emergency cash in the destination’s local currency.
• Keep backup cards and cash separate from your primary wallet, such as in another secure bag, a hotel safe or with your travel partner. Make sure you and your travel partner know where the backups are stored.
• Set up Apple Pay, Google Pay or another supported digital wallet on each traveler’s eligible phone or wearable device.

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Honorable Mention: Your Phone

Your phone is not as irreplaceable as your passport or as universally useful as money, but it has become one of the most important tools carried by an international traveler. Beyond communication, we rely on our phones for directions, payments, boarding passes, reservations, authentication codes and more.

Losing a phone can therefore create several problems at once. You may lose your primary communication device while also losing access to payment methods, authentication codes, directions and important travel records.

Money can usually buy a replacement phone, which is why the phone does not outrank reliable access to funds. The immediate challenge is regaining access to your phone number, accounts and travel information.

Build a Phone Backup Plan

• Use a screen lock and device tracking. Make sure Find My iPhone, Find My Device or a similar service is enabled before departure.
• Back up important information. Store reservations, emergency contacts and document copies somewhere you can reach from another device.
• Protect account access. Save backup authentication codes, confirm that account recovery information is current and know how to freeze or lock your payment cards. Do not make your phone the only way to access banking, email and travel accounts.
• Download essential information. Keep offline maps, reservations and important contact details available when internet service is unavailable.
• Carry backup power. A phone with a dead battery is temporarily almost as useless as a lost phone.
• Have a connectivity backup. A second eSIM, physical SIM or another service can help if your primary carrier does not work as expected.
• Save important contact information separately. Keep card issuer, mobile carrier and emergency contact information somewhere you can access without your phone.
• Leverage your travel partner’s phone. When traveling with a spouse or trusted companion, distribute important capabilities between both phones. Make sure the loss of one phone does not eliminate every way to authenticate accounts, retrieve reservations or communicate.

Related:

• Hands on Review: Airalo e-SIM – Use Your Phone Internationally
• Hands on Review: GigSky World Mobile Data eSIM – Works on Cruise Ships

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Also Essential: Medication

Medication deserves special attention because it can be just as important as money or a passport for an individual traveler.

For someone who relies on insulin, seizure medication, an epinephrine auto-injector or another medically essential treatment, medication may personally rank first. This hierarchy is a general travel framework, not a judgment about anyone’s medical needs.

Medication ranks slightly lower in the broadest sense because many lost-medication situations can usually be addressed through a physician, pharmacy, clinic, hospital or travel insurance assistance service. Those solutions generally require access to money.

Replacement is not guaranteed, however. Brand names, formulations and dosages vary between countries. Some medications may be unavailable, restricted or classified as controlled substances. That is why “I can just buy more” should never be the entire plan.

Medication Backup Steps

• Keep essential medication with you. Do not pack medication you cannot easily replace exclusively in checked luggage.
• Bring extra doses. Carry enough for the scheduled trip plus a reasonable reserve for delays, cancellations or lost doses.
• Retain original labels. Original containers can identify the medication and show that it was prescribed to you.
• Carry documentation. Bring a prescription copy, generic medication name, dosage, prescriber contact information and any necessary doctor’s letter.
• Check local laws. Verify medication restrictions for every destination and transit country.
• Plan for special storage. Confirm how refrigerated or temperature-sensitive medication will be protected during transit and at your destination.

See: CDC guidance for traveling abroad with medicine.

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Quick International Travel Checklist

Before leaving the country:

• Confirm your passport’s expiration date and destination validity requirements.
• Create printed and secure digital passport copies.
• Store the original passport in a consistent, secure location.
• Carry at least two payment cards from different issuers.
• Keep cards and emergency cash in separate locations.
• Set up Wise or another independent travel payment option.
• Add eligible cards to your digital wallet.
• Enable your phone’s screen lock, tracking and backup features.
• Save offline maps, reservations and backup authentication codes.
• Pack essential medication in your carry-on with extra doses.
• Carry prescription information and verify destination restrictions.

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Final Thoughts

Most things packed for an international trip are conveniences. Your passport and reliable access to money are infrastructure.

