UnderKey for Travelers
Losing your passport abroad is stressful. Carrying sensitive documents across borders is risky. UnderKey keeps passport and ID scans encrypted on your phone, accessible offline when you need them, and protected from cloud leaks and coercion.
Why travelers need encrypted document storage
When you travel, you need fast access to ID scans, insurance policies, and visa documents — but you also need to keep them private:
- If your passport is lost or stolen, a clear copy speeds up the embassy process. But a copy in your camera roll or email can be accessed by anyone who hacks your account.
- Border officials sometimes demand to inspect devices. An encrypted app with decoy vaults gives you plausible deniability without refusing inspection.
- Public WiFi and foreign SIM cards increase hacking risk. Offline storage means your documents aren't vulnerable to network attacks.
- Hotel room searches and theft happen. Encrypted storage protects your documents even if your phone is physically accessed.
What to store before you travel
- Passport photo page (sharp, all four corners visible, MRZ legible).
- Visa pages if you're travelling on a visa or residence permit.
- National ID card and driver's licence (front and back).
- Travel insurance policy (policy number, insurer contact, full policy document).
- Flight bookings and hotel reservations.
- Vaccination certificates if required for entry.
- Emergency contacts (embassy addresses, bank phone numbers, insurance emergency line).
For a complete checklist, see our guide on how to prepare a travel documents kit.
How UnderKey helps travelers
Offline access
Your passport scan and insurance policy are encrypted on your device. You can unlock UnderKey and open your documents even with no internet connection — critical when you're at an embassy with patchy WiFi or in a country with no roaming.
No cloud sync risk
Photos in your camera roll sync to iCloud or Google Photos by default. UnderKey's document scanner encrypts scans before they're saved, so they never touch your photo library or the cloud.
Decoy vaults for border crossings
Some countries demand that travellers unlock their devices for inspection. If you're carrying sensitive documents — business contracts, financial records, or crypto wallet backups — you can set up a decoy vault with a different unlock pattern and put a few harmless documents in it. When asked to unlock the app, you draw the decoy pattern and they see the decoy vault, not the real one.
Expiry reminders before you travel
Many countries require passports to be valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates. UnderKey's expiry reminders give you months of notice before your passport lapses, so you can renew it before you book flights.
If your passport is lost or stolen abroad
Having a clear copy of your passport photo page makes replacing it much faster:
- File a police report for the lost/stolen passport.
- Contact your embassy or consulate with the police report, passport copy, and proof of travel.
- Apply for an emergency travel document. The embassy will issue one (usually valid for a single journey home) once they've verified your identity.
Read the full step-by-step guide: What to do if you lose your passport abroad.
Why encrypted offline storage beats cloud storage for travel documents
| Feature | Cloud storage | UnderKey (offline) |
|---|---|---|
| Access without internet | No (requires connection to download) | Yes (encrypted on-device) |
| Vulnerable to account hacking | Yes (any logged-in device) | No (no account) |
| Visible to cloud provider | Yes (unless end-to-end encrypted) | No (never uploaded) |
| Decoy vaults | No | Yes (each pattern opens a different vault) |
| Syncs to other devices | Yes (risk of forgotten devices) | No (only on your phone) |
Before you travel
- Scan your passport photo page, visa pages, and ID cards directly into UnderKey using the document scanner.
- Add expiry dates so you get reminders before renewals are due.
- Set up a decoy vault if you're travelling somewhere with strict device inspections at borders.
- Keep a printed copy of your passport photo page in your luggage (separate from the passport itself) as a fallback if your phone is lost or stolen.
- Look up your embassy's address and emergency contact number for every country on your itinerary and save them as a secure note in UnderKey.