It’s the kind of moment that stops your stomach: you reach for your wallet, and it’s not there. Whether it was pickpocketed, fell out on a train, or was left on a café table, losing your wallet abroad is genuinely stressful. But if you know what to do, you can get through it without the experience completely derailing your trip.
You’ve Lost Your Wallet – What Now?
The very first step is to stay calm and think through your recent movements. Retrace your steps mentally – where did you last use it, where have you been since? In many cases, wallets are turned in to lost property at transit stations, restaurants, or hotels. It’s worth checking those places before assuming the worst.
If your wallet is really gone, you need to think about your cards. There are people at a lot of banks, like ING, who you can call at any time of the day or night to help you with your cards. Your bank also has an app that you can use. You should cancel your debit card and your credit card away. This will stop someone from using your debit card and your credit card when they are not supposed to.
You should not wait to do this because the longer you wait, the time someone else has to use your debit card and your credit card. Your debit card and your credit card need to be cancelled soon as possible so someone else cannot use your debit card and your credit card.
Precautionary Steps Before You Travel
Before you travel, it’s worth saving your bank’s international emergency contact number somewhere other than your wallet – your phone, a photo in cloud storage, or even emailing it to yourself. When your wallet goes missing, that number is exactly what you need, and it’s not the time to be searching for it.
What to Do in an Emergency
If your cards get cancelled, you will need some money away. This is where having a travel companion is really useful. They can help you out.
If you are travelling by yourself, you should call your embassy or consulate. Your embassy or consulate can help you with money when you need it. They can help you get in touch with your family home. Your family may be able to send you some money through a service, like Western Union or MoneyGram.
If you had travel insurance – whether purchased separately or included with your bank account – now is the time to call them. Many policies include emergency cash assistance and cover for expenses incurred as a direct result of theft or loss. Document everything: file a police report as soon as possible, as most insurers require this as proof of the incident.
Your passport is separate from your wallet, but worth mentioning – if it’s also gone, head to your nearest consulate for an emergency travel document. This takes priority if you have upcoming flights.
Review and Improve
When you’re back home and things have settled, it’s worth reviewing your setup for future trips. Never carry all your cards in the same place. Keep one card separate from your main wallet – in a money belt, a zipped inner pocket, or your luggage. Consider a small emergency cash reserve in a separate location as well.
The people who recover quickest from a lost wallet abroad are the ones who planned for the possibility before they left. It doesn’t take long to set up, and it gives you the kind of confidence that makes travel much more enjoyable.