Your passport preserves your ability to identify yourself, cross borders and return home. Money gives you the ability to respond when plans fall apart and can solve or reduce nearly every other ordinary travel problem.

Your phone follows as an honorable mention because it now provides access to communication, directions, reservations, payments and important accounts. Medication also deserves special attention because it may be essential to your health, even though replacement is sometimes possible with money, documentation and medical assistance.

The real travel hack is redundancy. Protect your passport and maintain secure copies. Carry more than one way to pay and keep those methods in separate locations. Back up your phone and avoid making it the only way to access important information or accounts. Bring extra medication and the documentation needed to replace it.

You cannot eliminate every travel risk, but you can prevent one lost wallet, stolen bag, misplaced document or missing phone from taking down the entire trip.

Related Resources, Reviews & Articles

• Why a Power Bank is a must pack item for trips to Europe
• European Cruise Packing List: What to Pack & Why
• Why a Backup SIM is a Requirement for International Travel
• Will My Phone Work on a Cruise Ship?
• How to Use WiFi Calling on a Cruise Ship (Avoid Roaming Charges)

Information in this article was believed to be accurate at the time of publication. Travel requirements, government policies, financial services, promotions and medication regulations can change. Confirm current details with the appropriate government agency, financial institution, medical provider or service provider before traveling. hack:intmoney tag:tpr

Using Wise for Travel: Convert Currency, Spend Abroad & Protect Your Everyday Card

Traveling internationally usually means dealing with exchange rates, foreign transaction fees and the occasional need for local cash. Wise combines a multi-currency account with an optional debit card, giving travelers a safe and easy way to manage money while abroad.

You can add dollars to your Wise account, convert some of that money into your destination’s currency before your trip, and then spend from that balance using the Wise card. You can also leave your money in dollars and allow Wise to convert it automatically when you make a purchase.

Wise is not necessarily a replacement for a good travel credit card, but it can be a useful addition to your international travel setup. It can also create a helpful layer of separation between travel purchases and the debit card connected directly to your everyday checking account.

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In This Post

• What Is Wise?
• Why Wise Can Be Useful for Travel
• Convert and Hold Your Destination’s Currency
• Using the Wise Card for Everyday Travel Purchases
• Use Wise as a Firewall for Your Everyday Accounts
• Wise Cards Are Easy to Manage and Secure
• Always Choose the Local Currency
• Using Wise at Foreign ATMs
• Wise Is a Debit Card, Not a Credit Card
• A Practical Wise Travel Setup
• Things to Consider Before Using Wise
• Is Wise Worth Using for Travel?

What Is Wise?

Wise, formerly known as TransferWise, is an international money service that allows users to hold, convert, send and spend money in multiple currencies.

The Wise Multi-Currency Card is a debit card connected directly to your Wise balances. Wise supports holding dozens of currencies, and its card can be used in many places where debit cards are accepted.

Because it is a debit card, purchases are deducted from the money already in your Wise account. There is no credit card bill, interest charge or revolving balance.

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Why Wise Can Be Useful for Travel

• Hold your destination’s currency: Convert dollars into the currency used at your destination before traveling.
• Convert on your terms: Watch exchange rates and convert money for an upcoming trip when you feel the rate is favorable.
• See the conversion cost: Wise shows the exchange rate and applicable conversion fee before you complete the exchange.
• Avoid a traditional foreign transaction fee: Wise does not add a separate fee simply because you use the card outside the United States.
• Use automatic currency conversion: If you do not hold the currency being charged, Wise can convert money from an available balance.
• Withdraw local currency: The physical card can be used at compatible ATMs.
• Use a digital card: Eligible users can add a Wise card to Apple Pay or Google Pay.
• Manage cards easily: Cards can be managed, frozen and unfrozen through the Wise app.
• Protect your everyday debit card: Wise can provide an additional layer between travel merchants and your primary checking account.

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Convert and Hold Your Destination’s Currency

One of Wise’s most interesting travel features is the ability to convert dollars and hold the resulting balance in your destination’s currency.

