Losing your passport abroad

By the Viamo editorial team · Editor Terje Moy · Last updated July 2026 · 8 min read

Losing your passport abroad is one of travel's worst moments — but it is manageable if you know the steps. The process follows a consistent pattern almost everywhere in the world: police report, then embassy or consulate, then emergency travel document. Act quickly, stay calm, and you will almost certainly be on your way home within a day or two. Here is exactly what to do.

Step 1: Search, then accept it is gone

Before reporting a loss, do a thorough search — check every pocket, bag, hotel safe, seat pocket and drawer. Contact the hotel's lost property desk and any transport provider (train, taxi, airline) you used recently. Many passports are handed in, especially in tourist areas where locals are used to travellers' slip-ups.

However, do not wait more than a few hours to start the official process if you genuinely believe the passport is lost or stolen. Time matters, especially if your departure is imminent or if you are in a country where your visa or entry permission is tied to your passport details.

Step 2: File a police report

Report the loss or theft to the local police as soon as you have concluded a reasonable search. In most countries, this is a prerequisite for both the embassy process and for any travel insurance claim. Ask the officer to give you a written copy of the report (a "crime reference number" in the UK system, a "dépôt de plainte" receipt in France, etc.).

If language is a barrier, your hotel concierge, a local tourist information office, or a translation app can help communicate the basics. The police report does not need to be detailed — its main function is to establish a date, time and location of discovery of the loss, and to generate an official reference you can take to the embassy.

Keep multiple copies of the police report. You will likely need it for:

• Your embassy or consulate
• Your airline or carrier if you need to adjust your ticket
• Your travel insurance claim
• Potentially the border crossing on your return home

Step 3: Contact your embassy or consulate

Find the nearest embassy, high commission or consulate of your home country. Most government foreign affairs websites maintain a searchable list of consular posts worldwide — look it up before you travel and save the emergency number in your phone.

Call them immediately, even outside working hours. Most embassies have an emergency out-of-hours line for exactly this situation. Explain that you have lost your passport and need consular assistance. They will tell you:

• What documents and forms to bring or fill in
• Whether to come in person or send documents electronically first
• The current processing time for an emergency travel document
• The fee (emergency documents almost always carry a consular fee)

If there is no embassy or consulate of your home country in the country you are visiting, check whether your country has a reciprocal consular assistance agreement with another nation whose embassy is present. EU citizens, for example, can seek consular protection from any other EU member state's embassy if their own country is not represented.

Step 4: Gather replacement documents

Before going to the embassy, collect everything that helps establish your identity. The more you can bring, the faster the process tends to go:

• A photocopy of your lost passport — ideally one you kept separately from the original. This is why travel experts consistently advise carrying a separate copy of your passport data page (either physical or as a clear photograph on your phone and backed up in email or cloud storage).
• Your national ID card if you hold one
• A driving licence
• Birth certificate if you have it to hand
• Two passport-sized photographs — find a local photo shop or pharmacy; many towns have them
• Your flight booking confirmation showing your departure date
• The police report
• Any supporting evidence of travel — boarding pass stubs, hotel booking, visa stamps in a different passport if applicable

If you have genuinely nothing that identifies you, the embassy can sometimes work with a statutory declaration or a reference from someone who knows you — but this takes longer. The key lesson most travellers take from losing a passport is to always carry a separate copy next time.

Step 5: Get an emergency travel document

Your embassy or consulate will typically issue one of two things:

• An Emergency Travel Document (ETD) — a limited-validity booklet that serves as a temporary passport, usually valid for one journey back to your home country, sometimes for a few weeks. In the EU, a common EU Emergency Travel Document format exists; most other countries have their own format.
• In some cases, a one-way emergency passport valid for a short period, depending on your country's practice.

Processing times vary from a few hours in some well-staffed embassies to two or three working days in others — or longer if your identity is hard to verify remotely. Always ask about the realistic timeline when you call, especially if your departure is urgent.

There is a consular fee for the emergency document, which varies by country. Some countries can waive or defer the fee in genuine hardship cases — ask if you are in difficulty.

Step 6: Check whether you need a transit or exit visa

If you are in a country that required a visa to enter, your visa was in your lost passport. You may need to resolve this with local immigration authorities before you can leave. Your embassy can advise, and in many countries the local immigration office will issue a stamp or letter confirming your status and authorising your departure on the emergency document. Do not simply try to leave without addressing this — it can create serious complications at the airport.

Similarly, if you are transiting through a third country on the way home, check whether that country will accept an emergency travel document for transit. Most will, but rules vary and some nationalities need a transit visa even for airside transits — confirm this with your airline and the transit country's embassy if in doubt. Your carrier's check-in staff will usually have guidance for the most common transit routes.

Alerting your airline and insurance

Tell your airline what has happened as soon as you know. Airlines generally have procedures for passengers travelling on emergency documents — they will usually need to make a note on your booking and may need to check you in at the desk rather than online. Most airlines will not charge change fees in a lost-passport situation, though policies vary.

Notify your travel insurance provider promptly. Lost-passport cover is included in most comprehensive policies and can reimburse consular fees, the cost of replacement passport photographs, and sometimes additional accommodation or transport costs if the delay forces you to extend your stay. Keep all receipts.

When you get home: replace your passport

An emergency travel document is not a replacement passport — it is a single-journey document to get you home. On return, apply for a new passport through your national passport authority as soon as practical. If travel is planned soon, apply urgently and use your government's expedited service if one exists.

Also notify your bank, insurance providers and any other organisations that hold a record of your old passport number. Some require an updated document for identity purposes.

Preventing future loss

The administrative experience of losing a passport — even when it ends well — is enough to make most travellers change their habits. Practical measures include:

• Storing a clear photograph of your passport data page in your email drafts and in cloud storage, accessible without phone signal
• Keeping a photocopy in a separate bag from your passport
• Using a hotel safe for your passport when exploring, rather than carrying it everywhere
• Using a neck wallet or inner pocket in high-pickpocket areas
• Writing down (or saving offline) your nearest embassy's emergency number before travelling

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get an emergency travel document?

It varies significantly by country and embassy. Some well-staffed embassies can process an emergency document within a few hours during working hours; others take one to three working days. Call the emergency consular line as soon as you discover the loss, and ask about realistic timelines for your specific situation.

What if there is no embassy of my country in the country I am in?

Check your government's website for the nearest embassy or high commission, which may be in a neighbouring country. EU citizens can approach any other EU member state's embassy for consular assistance if their own country is not represented. For other nationalities, your government may have a consular assistance agreement with a third country — check before you travel and save the relevant contacts.

Do I need a police report even if my passport was lost, not stolen?

Yes, in most cases. Embassies typically require a police report regardless of whether the passport was stolen or simply lost. The report establishes an official record of the loss and protects you if the passport is later misused. Most police forces will accept a loss report alongside a theft report.

Will losing my passport affect future visa applications?

A lost passport, properly reported, generally does not negatively affect future visa applications. You will need to declare it on visa application forms that ask about previous passport numbers. Problems can arise if a lost passport is later found to have been misused — which is why reporting it promptly to police and cancelling it through your embassy is important.