Here's a handy-dandy little FAQ sheet that our passport photographer gave us at the time we had the photos made. He mad us a set of 4.

PASSPORT PHOTOS
There is probably no more recognizable and valuable identification document on the planet than the U. S. PASSPORT. Here are some tips that we hope you will find useful:
? Before you travel make Xerox copies of your open passport. Put a copy in one of your bags. Actually, if you have luggage you?re checking, put a copy of your passport inside that bag. It is a good idea to have another copy in your carry-on or in a purse or a money belt.
? Leave another copy in an easily accessible place at home. This is in case you have to call someone to retrieve it; it shouldn?t be too hard to find.
? Before you travel leave yet another copy with a trusted friend or family member. It may sound like overkill BUT it doesn?t hurt to write down your passport number on a separate sheet, leave a copy in your luggage apart from your passport. Should you lose your passport abroad this will cut down replacement time from days or weeks to hours or a few days at most. The copy sheet is easily faxed to virtually anywhere on Earth.
? A PASSPORT IS A VERY VALUABLE DOCUMENT! There is a healthy black market for passports, particularly U. S. passports!
? We hope it is obvious to you men that you would NEVER carry your passport, or anything of value, in a hip pocket, even if it has a button or a zipper.
? When traveling DO NOT CARRY YOUR PASSPORT IN A ?FANNY? OR A ?BELLY? PACK! Handy as they are, these little bags virtually scream, ?Tourist!?
In some busy metropolitan areas these little pouches are sometimes specifically targeted. Believe it or not, they?re not really that hard for pickpockets to negotiate and easier still if the culprit simply comes up from behind and cuts the strap and runs! A fanny pack might be suitable if it is concealed by a coat or some other garment or is hung from across the shoulder on the inside.
? Keep your passport in the safest place you can find. Ideally in a zippered, inside pocket, preferably with a Velcro overlapping closure. As ornate as that might sound, some of the better travel jackets and vests come with just such an arrangement specifically designed for passports, traveler?s checks and airline tickets.
? If you?re going out for an evening ask your hotel if they have a safe. If so, use it. DO NOT leave your passport in your room.
? If you find you have a spare passport size photo or two, take it along on your trip, we?ve heard of myriad uses from our clients. (Once, in London, I decided to buy a weeklong pass for the Underground and bus system. I was told I would need one passport style photo to affix to the pass. In Victoria Station that single, ugly little photo would have cost me about £15 {About $25!} Instead, I had my extra photos in with my passport, saving me money and considerable time and aggravation.) DON?T THROW YOUR SPARE PHOTO?S AWAY!
? Enjoy your trip and, when you return, consider having a real portrait made. Give us a call!

I may be wrong - but check to see what the rules are in the country you're visiting. For example, I read that in Hungary you're required to carry your passport with you - a copy is not acceptable if unless notarized, etc. If you're stopped by police and don't have your passport you can be taken to jail until it's all sorted out.

Why don't we look in obvious places for answere?

The US passport has valuable info on pages 2 thru 7 with titles such as:

Before you travel abroad (tells you in paragraph 4 - "Make 2 photocopies of your passport ID page. Leave one at home with family/friends. Carry the other with you in a place separate from you passport&quot

While in a foreign country

Important things to remember about your passport

AND ON PAGE 7 FOR COMPLETION (in pencil);

PERSONAL DATA AND EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

What absolutely GREAT information. Thank you all so much!!!

My husband was asked for his passport in a small town in Spain as we were coming down the street.

In France I have always just carried a copy of my passport as ID and have had no trouble cashing travelers checks or getting VAT refund.

I also take along two extra passport-type photos since I gather that in some places it is difficult to get the photos required (white background, exact size, etc.).

One of our students lost his passport in Salzburg. We showed up at the consul's office with a copy of his pp, his birth cert, 2 pix, and had the replacement within an hour. The gal was amazed that we were so prepared, but then she'd never traveled with teenagers!

I recently had my passport copied at a UPS store. The young man helping me asked if I wanted color or b&w, and the manager quickly told him that color copies of government documents are illegal.