What to Do If Your Passport Is Lost Abroad: First Steps
Key takeaways
- Report the loss right away so the old passport is cancelled and cannot be used by someone else.
- Contact the nearest US embassy or consulate to apply in person for a replacement or emergency passport.
- Bring a passport photo, any ID, proof of citizenship, and your travel itinerary to the appointment.
A lost passport abroad is a travel emergency, not a travel ending. The fix follows a fixed order: retrace your steps, report the loss, visit the embassy or consulate, and get a replacement document that gets you home. Each step protects you in a different way, and skipping one can slow the rest down.
This article explains what to do if your passport is lost abroad, including the first hour, reporting the loss, the embassy visit, and the trip home. The steps below follow US State Department guidance for US citizens. If you hold another nationality, the same sequence applies, but you will contact your own country's embassy or consulate instead.
The first hour: retrace, then act
Panic makes people skip the cheapest step. Before you report anything, spend 20 to 30 focused minutes retracing your steps. Check every pocket, every bag compartment, the hotel safe, the front desk, and the places you ate or shopped.
Call the hotel, the taxi company, or the restaurant where you last remember having it. Embassy staff in Iceland, for example, tell travelers to check hotels and tour companies first, since many "lost" passports turn up there.
If the passport does not turn up, move to reporting at once. Do not wait a day to see if it appears. A reported passport is cancelled, which blocks anyone else from using it.
That protection matters more than the small chance it shows up in a taxi.
Reporting the loss: Form DS-64
The US State Department cancels a passport after you report it lost or stolen. Once cancelled, it stays invalid for travel even if you find it later. You cannot change your mind and reuse it.
You can report the loss in three ways. The fastest is online through the State Department's Online Form Filler. The department says it will cancel your passport within 1 business day and send a confirmation email.
You can also report by phone at 1-877-487-2778 (TTY 1-888-874-7793) if you are calling from the United States or Canada. The third option is to report it while applying for a replacement, using Form DS-11, which carries the loss report with it.
Form DS-64 asks where and when you lost the passport and what you did to try to recover it. If you filed a police report, include a copy with your replacement application. A police report is not required by the State Department, but it creates a dated official record, and your travel insurer may ask for one if you claim costs later.
What to do if it was stolen
Theft adds one step: file a police report with local police. Go to the nearest station with whatever ID you still have, such as a driver's license or a photocopy of your passport. Ask for a copy of the report and write down the report number.
Some stations issue the copy on the spot. Others take days. The number alone is useful, so record it before you leave.
A police report also helps if your wallet went with the passport. Tell your bank about stolen cards at the same time, and watch statements for charges you did not make. A stolen passport is an identity document, so treat the theft as an identity risk, not just a travel delay.
The embassy visit: what to bring
If you are outside the United States, contact your nearest US embassy or consulate to replace the passport. USAGov states this plainly: replacement abroad runs through the embassy or consulate, and in some cases you may get a limited-validity passport when there is not enough time for a regular one.
You must apply in person. Bring every document you still have, even partial ones. The US Embassy in Vienna lists the standard set for a lost or stolen adult passport: Form DS-11, any evidence of US citizenship you have, any valid form of ID you have, a copy of the lost passport if you have one, and a police report if you have one.
Bring originals plus one photocopy of each.
The photo matters. US passport photos measure 2 inches by 2 inches (51 mm by 51 mm). The Vienna consulate warns that the European photo size is too small.
Many consulates have photo booths on site, and photo shops near embassies usually know the US size. Ask for the US size by name.
Payment is by credit card at most posts. Fees change, so check the embassy page for your country before you go. If both parents are applying for a child under 16, the child and both parents must appear in person, and the paperwork includes the child's birth certificate and the parents' passports.
The emergency passport: how fast, how far it goes
An emergency passport, also called a limited-validity passport, is a real travel document with a short life. It exists to get you home or to your next destination when a full-validity passport cannot be issued in time. In Vienna, consular staff say a fully prepared applicant who arrives before 11:30 am may collect the emergency passport at 2:00 pm the same day.
Other posts run slower, and weekend or holiday closures can add days.
Check the rules of every country on your route. Some countries do not accept limited-validity passports for entry or exit. If your trip continues through a third country, confirm that the document works there before you book onward travel.