Wise lets you watch exchange rates and convert money for an upcoming trip on your own schedule rather than waiting until you arrive and accepting whatever rate is available that day. If the dollar strengthens against your destination’s currency, you can choose to convert part of your travel budget while the rate looks favorable. The converted funds can then remain in your Wise balance until you are ready to use them.

This can be helpful when you are saving for an upcoming trip, setting aside a specific amount of spending money or planning an expensive international vacation. You can gradually convert money over several weeks or months instead of converting your entire travel budget at once.

There is no way to know with certainty which direction exchange rates will move. Converting early could work in your favor, or the rate could improve after you exchange your money.

A middle-ground approach is to convert part of your expected spending money before departure and leave the rest in dollars. Wise can then automatically convert money from another available balance to complete a purchase when needed.

Beyond potentially getting a favorable rate, converting ahead of time can make budgeting easier. Once the money is converted, you know how much destination currency you have available for the trip.

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Using the Wise Card for Everyday Travel Purchases

The Wise card can be used for many of the same everyday purchases as a traditional debit card, including:

• Restaurants and cafés
• Grocery stores
• Public transportation
• Train tickets
• Museums and attractions
• Local tours
• Souvenirs and shopping
• Online purchases priced in foreign currencies

If you already hold the purchase currency in Wise, the transaction is deducted from that balance. If you do not have enough of that currency, Wise can automatically convert money from another available balance to complete the purchase.

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Use Wise as a Firewall for Your Everyday Accounts

Wise can act as a financial firewall of sorts between travel purchases and the debit card connected directly to your primary checking account.

Instead of using your everyday debit card at restaurants, ticket machines, ATMs and unfamiliar merchants, you can transfer a limited amount of spending money to Wise and use the Wise card during your trip.

If the Wise card number is compromised, using a limited Wise balance may reduce the amount immediately available through that card compared with using a debit card tied directly to your primary checking account.

This can be particularly helpful when using unfamiliar ATMs, small merchants, transportation kiosks or other payment terminals while traveling.

This setup does not eliminate risk or replace the need to monitor transactions, protect your login credentials and report suspicious activity. It does, however, create a useful additional layer between travel spending and the financial accounts you use every day.

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Wise Cards Are Easy to Manage and Secure

Wise makes it relatively easy to order and manage physical and digital cards through its app.

After opening and verifying your account, you can order a physical card where available. Eligible users can also access digital card features for online purchases and mobile-wallet payments.

If your card is lost, temporarily misplaced or showing suspicious activity, you can freeze it directly in the app. If you later find the card, you can unfreeze it without replacing it.

You can also adjust controls for different types of transactions, including:

• Online purchases
• Contactless payments
• ATM withdrawals
• Magnetic-stripe transactions
• Mobile wallet payments

These controls make it possible to disable features you do not expect to use while leaving the ones you need available. Transaction notifications can also help you quickly notice an unfamiliar charge.

Important for U.S. travelers: A Wise card issued in the United States can only be activated while you are in the United States. Order, activate and test the physical card before leaving the country.

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Always Choose the Local Currency

When a payment terminal or ATM asks whether you want to be charged in U.S. dollars or the local currency, choose the local currency.

Choose the currency used at your destination rather than U.S. dollars.

Choosing U.S. dollars allows the merchant or ATM operator to perform the conversion through a process known as dynamic currency conversion. That conversion frequently includes a less favorable exchange rate or additional markup.

Selecting the local currency allows Wise to handle the conversion instead.

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Using Wise at Foreign ATMs

The Wise card can also be used to withdraw local currency from compatible ATMs. This can be a convenient alternative to ordering a large amount of foreign cash before leaving home.

For U.S.-issued cards, Wise currently does not charge its own ATM withdrawal fee when your combined withdrawals total no more than $250 during a calendar month. After reaching $250, Wise currently charges $1.95 plus 1.95% for each additional withdrawal.

An ATM owner may charge a separate operator fee regardless of whether Wise charges a fee.

Because fees and allowances can change, check the current Wise card pricing before traveling.

