The first ten minutes after noticing a missing passport are usually a blur of pockets, bags and worst-case thoughts. Slow the problem down. Search once, carefully; secure any other documents; then contact the people who can cancel and replace the passport. The order matters because a passport reported lost will usually stay cancelled even if it later turns up behind the hotel safe.
Step 1: Search properly, then retrace your steps
Before you report anything, check every bag pocket, your accommodation safe, the hotel reception and the last places you showed your passport, such as a car hire desk, a currency exchange or a check-in counter. Call the airline, train operator or taxi company if you travelled recently. Once a passport is reported lost, most countries cancel it permanently, and it cannot be used even if you find it later.
Step 2: Report it to local police if required
Many embassies, insurers and airlines ask for a police report, especially if the passport was stolen. Ask for a written copy or a reference number. In some countries the police report is also what you show to leave the country without the entry stamp that was in your old passport. If the local process is unclear, your embassy can tell you whether a report is needed.
Step 3: Contact your embassy or consulate
Find your nearest embassy or consulate on your own government's official website, not a search advert. Many governments let you report a lost passport online and book an emergency appointment. The consular team can explain your options, which usually include a full replacement passport, a limited-validity emergency passport, or an emergency travel document that lets you travel home or to a specific destination.
Step 4: Gather what the embassy will ask for
- Any photo ID you still have, such as a driving licence or national ID card.
- A copy or photo of the lost passport's data page, if you kept one.
- Passport photos that meet your country's rules (many consulates can advise locally).
- Your travel itinerary or ticket, especially if your flight is soon.
- The police report, if one was required.
- Payment for the fee; emergency documents are rarely free.
If you cannot prove who you are, the process can take longer while the consulate verifies your identity with records at home. This is why a digital copy of your passport, stored securely, is one of the best things to prepare before any trip. Our documents checklist includes it as a reminder.
Step 5: Check whether the emergency document works for your route
An emergency travel document is often valid only for a single journey and may not be accepted for onward travel to a third country or for transit through certain airports. Some countries also do not accept emergency passports for entry, or require a visa you had not needed before. Ask the consulate directly and confirm with your airline before you rebook. If your connection involves another country, read our guide on transit visas.
Step 6: Replace visas and permits
Any visa or residence permit inside the lost passport is usually lost with it. You may need to contact the immigration authority of the country that issued the visa to have it reissued or transferred to a new passport. Electronic travel authorisations are often linked to a passport number, so a new passport can mean a new application.
Step 7: Tell your insurer and your bank
Travel insurance may cover emergency document fees, extra accommodation or rebooked flights, but most insurers need the claim reported quickly and supported by receipts and a police report. If your wallet was taken too, cancel your cards straight away.
Keep one written recovery timeline
Note whom you spoke to, reference numbers, appointment times and every extra expense. In a stressful situation, these details disappear quickly; later they may support an insurance claim or help a consular officer understand what has already been done. Keep the note outside the missing bag and share a copy with a trusted person at home.
How to reduce the damage before you travel
Keep a digital copy of your passport data page, note your embassy's contact details for each country you visit, and register with your government's traveller enrolment scheme if it has one. Carry your passport securely and use your accommodation safe when you do not need it. Our emergency information tool can help you find emergency numbers for your destination.
Official sources
- United States: Lost or stolen passports abroad
- United Kingdom: Get an emergency travel document
- Canada: Lost or stolen passports
Replacement procedures and fees differ. Follow the instructions of your own embassy or consulate, especially when an existing visa or urgent connection is involved.
What the embassy can and cannot do
It helps to arrive with realistic expectations. A consulate can verify your identity, issue an emergency or replacement passport, and give you a list of local police stations and translators. It cannot pay your hotel bill, change your flights for free, or speed up another country's exit-visa process. Emergency documents are often valid only for your journey home or for a limited period, so ask exactly what travel the document permits before you rebook anything.
Bring whatever identity evidence you have: a photocopy or phone photo of the lost passport's data page, a driving licence, a copy of your police report, and passport-style photos if the consulate asks for them. The more of this you prepared before the trip, the faster the appointment goes.
Preventing a repeat on the same trip
Once you have your emergency document, change how you carry it for the rest of the journey. Keep it in a zipped, body-worn pouch rather than a bag that leaves your sight, and store a photo of the new document's data page in your email or cloud storage immediately. Split your remaining valuables: one payment card with the document, another in separate luggage. If you are travelling with others, agree a meeting point and a contact plan in case anyone is separated from their bag again.
When you get home, report the loss through your government's official channel if you have not already, and check whether your travel insurance covers the replacement fees and any extra accommodation you needed. Keep every receipt from the consulate visit and the police report — insurers routinely ask for them.