When the goal is simply getting home, the emergency passport usually does the job.
Appointments vary by post. Some consulates take walk-ins during public hours. Others, like the embassy in Iceland, accept emergency passport appointment requests only through an online consular navigator, not by phone or in person.
Read your post's emergency passport page before you travel across town. It saves a wasted trip.
The trip home and the swap afterward
Travel with the emergency passport and your other papers together, and keep copies separate from the originals. Keep a photo of the emergency passport on your phone and a paper copy in a different bag. If your luggage is delayed, the copy still proves your identity to airline staff.
When you return home, swap the limited-validity passport for a full-validity one. The Vienna consulate explains that you can exchange it by submitting Form DS-5504, with no additional fee, as long as you apply before the limited-validity passport expires. Do not let the emergency passport expire while it sits in a drawer.
The free exchange has a deadline.
Keep the police report and the DS-64 confirmation with your travel records. If a fraudulent charge or an identity question appears months later, the dated paper trail shows exactly when you reported the loss.
If you are not a US citizen
The sequence stays the same for other nationalities: report the loss to your own government, file a local police report if it was stolen, and apply in person at your country's nearest embassy or consulate. Processing times and document lists differ by country. Some countries issue emergency travel documents at the consulate.
Others route applications home for approval, which takes longer. Check your foreign ministry's travel page before you leave for the appointment, and carry the same set of backups: photo, ID, proof of citizenship, and itinerary.
Before your next trip: the five-minute prep
This crisis is far easier when you prepare before departure. Email yourself a scan of your passport data page and keep a paper copy in a separate bag. Store the embassy's emergency number and address in your phone.
Note your passport number somewhere outside your wallet. Carry a second form of ID, such as a driver's license, in a different pocket. None of this stops a loss, but each item shortens the recovery by hours.
Travel insurance helps too. Some policies reimburse the cost of a replacement passport and extra hotel nights caused by the delay. Read the policy before you travel, and keep the insurer's claims number with your copies.
A policy that covers document replacement is worth more than one that only covers medical care for this kind of emergency.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still use my old passport if I find it after reporting it?
No. Once reported, the State Department invalidates the passport. It cannot be used for travel even if you find it later.
You must complete the replacement process.
How long does an emergency passport take?
It depends on the post and how prepared you are. The Vienna consulate says a fully prepared applicant who arrives before 11:30 am may collect the document at 2:00 pm the same day. Other posts take longer, and weekend closures add days.
Do I need a police report to get a replacement?
No. The State Department does not require one. A police report still helps as a dated record, and your insurer may ask for it.
File one if the passport was stolen.
Can I fly home on an emergency passport?
Yes, that is its purpose. Confirm that every country on your route accepts limited-validity passports before booking onward travel through a third country.
What if my passport was lost but not stolen?
The steps are the same minus the police report. Report the loss with Form DS-64, then apply in person at the embassy or consulate with Form DS-11 and whatever documents you still have.
The bottom line
Retrace your steps for 20 to 30 minutes, then report the loss at once. Apply in person at the nearest embassy or consulate with a photo, ID, and proof of citizenship. Get the emergency passport, check that it works for your route, and swap it for a full-validity passport with Form DS-5504 after you get home.
A scan of your passport stored before departure turns this crisis into a half-day errand.
Tags: passport, travel emergencies, embassy, travel documents
Latest in Travel
- How to pack a carry-on bag for a week without checking luggage
- How travel insurance works and what it covers
- How to get over jet lag faster
- What to do when your flight is cancelled at the airport
Subscribe for one practical travel guide in your inbox each week.
Related stories
The 3-1-1 liquids rule for planes: what each number means
TSA's 3-1-1 rule limits carry-on liquids to 3.4-ounce containers in one quart bag. Where the 2006 rule came from, what counts, and how
Why Is Airplane Food So Bland at Altitude?
A 2010 Fraunhofer study found altitude cuts sweet and salty perception by up to 30 percent. Low humidity, cabin pressure, and noise all
Carry-on size limits: why airlines each set their own
Airlines set their own carry-on limits because the FAA only requires each carrier to have a policy, not one global size. Why 22 x 14 x