How to Deal with a Stolen Passport While Abroad

Your trip halfway around the world is supposed to be a fun adventure, but when your passport goes missing, the excitement dries up and fear takes its place. How will you get home without this essential identification? Don't panic—you can replace a stolen passport, even while abroad. Check out these tips to help you navigate this stressful but solvable travel problem.

Keep Calm and Assess

Don't let yourself catastrophize travelling without a passport. While losing this identification is undoubtedly stressful, freaking out won't make it any easier. Try to keep calm, especially as you retrace steps and double-check your belongings. Sometimes, you can leave your passport in the most unexpected spot in your hotel room.

File a Report If Necessary

Head to the nearest police station and file a report if you were a victim of a crime. This documentation can be helpful when you're applying for a new passport.

Contact Your Embassy or Consulate

You need to speak with your embassy or consulate as soon as you confirm your passport is gone. They have people who will assist you through the process of cancelling your missing passport and replacing it with a new one. Let them know your intended dates of travel. If you have plans to return home soon, they can expedite the passport process to the best of their abilities.

Get Documents Together

Applying for a passport abroad is a lot like applying for one at home, and you may need to provide information to prove your identity with documents such as: a passport photo, driver's license, proof of your citizenship, travel itinerary, any filed police report, completed passport application form, and/or, an applicable lost or stolen passport form. This list just gives you an idea of the documentation you need to start the replacement process. Talk to your embassy to figure out exactly what you need.

Pay the Fees

Unfortunately, you don't get a free passport when someone steals it; all normal passport fees apply to your replacement, including the cost of passport photos. To remain within your travel budget, consider adjusting your plans to eliminate costly experiences by switching to a less expensive hotel, cancelling shows, or foregoing tourist sites and fancy restaurants. If nothing you do can free up money, an emergency loan by phone might be another option. Talk with a representative to walk you through the online application for approved funds digitally without the need to go to a physical location. If you don't qualify for an installment loan or line of credit, appeal to your embassy. In special circumstances, they may help you contact family or apply for emergency financial assistance.

Prevent Future Predicaments

Things tend to always work out, but replacing your passport isn't something you want to repeat. To protect your passport the next time you travel, be sure to store your passport in lock boxes provided by your hotel. Keep your passport in an anti-theft pouch or money belt under your clothes, and be aware of your surroundings. Another useful tip is to refrain from acting like an obvious tourist, as this flags you as a potential mark.