Just wondering if people carry copies of their vehicle registration document? I've heard people taking copies of their passport and driving licenses (to counter corrupt police).

EDIT: Forgot to ask, do you also carry spare passport photos?

EDIT: I'm definitely taking the originals of all my paperwork, I'm not leaving home without the originals. I'm purely asking questions about why/what/who/how/where regarding the copies of the originals.

I do.

Paper copies in a zip lock bag in my luggage; and pics stored on my phone, and on Google Drive.

- Vehicle registration, Vehicle Title, Insurance.
- Drivers license, International Drivers License, Passport, Birth certificate.
- Pic of everything in my wallet (credit cards, DL, etc).

................shu

I carry copies, but I also carry originals of pretty much everything. Sometimes copies suffice, but sometimes they don't.

Not sure if that's what you're asking, but that's what I've got.

Mark

Note that everywhere in the world EXCEPT the UK, you must carry vehicle registration, drivers license and insurance documents at ALL times. No docs here in BC, is instant tow-away.
Copies in "first world" countries won't fly, but elsewhere they're USUALLY fine, and well worth having.

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Just to add to the very good response from shu...

I also carry digital copies of everything on a USB memory stick (formatted for Windows). This means I can plug it into a computer and access the documents very quickly, or a mobile phone if combined with an OTA adaptor. I'm also considering storing the data on a USB stick (and/or SD card) and stashing somewhere safe on my motrcycle, where I currently have spare cash, document photocopies etc. The advantage of a USB memory stick is that: 1) I don't need to enter my password on an unknown computer, which may have a keylogger or be compromised in some other way; and 2) signing into Google (and other online storage) can require two-factor authentication, or possbly backup pass codes in the case of Google, which may also be lost/stolen along with the originals of whatever you're trying to access.

I admit this seems quite excessive and it's not fullproof; however, it provides another option that may be useful depending on the myriad of potential predicaments!

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BikingOverYonder.com RTW

I always carry printed copies of all documents and credit/bank cards I bring on my trips. A scan of all documents also goes with me on my phone and/or laptop; a copy gets emailed to myself and a copy stays with someone responsible at home. Sometimes I'll have it on a USB stick along with my music as well. It's a good idea to password protect the files as well.

...Michelle

That is an important point - that you should have access to copys of your documents - if everything is stolen and you survive with empty pockets..

the 2Factor authentification is important to protect your accounts and your Accounts and data (specially if you store there too scans of your creditcards). But is a pain if your smartphone and simcard is stolen too.

--> Create a storage or Emailaccount without 2nd Factor for backup
--> Create a password protected 7zip File, which you give a friend for backup.

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About Overlanding, Travelogues, Equipment
Trans-Africa over the west coast

I carry laminated copies plus copies on a memory stick and emailed to myself. Passport, birth certificate, drivers license including international license, yellow fever and other vaccination, Vehicle registration and insurance documents. You never know

I'm with you on all but the birth certificate. What's the point of that? Not criticizing; just wondering.

Reading all the responses I'm struck by the way I recoil from these long lists. A jump drive, photocopies, email to self, photos on phone...it all sounds excessive, especially considering I started traveling without benefit of smartphones, internet, or electronic devices. That was in a time when even photocopies were annoyingly difficult to procure, requiring that I traipse down to the local library and dump endless quarters into the giant machine. Color photocopies were available only at places like Kinko's which were few and far between unless you lived in a college town or city. In the end, I never did lose any documents, therefore was never stressed about how to replace them.

And yet... I do all of the above on every trip these days, even my little three-week vacations. It's not actually difficult, doesn't take up a lot of space, and for the most part the information doesn't even change from year to year--same plastic cards, same passport, same immunization records, same emergency contacts. I can prepare for a trip in a couple of days without seriously pushing it, and all those redundant copies are no more trouble than packing socks, underwear, and suitable charging cables for all my devices.

Regarding passport photos: yes, of course. This is one of those things that's ridiculously easy at home, sometimes awkward or time-consuming on the road. Whenever I have an official passport photo taken--once every ten years for the past 4 decades or so--I buy an extra 20 or 30 copies at minimal cost. The leftovers make a nice little series, beginning with "When I had hair and could stand up straight," to "Ain't it amazing I'm still doing this stuff?"

Mark

I don't really dont know why, I've moved around most of my life and just always have it with me. Just habit I suppose.

Couple more questions:

1) A "passport copy" is just a scan of the passport page with all your info printed on to a piece of A4 paper right?

2) When it comes to copies of paperwork like vehicle registrations, do you have to make them look as real as possible? Like can you get rejected at the border of a non-first world country with an obvious copy of your vehicle registration?

Start reading at the beginning. You need originals of everything, or you risk being turned back (or worse).

One thing you should keep in mind:

A Copy which is made that it looks as the original document is in the opinion of police or customs forged.

In case that they don't think thats funny you are possibly in jail for that.

A forged document is a forged document.
you can print copy or anything like this on the document to avoid that.
But if it makes sense?

I Know, a lot of travellers laminate they driver Licence or anything else, I have done it once too, but I don't do it anymore because of serious problems who can happen.

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www.klausmotorreise.com

Many official documents carry watermarks, which will not exist in the copies. In my personal experience, even the border staff of many "non-first world" countries know to look for these, and it will cause problems if they don't find them. Just bring the originals already...

I used to carry a copy to be presented to the average corrupt cop, but over time I found that this generally isn't necessary and just led to confusion/problems at borders when I presented the copy instead of the original. That said, another reason to use a copy for police is to save wear and tear on the original title--at least mine was obviously not designed to be carried around in all weather and folded/unfolded repeatedly for presentation to authorities. It is looking a bit...frayed.

[EDIT] One other tip, at least for people from some US states: my state will actually issue a duplicate title (same as the original but with the word "DUPLICATE"), so in an abundance of caution sometimes I'll bring a duplicate title just in case the first one gets lost/destroyed/pocketed by corrupt cop. So far have never had to use one...

Russia requires original copies of registration documents. One time I was there I met some Guys who had to wait at the border for their originals to sent to them by DHL.

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Chris