Most travel tips touch on how to keep your passport safe when traveling abroad. They often include measures like locking your passport in a safe, making copies of the passport, and not carrying it in crowded areas. When reading these and other travel measures, you may wonder, “What happens if you lose your passport in another country?”
What Happens If You Lose Your Passport in Another Country?
Anyone who has ever lost their passport abroad can tell you that it is one of the most inconveniencing travel situations you can ever face. After all, without a passport, you cannot identify yourself, which can land you in trouble with the police. Also, you cannot lease cars, book hotels, or do other things requiring valid identification.
So, what do you do if you lose your passport abroad? There are two options:
1. Losing Your Passport in a WHTI-Compliant Region
Suppose you have traveled to places like Mexico or Canada. You can travel back to the U.S. without a passport by getting on a closed-loop cruise or by road, as these travel modes do not require valid passport books. Instead, you can use documents like passport cards and trusted traveler cards to get through customs. Please note that this only applies to you if you have these alternative WHTI-compliant documents and can travel back by road or sea. If not, you must replace your passport to get through customs and return to the U.S.
2. Losing Your Passport in a non-WHTI-Compliant Region
What if you are not in a WHTI-compliant region? In that case, you must report the passport as lost or stolen and replace it before returning to the U.S. Otherwise, you cannot get through customs regardless of your travel mode, as the authorities cannot identify you. Luckily, a lost passport while abroad is common, and you should get a new one soon enough.
What Do You Do If You Lose Your Passport Abroad?
A lost passport while abroad not only interferes with your travel plans but also exposes you to identity theft. Thus, as soon as you realize you are a victim of a lost passport while abroad, you should move fast as follows:
1. Report the passport stolen or lost
You must ensure nobody can use your lost or stolen passport for illegal dealings. You do this by reporting the passport as lost or stolen by filling out form DS-64, which is available online. The form details the circumstances under which you lost the passport or how it got stolen; this data goes on your passport records. You should thus be honest.
Note that once you have reported a lost passport in a foreign country, the passport office invalidates the passport. You can no longer use it even if you find it after making the report.
2. Get a Police Report
Reporting the loss or theft to the police is not mandatory if doing so can result in processing delays. However, you may need to get this report if the passport loss or theft resulted from a violent crime. This report also comes in handy when replacing a lost or stolen passport, as it outlines the case details.
3. Book a Passport Appointment
When replacing a stolen or lost passport in a foreign country, you must present yourself and supporting documents to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. These offices operate based on appointments and will give you a date when you can present your application. If you must travel urgently, you can get a date on short notice, which allows you to get a passport with limited validity. But if you are not in a rush, you can opt for a scheduled date that allows you to apply for a full-validity passport.
4. Prepare Supporting Documentation
You will need to present several documents to replace your passport, as follows:
- A passport photo which meets the U.S. passport photo guidelines,
- Proof of identification – examples include driver’s licenses, passport cards, and expired passport books,
- Evidence of U.S. citizenship – you can use passport copies for this. Alternatively, you can use your birth certificate,
- Airline tickets,
- A police report,
- A complete DS-11 form, and
- A complete DS-64 – You can complete this form before showing up at the embassy or consulate.
Where you cannot get all or some of the documents, the embassy or consulate staff can help you meet the passport replacement requirements.
5. Receive a Replacement Passport
The embassy or consulate will process the replacement passport and issue you a new one. You can get any of the following:
- A new passport: This replacement passport will be like any other one. It lasts ten years for adults and five years for minors. You can use it to travel back to the U.S. and other places. Once it expires, it is eligible for renewal.
- A limited-validity passport: If you must travel back to the U.S. or continue your trip within a short period, you can get this emergency passport. Unlike the regular passport, it has limited validity and is not eligible for renewal. You can also get this type of passport if you have reported multiple lost or stolen passports or owe money to the State Department.
Once you return to the U.S., you can apply for a new passport to replace the limited-validity passport.
How Much Does It Cost To Replace a Lost Passport in a Foreign Country?
Replacing a passport stolen abroad incurs similar charges to a normal replacement passport. However, you don’t always have to pay the fees. Instead, you can use the options below:
- Asking a loved one for financial help: The embassy or consulate can help you contact someone who can pay for your passport replacement.
- Getting a free replacement: Under some circumstances, the embassy or consulate can get you a free limited-validity passport. Such situations include where you cannot pay for the passport, and nobody can assist you, where you are a victim of a disaster, and where you are a victim of a violent crime.
If you get a limited-validity passport at no cost, you must apply for a full-validity passport once you return to the U.S. This passport will incur the usual charges.
Note that expediting the passport replacement comes at an extra fee.
Replace Your Lost Passport Here
How Long Does it Take To Replace a Lost Passport While Abroad?
Replacing a passport stolen abroad follows the same procedures you would follow if you were replacing the passport in the U.S. As such, the processing time takes the following into account:
- The time taken to prepare the documents,
- The date of your appointment with the consulate or embassy – most offices close on weekends and public holidays, resulting in delays,
- Whether yours is an emergency replacement, e.g., in a life-or-death situation,
- The backlog in the passport processing offices, and
- Whether you have paid to expedite the passport.
During normal processing times, replacing a lost passport while travelling takes about ten to thirteen weeks. However, you can expedite the process to get your passport within a few weeks. You can always contact the TVP team for advice on expediting this process to ensure you get yours in time for your flight back home.
