What to Do If Your Passport Is Lost or Stolen While Traveling
Step-by-step guidance for U.S. travelers who lose a passport abroad, including reporting, embassy help, emergency passports, and documents to gather.
Losing a passport abroad is stressful, but it is manageable if you act quickly and stay organized. A U.S. traveler who loses a passport overseas needs a replacement document before returning to the United States.
Step 1: Pause and search carefully
Before reporting the passport lost, check every likely place: hotel safe, bag lining, jacket pocket, rental car, restaurant, rideshare, airport lounge, and front desk. Once reported lost or stolen, the passport is canceled and cannot be used again, even if you later find it.
Step 2: Report the passport lost or stolen
The U.S. Department of State recommends reporting a lost or stolen passport immediately to help protect against identity theft. Reporting online cancels the passport within 1 business day.
After cancellation, do not try to use the old passport. A foreign destination may deny entry or exit if you attempt to travel with a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
Step 3: Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate
Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for instructions. If your travel is soon, share your itinerary so consular staff understand the urgency.
You will usually need to appear in person to apply for a replacement passport. If there is not enough time for a full-validity passport, the consular section may issue an emergency passport. The State Department says an emergency passport may be valid for up to 1 year and can often be exchanged later for a full-validity passport.
Step 4: Gather replacement documents
Bring as much as you can:
- One passport photo.
- Identification, such as a driver's license or expired passport.
- Proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate or photocopy of the missing passport.
- Travel itinerary, airline confirmation, or train tickets.
- Form DS-11.
- Details about where and when the passport was lost or stolen.
- A police report, if you filed one.
- Passport replacement fees.
Police reports are not always mandatory, but they can help document the circumstances.
Before your next trip
Before traveling internationally, save secure copies of your passport ID page, visa pages, travel insurance documents, and emergency contacts. Keep copies separate from the original passport. Also consider enrolling in STEP so the nearest embassy or consulate can send alerts and contact you in an emergency.