If You Lose Your Passport Abroad

Losing a passport is stressful, but it is a common problem and there is a clear route to fix it. The steps below are general. The details of each office differ by country, so start with your own embassy.

Step 1: Stay calm and check

Look in the places you usually keep it. Ask at your housing and at your workplace. If you have given it to someone, such as an employer, ask for it back. Many countries restrict or prohibit employers from keeping a worker's passport.

Step 2: Report it to the police

If it is lost or stolen, make a report at the local police station and ask for a written copy or a reference number. Many embassies ask for it.

Step 3: Contact your embassy or consulate

Tell them what happened and ask what they need. They can usually issue a replacement passport or an emergency travel document. They will ask for proof of who you are, so copies of your documents help a great deal.

Step 4: Tell your employer and your specialist

You will need time off to visit the embassy. Tell your employer in writing. Tell your EMIGRATLY specialist so they can note it on your file.

Step 5: Check your visa and work permit

Your visa or residence permit may be linked to your passport. Ask your employer or the local immigration office what is needed to update it after you get a new passport.

What helps most: copies

• A photo of the passport photo page and any visa pages.
• Your national ID number and a copy of your ID.
• Passport-size photographs.
• A copy of your contract and permit.
• Keep them on your phone, in an email to yourself and on paper in a different place from your passport. See our guide on keeping safe copies.

What to avoid

• Do not pay anyone who says they can get a passport "faster" outside the official route.
• Do not hand your documents to a person who is not an official.
• Do not delay. Report it quickly, because it may be misused.

Keeping it safe in future

• Carry a copy, not the original, for everyday use.
• Keep the original in a safe place you control.
• Know your embassy's address and phone number before you need it.

This guide gives general information. Check your own government's current procedure.