What Should You Do if You Lose Your Passport?

Your passport is probably one of the most important documents that you have to carry around when travelling for business or pleasure. It usually acts as your gate pass from one country to another  as long as you have your required visas (in this post I explain what to do if you overstay your tourist visa)as it has all the details needed to let you through. It is for this reason that the loss of a passport when abroad can become a nightmare as you can no longer travel to any other destination or back home, perhaps even identify yourslef if stopped by local authorities!

There are a number of ways through which you can lose this vital travelling document such as losing your bag through theft, leaving it behind in your hotel room or even at the airport among others. In any case, should you ever face such a situation, it is important to have an idea of the steps to take to get replacement documents to allow you to continue travelling.

In the event that you suspect that your passport is lost, whether abroad or in your home country, there are a number of steps that you should take and they include:

Confirm Your Passport is Indeed Lost

First, it is vital to confirm that the passport is truly lost and not just misplaced among other items that you may be travelling with to your next destination. Do a thorough search of the passport in areas that you may have stored it such as purses, drawers and luggage among others. If you are travelling in a group, then it is advisable to ask others if they might have come across the passport.

Inform Local Authorities (Police) and Your Embassy

Second, inform the relevant authorities in your country that your passport is missing by reporting its loss to them. If you’re abroad, you can report its loss to your country’s embassy so that they can advise on the way forward. In most cases, a passport that has been reported as lost can no longer be used to travel to any destination. It is for this reason that it is important to verify that the passport is indeed lost before making a report.

Get a Replacement

Third, you will need to have the passport replaced and this is usually done through filling out a number of forms that indicate that it is lost and you need a replacement. Websites of some consulates may have these forms online which would expedite the process, so make sure you visit yours before heading there physically. In case the passport gets lost while you are abroad, then you will have to write out a statement explaining the circumstances that led to its loss. The statement is usually accompanied by a local police report confirming the loss of the passport which then makes it much easier to get a replacement within the shortest time possible.

It Takes Time

Fourth, be patient. Although the replacement passport is usually ready within a day for US citizen-, especially if all the relevant information has been provided- in some cases the process may be delayed for one reason or another. However, in some countries you will be issued with a temporary pass (in the form of a stamped sheet of paper) to allow you to travel back to your home country to apply for a new passport. This sheet of paper is usually not valid to travel to other countries, so if you were planning on heading elsewhere your plans will have to change.

Summary

In general, keeping your passport safe is you best bet as it helps you avoid all the hassle associated with losing it, whether at home or abroad, but should you still lose it all is not lost. There’s not much more you can do other than what I ‘ve specified above so if you’ve lost your passport stay calm, make sure it’s not somewhere in your hotel or one of the recent places you’ve been in and report the loss.