🆘 What to do if you lost your passport abroad: step-by-step instructions
Losing money and documents abroad is every traveler’s nightmare. When I travel, I check my passport at least five times a day; it’s unlikely that you need such vigilance. But it is imperative to know what to do in case of such trouble.
It is best to prepare while still in your country by making a photocopy of the documents, scanning them and taking photographs. May you always have an electronic copy of all important papers. If the hotel has a safe, then leave the originals there, and go to the fictitious city with copies. Especially if you know for sure that your passport will not be useful.
But let’s say trouble hasn’t passed you by.
Have you lost your passport?
First rule: calm down, don't panic! Don’t think that you will be deported immediately or that from now on you will live under a bridge, even a very beautiful one. Now, of course, I’m joking, but I’m also describing a little my thoughts when one day in Buda Pest I transferred my passport to another bag and forgot about it. People on vacation lose their passports every year, and sometimes, unfortunately, their belongings are stolen. Documents can still accidentally get damaged: you can pour glue on them, wash them, drop them into the river – whatever you want, and the examples are not at all made up. All these people find a way out.
Local police
If you have lost your passport or it has been stolen, you should first contact the local police or other law enforcement agencies.
You need to write a statement about the loss or theft as soon as possible so that local law enforcement agencies begin preparing new documents for you. You can use them to cross the border and return to your country. Obviously, the argument “everything was stolen from me” will not be enough at passport control – confirmation is needed. Even if the passport has disappeared, for example, at a train station or airport , the employees checking the documents will still be required to call the police to begin either searching for documents or the procedure for their restoration.
Important! Ask the police for two certificates: one for the consulate, the other for your country, to substantiate the request for passport restoration.
Consulate of your country
Reception at the consulate is always by appointment, but the loss of a passport is an emergency situation, so, of course, they will accept you without an appointment. Although this will not free you from the live queue at the time of application.
Depending on the country, the procedure for processing documents almost does not change – first the police, then the consulate. Most importantly, do not forget to obtain from law enforcement agencies two special certified certificates, which we discussed above. But it is better to remind about this important nuance more than once.
The consulate will issue a certificate of return in the form of a small booklet with a photo and personal information about you. The step-by-step algorithm for preparing temporary documents will be explained to you. You will need to pay a consular fee, usually about 20 euros. But again, in situations where your money has been stolen, they will meet you halfway.
At the consulate, as well as at the police in general, a scan or copy of your passport or other identification documents, such as a driver’s license, will be very useful. If there are no documents or people who can confirm your identity, an additional check is carried out, which can take a whole month.
Another important point: the consulate will not pay for your tickets and hotel if you stay in the country and don’t have time to leave when you planned.
Homecoming
The new certificate is valid for six months. You can return to your country with it. But if your passport contained visas from other countries through which you planned to return, you will not be allowed on the same plane. You may have to change your tickets, and at any passport control, be prepared for additional questions.
I recommend discussing the logistics of returning home with consulate officials. They will probably recommend the best option.
In your country, you are obliged, as a rule, to contact the citizenship and migration department within a month and apply for a new passport. Of course, such “adventures” can significantly spoil the impressions of your vacation, but if you have thoroughly prepared for such risks, you will quickly you can handle everything. Although I still wish all travelers never to lose their documents, you have already read how to protect yourself from thieves.