Holidaymakers headed for Spain have been issued a warning about leaving their passports in a hotel reception when checking in.
In the European country, hotels have a legal duty to register the passport details of visitors who check-in. They do this to ensure that customers don't leave without first settling their bill.
However, as reported by the Echo, the Foreign Office recommends that you wait until hotel staff have registered your passport rather than leaving it at reception to collect later.
Sean Tipton, a spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents told the Daily Mail: "In the past, many hotels retained passports to ensure that customers didn't sneak off without settling their bills, but in the days of credit cards this is largely unnecessary.
"Although it is highly unlikely that your passport would be misused, lost, or stolen by your hotel, once your details have been taken down, you are quite within your rights to insist that it is returned."
It's also important to not carry all your valuables in one place and to keep a photocopy or scanned copy of your own passport somewhere safe.
If your passport is lost or stolen, you’ll also need the report to apply for an emergency travel document from the nearest British Consulate.
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It comes after Europe's visa waiver scheme has been delayed again until next year, as the November 2023 deadline has been pushed back with no new date specified as of yet.
Anitta Hipper, Commission’s Spokesperson for Home Affairs, Migration and Internal Security told the Record: "The revised timeline for the entry into operation of the Entry/Exit System is linked to several factors, which include delays in developing the system at central level by the contractor, but also in Member States when it comes to delays in the preparation for the necessary equipment to use the EES at the border crossing points."
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