Hey there, fellow travelers! Ever have the feeling where your heart drops into your stomach like you might throw up? That’s the feeling you get when you lose your passport while traveling, or even if you just think you’ve lost your passport. Today, we’re sharing what you should do about a lost passport or a stolen passport.
#1 Retrace Your Steps
Once you declare a passport stolen, it is invalid, and there’s no “undo.” So, before you declare your passport missing, look again. Check everywhere in your hotel, your suitcase, the hotel front desk, and any restaurants or shops you’ve visited. Retrace every step to the last time you remember seeing your passport.
Read: Honest Travel Safety Advice
#2 Report a Lost Passport
Find out where your embassy or consulate is, and call them to report your passport as lost. If someone gets a hold of your passport, it can be very easy to steal your identity, and that’s just not something you want to deal with. So, once you are sure that it’s lost, report it to your embassy.
#3 File a Police Report
If your passport is stolen, you should also file a police report with the local police. You may need a police report for insurance purposes, but it will also help in case of any identity theft issues that may come up.
#4 Apply For a New Passport
Next, you will need to go in person to the nearest consulate or embassy to apply for a new passport. If you are not in a major city, you may have to travel to one in order to find an embassy. This can be a challenge if you don’t have a passport, but having documentation and a copy of your passport should help if you run into any issues. Take as much documentation as you can when you go to the embassy. If you have a couple of weeks to wait, you can get a regular passport that is good for ten more years. However, most travelers are on a week or two-week vacation and can’t wait around for a new passport to be issued. In that case, you can get an emergency passport, but it’s usually only good for a few months, and you will need to get a new passport when you get back home.
Watch: Documents You Need to Travel Abroad
#5 Re-Apply for Work Permits and Visas
If you are traveling on a work permit or visa that was inserted into your passport, you will have to go through that entire process again as well. Some places will re-issue your visa or permit, while others will make you re-apply.
#6 Make Copies of Your New Passport
Once you get a new passport, make copies right away, and scan one into the cloud or email so you have a digital copy.
#7 Set Up a Credit Alert
Once your passport has been stolen, it’s not a bad idea to set an alert on your credit score, just in case anyone tries to open a credit card or account in your name. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on your bank and credit card accounts to avoid any suspicious activity.
Hopefully, you will never need these tips, or you will find your passport when you re-trace your steps, but if you do lose your passport, don’t panic and follow these steps to a resolution. Our best tip is to keep your passport in a hotel safe and carry around a copy. If you do this, you won’t need to worry about a lost passport at all! For more travel tips and advice, check out these blog posts and videos:
