New research by LV= has shown that the theft of British passports from popular holiday destinations is on the rise. Figures show that 27,000 British passports were lost or stolen abroad in 2012 which is an increase of 5% from the previous year.

The research found that British passports are being stolen from holiday makers and then sold on for as much as £400 to criminal gangs who intend to use them in identity fraud scams.

The most common holiday destination for passport theft is Spain, followed by Italy and France, however if you consider the numbers of British tourists going to a destination, you are most likely to get your passport stolen in Australia, Mexico or Portugal.

Most incidents of passport theft occurred in shops, followed by hotel rooms, beaches and bars.

To avoid becoming a victim of passport crime, you should take care of you passport as you would your money or other valuable items. Keep it on your person at all times, or if you don’t want to carry it around lock it in a hotel safe.

If you do have your passport stolen or you lose it whilst you are on holiday you will need to obtain emergency travel documentation from the nearest British Consulate Office in order to return back to the UK.

You may also be able to make a claim on your travel insurance policy to recoup the cost of obtaining your replacement documentation.

For more information read our guide on what to do if your passport is lost or stolen.

Travel insurance is vital for any holiday abroad it covers much more than just replacement travel documents. The most important part of travel insurance is the protection it provides against the risk of incurring large medical bills if you fall ill and need emergency medical treatment, but you must remember to declare any existing medical conditions to be properly covered.

Goodtogoinsurance.com specialises in travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions.