My plans for Spain have no set destination or route except flying to Madrid work my way south then back to Madrid for my flight back.

My only fear is about my passport's safety ( Iraqi passport: big problem if lost! )
Now which of the following would be best:

1- carry my passport with me at all times, in some hidden pocket. (Drawback related to nightlife and drinking!)


2- leaving my passport with the hostel's owner for safe keeping.. ( I will be staying at different hostels in different cities so I don’t know how safe this is)

3- placing my passport in some kind of safe deposit box in a bank or a station in Madrid..(I'm not sure if this is even possible) and picking it at up on my way back..
using a photocopy of my passport for the hostel owners.
Is this last option valid? As far as I can think I don't need my passport for anything there, will be using ATM card for money and not traveler's checks..


Any help would be strongly appreciated..

Definitely make copies of the passport for the hostales to use. You may need that passport while in Madrid, so I wouldn't suggest leaving it locked at the airport. The best solution is to leave it in a safe place in the hostal. This may be as simple as placing it in your suitcase and locking the suitcase. That's what I always do and have never had a problem.

When we take groups of students to Europe we always insist they carry one of those neck or waist passport carriers and keep their passports with them (hidden and secure) at all times. We also make each student take a duplicate set of passport photos and keep them in an envelope with a copy of the first two pages (the two you see when you open the cover) of their passports. We keep these, but you could keep it locked up in your suitcase or wherever you keep your traveler's check info. If you lose your passport and have the photos and the copies of the first pages, you will be able to get a new passport from the embassy in a matter of hours. If not, you may be there for several days.

My objection to leaving the passport in the hostal is I am not locked up with it. If I ever have to prove who I am, what do I do?

thank you both for your advise..

One other snag. By Spanish law you are required to carry ID of some description at all times. I don't, but if you are asked to show it by the police in the street, and can't, you may be required to stay at a police station till you can prove who you are. So make sure that it is accessible and not locked away somewhere. To do most things you will also need to show the original, eg. change money and so on. Carrying it with you does involve a risk, however. Muggings are becoming increasingly common in central Madrid. A photocopy is a valid option but it must be stamped by someone official - police for example, to make it legal. In short, I think the best option is to leave it with the hotel staff, which is usually a requirement anyway, and where it will be safe. If you really need it, you'll know where to find it. Have fun.