Recently I had my passport stolen in Italy. It was mainly due to complacency on my part. Even though we had a lovely time up until the incident, I let down my guard and hit the classic 'bump in the road' and it provided a rough and stressful last 2 - 3 days of our 14 day holiday which was unexepectedly extended to 15 days due to this incident.
We are seasoned travellers. We have visited most of Asia, Australia, and recently Europe for work and play for over 20 years in the past. This was the first time we encountered a major setback.
However There is only so much vigilance you can exercise during your holidays. You do want to enjoy the scenery without looking over your shoulder or always tapping your tummy where your precious documents, money,credit cards are ever so often.
With regards to your phone you, should hold it for dear life, else bring a cheap phone without all the important phone enabled tokens from your banks.
Credit cards all over the world all operate using the Touch Pay method and it would be a major issue if one's credit cards were stolen. Yet it happens time and again.
My wife and I had our annual holidays in Italy and recently we had a wonderful 12 days visiting Milan, Como, Pesqueira del Garda and Venice. At the 12th day on the train from Venice to Milan, we let our guard down and I had my backpack stolen in the Business Class section of the train.
Petty crime is rampant in many Italian cities. December is the most popular time to visit for Singaporeans and Malaysians (year end school holidays) so we (I) should have been much more vigilant and aware of the risks of putting precious documents, cash or cards in our backpack. There are teams of thieves identifying the potential victims which oftentimes are the hundreds of thousands of tourists which descend to St Mark's Square (Venice), Trevi Fountain (Rome) or the Eiffel Tower (Paris) and theft does happen.
Fortunately we kept our heads, and made the mandatory police report immediately upon arrival. We urgently called the Hon Consulate in Rome and was advised to do the following things immediately.
a) Go online to the ICA website and cancel my passport
b) File a Police Report at point of arrival (Milan in my case)
c) Take Passport Photo (for application of ID letter in Lieu of Passport)
d) Go to Rome with the PR and Photo for them to process speedily the ID Letter.
Upon arrival in Milan, we made and received the Police Report as well as file the Online Lost Passport on ICA website.
We then made plans to make a mad dash to the consulate in Rome from Milan the following day (3 hours each way) to catch the staff at the Hon Consulate General to request for a Letter in Lieu of Passport signed and stamped by the Hon Consulate team.
The incident happened on a Tuesday (12th Dec), so on Wednesday it was mad rush to Rome, speak with the staff at the Hon Consulate.
When we arrived, they were expecting us. BUT the ICA did not respond to my notification of lost passport. They advised me to call the MInistry of Foreign Affairs in Singapore which has a 24 hours hotline for Singaporeans - and I did.
I spoke to an officer, and she was so helpful. She told me that as I was speaking to her on the phone, the email from the Consulate just arrived at her inbox. She acted quickly and instructed the consulate staff to proceed to the document, the Letter in Lieu of a Passport - for Singaporeans like myself who are in trouble or who need assistance.
It was all done speedily in the space of 1 hour.
We arrived in Rome at 9.45 am, and reached the Consulate by 10.15 am. We managed to get the letter before 12 noon the same morning.
We then made plans to fly off on Thursday (14th) instead of Wednesday 13th ; an act which cost some money but the key thing was that my piece of mind was settled immediately.
Needless to say I was very grateful and impressed by the staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Singapore and the staff at the Hon Consulate General in Rome.
To Mr. Jacques Vicari, Ms. Patricia in Rome and the MFA in Singapore - my humble thanks and profound gratitude. We arrived back with minor delays (extra checks on Italian immigration and Singapore but only cursory as per the regulations).
Acting swiftly and decisively, you have made me so proud to be a Singaporean.
Majulah Singapura !
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