Before setting out on your journey overseas, you need to make sure that you are secure and protected while travelling to that place. The best way to do this is to sign up with an insurance company that provides you coverage in unexpected situations. For more information on travel insurance, get a free quote on InsureDIY and complete your purchase in 3 minutes. In the event that you lost your wallet abroad, here are the steps that you need to take.

1. If your wallets had credit and debit cards

Some people tend to carry a different pouch to keep their debit and credit cards, but if your wallet has your credit and debit cards, action must be taken immediately.

As soon as you realized you lost your wallet, call up your credit and debit card companies to freeze your cards. Credit and debit cards  can be used easily by anyone anywhere without your permission. By calling up your credit and debit cards companies, you are letting them know that from that moment on, you are not in control of these cards. With this step taken as soon as you realise your wallet is lost, you will also be able to easily file for any travel insurance claim regarding this situation. These companies will be able to show proof that you did indeed call them up the moment you lost your wallet overseas.

2. Go to the police

The most appropriate and logical step to take when your wallet is lost or stolen is to go to the police and file a report. While the police cannot help you freeze your credit or debit cards, they can certainly take note of how your wallet got lost or stolen and where that happened. They will be able to help you in the case that someone finds your wallet and brings it to the police. With your information on hand, the police will be able to return the wallet to you, if that does happen. With a police report, you will easily be able to claim from your insurance company and submit the report as proof that your wallet was indeed lost or stolen.

3. Go to your embassy or consulate

In the event that you did not manage to get a police report due to language barriers, you can get your embassy or consulate in that area for help. You can also ask your embassy to provide you with a letter that indicates your wallet is lost. This will help in making your travel claim. If there are other things in the wallet that have to do with your identity, you can ask your embassy for help to cancel your id card or other related cards. Your embassy will also be able to help you get back home, especially if you have lost important travel documents together with your wallet. With all these official documents and help, it will be easy to file an insurance claim for your lost wallet.

4. Contact your insurance company

In the event that you lose your wallet overseas, the most important thing that you need to do, other than the other steps above, is to contact your insurance company to notify them of the situation. Your insurer will make note of the happening and inform you on the next steps to take. Informing your insurer is pertinent in that case, so that you know exactly what you will need to do once you get back to Singapore and have to file a claim.

Get in touch with a friend or family member

If you are all alone in the place that you lost your wallet at, you will have to contact someone back home to get financial help. As soon as you have filed a police report and contacted your credit and debit cards companies, you should get in touch with a family member or a friend to ask them for help. Assuming that you still have your phone on you, you can call someone back home, explain your situation, and have them send you some money. If your identity card has been stolen or lost together with the wallet, you need to go to your embassy to get some kind of proof before you will be able to claim the money that your friend or family member sends to you.

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