When using an ATM:

• Choose the local currency.
• Decline the ATM’s currency conversion.
• Review any operator fee before completing the withdrawal.
• Make fewer, appropriately sized withdrawals rather than many small withdrawals.
• Use bank-operated ATMs when practical.

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Wise Is a Debit Card, Not a Credit Card

The Wise card is useful for everyday spending, but it does not replace every benefit of a credit card.

Hotels, rental car companies and gas stations may place temporary preauthorization holds on debit cards. These holds can make part of your Wise balance unavailable until the merchant releases the money.

A travel credit card may also provide rewards, purchase protections, rental car coverage or trip-related benefits that are not included with a debit card.

For those reasons, I would be cautious about using Wise as the only payment method for:

• Hotel security deposits
• Rental car deposits
• Pay-at-the-pump gas purchases
• Large travel reservations
• Purchases where credit card protections are important

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A Practical Wise Travel Setup

A sensible approach is to use Wise as one part of a broader travel payment plan:

1. Open and verify your Wise account well before departure.
2. Order the physical Wise card with enough time for delivery.
3. Activate and test a U.S.-issued card before leaving the United States.
4. Add an eligible digital card to Apple Pay or Google Pay.
5. Transfer a limited amount of expected spending money into Wise.
6. Watch exchange rates and optionally convert part of the balance when the rate looks favorable.
7. Use Wise for restaurants, transportation, shopping and occasional cash withdrawals.
8. Use a separate travel credit card for hotels, rental cars and major purchases.
9. Keep another backup card stored separately from your primary wallet.

Do not wait until the day before departure to set everything up. Identity verification, bank transfers and physical card delivery can take time.

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Things to Consider Before Using Wise

• Conversion fees still exist: Wise charges for currency conversion even though it clearly displays the applicable rate and fee.
• ATM operators can add fees: Wise cannot control fees charged by independent ATM owners.
• It is a debit card: Merchant deposits and preauthorization holds temporarily reduce your available balance.
• Acceptance is not universal: Some merchants, websites or automated terminals may reject certain debit cards.
• Availability varies: Wise account and card features depend on your home country or region.
• Wise is not a traditional bank: How customer money is held and protected can depend on the balance, feature and jurisdiction involved.
• Exchange rates can change: Converting early may help or hurt depending on how rates move before your trip.

Review Wise’s current pricing, eligibility and customer-fund disclosures before adding a significant balance.

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Is Wise Worth Using for Travel?

Yes—absolutely. From personal experience… Wise is a genuinely useful travel tool and what I consider a travel hack when it comes to international travel.

It gives you the flexibility to convert money into your destination’s currency on your own schedule, hold those funds until your trip and spend from that balance while traveling. You can also skip converting ahead of time and let Wise automatically handle the exchange when you make a purchase.

The Wise card is especially useful for everyday travel spending, including restaurants, transportation, shopping and ATM withdrawals. It can also act as a financial firewall of sorts by allowing you to travel with a limited Wise balance instead of repeatedly exposing the debit card connected directly to your primary checking account.

Add in easy card freezing, digital card support, clear conversion costs and the ability to manage everything through the Wise app, and this becomes much more than another payment card. It is a practical way to organize travel money, reduce reliance on your everyday debit card and make spending in another currency easier.

I would still carry a good travel credit card and a separately stored backup card, especially for hotels, rental cars and larger purchases. As part of a well-rounded travel payment setup, however, Wise is an excellent tool that I would strongly consider before any international trip.

Get Started with Wise →

Fees, exchange rates, supported currencies, card availability and account features can change. Check Wise directly for current terms and pricing before signing up or traveling.

Related Cruise Packing Resources, Reviews & Articles

• European Cruise Packing List: What to Pack & Why
• Why a Backup SIM is a Requirement for International Travel
• Hands on Review: Airalo e-SIM – use your phone internationally!
• Hands on Review: GigSky World Mobile Data eSIM – works on cruise ships!
• Will My Phone Work on a Cruise Ship?
• How to Use WiFi Calling on a Cruise Ship (Avoid Roaming Charges)

Price, promotions and availability can change quickly. Check the product page for current price, description and availability. hack:wise tag:tpr