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Lost your passport abroad? What to do, step by step

Checked against GOV.UK and the US State Department. This page last updated .

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Stay calm: you can get home.

Cancel the lost passport, then get an emergency travel document (UK) or a replacement or emergency passport (US) from your country’s embassy or consulate. Don’t book a flight until you know when you’ll have it.

UK emergency travel document
£125 · usually ready 2 working days after you apply
US replacement passport
Apply in person at a US embassy or consulate · often the next business day

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If you have a British passport

  1. Apply for an emergency travel document. You can apply online if your passport was issued on or after 1 January 2006 and you need to travel within 6 weeks. It costs £125 and the fee is not refunded. You need a digital passport photo, a phone number, an email address and a card to pay. A friend or relative can pay for you. Apply on GOV.UK.
  2. You don’t need to cancel your passport separately. Applying cancels it once you’ve paid. If you’re not applying, cancel it online on GOV.UK as soon as you can.
  3. Check every country on your way home. Make sure each country you leave, enter or pass through accepts an emergency travel document, and whether you need a visa. GOV.UK has a country checker.
  4. Wait for the email before you book. It usually takes 2 working days. It can take several weeks if your passport had expired, if it’s for a child under 16, or if more documents are needed.
  5. It’s for one journey. An emergency travel document is usually valid for one single or return journey, through up to 5 countries. UK border control keeps it when you arrive.

Travelling with children (UK): a child under 16 has to go to an appointment with both parents or legal guardians. If one can’t attend, they send a signed consent letter. Allow more time: it can take several weeks.

If you have a US passport

  1. Contact the nearest US embassy or consulate. Ask for the Consular Section and report your passport lost or stolen. You have to apply for a new one in person.
  2. Fill in two forms. Form DS-64 reports the loss and Form DS-11 applies for a new passport. Once reported, the old passport is cancelled straight away and can’t be used even if you find it.
  3. Ask about an emergency passport if you fly soon. If there isn’t time for a regular passport, the embassy may issue a limited-validity emergency passport, valid for up to one year. You can swap it for a full one later.
  4. Expect a short wait. In most cases a replacement passport is issued the next business day. Most embassies can’t issue passports at weekends or on holidays.
  5. A police report is optional. It isn’t required, but it can help confirm what happened. You can skip it if it would delay your trip.

If someone you love lost their passport abroad: call the State Department’s Office of Overseas Citizens Services on 1-888-407-4747.

Before you go: three things that make this easier

  • Keep a photo or copy of every passport, for you and everyone with you. GOV.UK says a photo or photocopy helps you answer questions when you cancel it.
  • Save your embassy’s address and phone number for each country on your trip.
  • Have a spare passport photo that hasn’t been used before. The UK online application needs a digital one.

FAQ

Can I fly home on a police report?

No. You need an emergency travel document (UK) or a new or emergency passport (US).

What if I find my passport after reporting it?

Once it’s cancelled, you can’t use it to travel again. Both GOV.UK and the US State Department say so.

How much does it cost?

A UK emergency travel document costs £125. A US replacement passport costs the same as any other US passport.

What about my kids’ passports?

Each child needs their own document. For UK children under 16, both parents or guardians attend an appointment or send a consent letter.

Change log

  • Page published. Checked against GOV.UK and the US State Department.

Sources

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About this page

VIARYO is not a government body and this page is not an official source. We read what the authorities publish, summarise it, and record the date we last checked — you can read how we check our information. Where an official source and this page disagree, the official source is right.