Passport troubles abroad can be a nightmare because people can be targets for identity theft.
Once you find out your passport has been lost or stolen, it’s recommended to immediately report it to the police to decrease chances of someone stealing your identity. While losing a passport is an inconvenience to your adventure or dream vacation, wherever you are, your country’s embassy or consulate will help you with the process. The U.S. State Department provides a guide on retrieving a new passport.
How to report a stolen passport
If you are abroad, sometimes people forget where they put their passport; first check around and retrace your steps because it could be in your suitcase or in your clothes from a previous day. Once you are sure it’s missing, report it to the local police department. When a passport is reported lost or stolen it becomes invalid and cannot be used for international travel. It’s also recommended to have a photocopy of your passport if that’s your only form of identification.
When you have reported a lost passport and go to your country’s embassy, you have to bring specific documentation:
- Passport photo (check out the last article on passport advice for acquiring a passport photo. The process may vary abroad.)
- Identification card ( i.e driver’s license, expired passport, passport card)
- Proof of U.S. citizenship (birth certificate, passport photocopy)
- Travel Itinerary (plane tickets)
- Police report (optional)
- Passport application form DS-11
- Use Form DS-64 to provide a statement regarding a lost or stolen U.S. passport
Use the statement to explain the circumstances in which your passport was lost or stolen.
Validity of temporary passport
A replacement passport can last up to ten years for adults and five years for minors depending on individual circumstances. An emergency passport is produced more quickly and is limited to some months depending on the trip. But, you can continue your travels until you return to your home country. When your trip is over you can turn in the emergency passport for your full new passport.
Fees for stolen or lost passport
Unfortunately there are fees for replacing a lost or stolen passport. The fees are the same as for first-time passport applicants. You can check here for passport costs.
If you are in no condition to pay for a passport upfront, the embassy will provide you with information on financial assistance. If you cannot pay, you will be given a limited passport and upon returning to your home country you will be charged for the replacement passport. The fee may be waived under serious circumstances such as when you are a victim of a crime or natural disaster.
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Asia Hester is a student at the University of Maryland College Park majoring in Multiplatform Journalism and minoring in French Studies. She loves all things international and values the importance cultural knowledge. After her first international trip to Paris, France, she caught the wanderlust bug. Paris only gave her a little taste of traveling abroad. She hasn’t had the opportunity study abroad, but after graduating she hopes to join the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF). By joining the Voy internship program, she hopes to learn all the tips and tricks of traveling. Currently, she’s a copy editor for M Magazine, a local fashion and culture magazine focused on the Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia area. Asia loves creating videos in her spare time and watching YouTube videos about fashion and travel vlogs. Before the end of 2017, her next trip will be to Montreal and Quebec City, Canada.
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