Lost or stolen passports
What to do if you lose your passport abroad?
Staying abroad is exciting and relaxing. We travel to explore and enjoy new experiences. However, during these moments we are often distracted and easy targets for thieves. There are so many things we want to see, try, and buy that we sometimes neglect taking care of our personal documents.
Lost or stolen passports are not uncommon — it can happen even to the most experienced travelers. If this happens to you, the most important thing is to stay calm.
The procedure for obtaining a new travel document is clear and relatively simple.
1. Report the Loss or Theft to the Police
As soon as you realize your passport is missing, go to the nearest police station. If your document was stolen, reporting it is especially important because it protects you from potential misuse. The police will issue an official report confirming the loss or theft — you will need this document for the next steps.
2. Contact Your Embassy or Consulate
With the police report, you should visit your country’s embassy or consulate. There, you will begin the process of obtaining a new travel document, most commonly an emergency travel document that allows you to return home.
Before going to the embassy, it is advisable to take new passport photos to speed up the procedure.
Keep in mind that embassies and consulates are closed on weekends and public holidays. Unless the situation is urgent or life-threatening, you will need to wait until the next working day.
3. Prepare the Required Documents
To obtain a new travel document, you will typically need to:
- complete an application form,
- pay the required fee,
- submit passport photos,
- provide an identification document (ID card or driver’s license, if available),
- present proof of travel (airline ticket or other confirmation of return).
How to Prepare in Advance
Before traveling, take a photo or make a copy of your passport and send it to your email or store it securely in a digital archive. In case of loss, this can significantly speed up the identification process and the issuance of a document for your return home.
