How to Replace a Lost or Stolen Passport

Picture this: You’re sitting in a café in Paris, enjoying a fresh pain au chocolat and espresso before you head to the Louvre.

As you get up to leave, you reach for your bag … and it’s gone.

The bag that had your sunglasses, your foreign-language dictionary, your wallet, and — oh no — your passport.  

Just like that, your dream vacation just turned into a traveler’s worst nightmare.

And while you shouldn’t typically carry your passport around with you while in tourist mode, sometimes it’s unavoidable. Like if you haven’t checked into your hotel yet or are on your way to your next destination with your belongings in tow.

Regardless, losing your passport abruptly brings any plans you had to a screeching halt. There’s no way home (or often into the next country on your itinerary) without one.

So, you now find yourself with two options: you can panic in a foreign country, or you can calmly follow the steps outlined below.

Keep calm and read on, my friend.

Steps to Follow After Losing a Passport

Step One: Report It

First things first, you need to report it as lost or stolen to protect yourself from identity theft. Speaking from experience, that’s not something you want to happen. 🙅‍♀️ 

Keep in mind that simply reporting it as lost won’t replace your passport; you will still have to go in person to obtain a new one. It’s just a protection measure.

The fastest way to report it as lost or stolen is online, on the U.S. Department of State website, Travel.State.Gov., or using this link here.

You’ll want to look for the tab that says Report Lost or Stolen and click the corresponding submission link.

To make the report via mail, print out and mail Form DS-64, along with a photocopy of your government-issued ID, though it may take several weeks for your passport to be cancelled.

Those not currently abroad can report it lost via phone by calling 1-877-487-2778 and following the representative’s instructions.

And the final option is to report it as lost or stolen when you apply in person for a new passport, which brings us to the next step.

Step Two: Apply For a Replacement

The route to obtaining a replacement passport depends entirely on where you are located, whether you’re stateside or traveling abroad. You’ll also need to consider how quickly you will need your new passport.

Inside the U.S.

Your options here are dictated by when you plan on traveling.

6+ Weeks Before Travel

If you misplaced your passport but have more than six weeks before your next travel date, then the standard passport application process is sufficient for you.

You’ll need to locate a Passport Acceptance Facility in your area and find a location that has available appointment slots.

These are the same locations used for routine passport applications and are often located in a post office, library, or local government office.

Plan to bring the following items to your appointment:

• Completed Form DS- 64 (Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport)

• Completed Form DS-11 (Application for a U.S. Passport)

• Proof of citizenship (e.g., birth certificate)

• New passport photo

• valid photo ID (e.g., driver’s license)

The fee for a replacement passport with standard processing and shipping is $130.

Less than 6 Weeks Before Travel

If you have less than 6 weeks before you are scheduled to travel, you can choose to expedite your passport while re-applying with the same process detailed above.

Expedited service can take 2-3 weeks, and mailing time can add another 2 weeks, making it a suitable option for travel that’s at least a month out.

The fee to expedite your passport is $60, in addition to the $130 for the standard application fee.

Additionally, there’s always the option to pay for faster shipping for either of the options discussed so far by adding 1-3 day delivery via USPS Priority Express for $22.05.

Urgent Travel in 2-3 Weeks

If your travel date is less than a month out, you will need to make an appointment at a passport agency or center, which is not the same as the passport acceptance facilities mentioned earlier.

Appointments can be made for free via the Online Passport Appointment System, where you will enter info regarding your upcoming travel plans to see if you qualify.

Passport agencies are few and far between, with only 28 locations across the country. If you plan to use this option, ensure there is a location near you or plan to travel to the nearest location.

While traveling to a passport agency/center might be a hassle, the upside here is that you might be able to obtain a passport same day, rather than waiting weeks for it to be mailed to you.

Expect to pay the same fees as a standard application with expedited service.

Less Than 2 Weeks

If you have a Life-or-Death Emergency, defined as a need to travel abroad because an immediate family member outside of the U.S. is dying, in hospice, or has a life-threatening illness or injury, you might qualify for an appointment within 2 weeks of your departure.

To qualify, you will need:

• Documentation of the emergency: death certificate or a signed letter from the hospital on official letterhead explaining the dire medical condition

  • If documentation is not in English, it must be translated by a professional translator.

• Proof of imminent travel (e.g., airline ticket or itinerary)

• Passport application (as detailed above)

• An appointment via the Online Passport Appointment System

  • If appointments are not available online, you can make an appointment via phone:

    • Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET: Dial 877-487-2778. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, dial 888-874-7793 for TDD/TTY teletype services. 

    • Saturdays, Sundays, federal holidays, and after 8:00 p.m. ET on Mondays through Fridays: Dial 202-647-4000.

Outside the U.S.

If you are abroad when your passport is lost or stolen, you will need to contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for help. Note that this often means traveling to another city to reach the closest location. 

You can look up the nearest embassy or consulate, find location-specific details and passport appointment availability by searching for the country you are located in here.

You will need to appear in person and will need the following:

• Proof of citizenship

• Government-issued photo ID

• 2×2in passport photo

• Form DS-11 (Application for Passport)

• Form DS- 64 (Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport)

• Travel itinerary (plane or train tickets)

• Passport fees

If you can’t provide these documents, you can ask for a free file search to help you obtain an emergency passport. In the event you are unable to pay the required passport fees, there are options for securing emergency financial assistance for U.S. citizens while abroad.

When travel dates are urgent and you cannot get a regular passport in time, the consulate can offer you an emergency passport, known as a limited-validity passport that is valid for up to 1 year.

Limited-validity passports can be exchanged for a full-validity passport after returning from your trip.

Special Circumstances

Holidays and Weekends

Most U.S. embassies or consulates do not provide passport services on weekends, U.S. or local holidays. They should, however, have officers available after-hours to assist in the event of a life-or-death emergency requiring a passport.

Victim of a Serious Crime or Disaster

If you are a victim of a serious crime while abroad, your passport fees may be waived if you are unable to pay, though you will only receive a limited-validity passport.

Losing a passport due to a serious natural disaster might also qualify you for a free replacement passport if you are unable to pay for one. The disaster must be a federally-designated disaster and listed on this webpage to qualify. Fees will be waived for a limited-validity passport; regular fees apply for replacing a full-validity passport.

Passports for Children under 16 years of age

Obtaining and replacing passports for children under the age of 16 requires additional documentation and both parents are required to be present when applying.

The standard required passport application documentation including birth certificates and photo ID for the child is needed, as well as photo ID for both parents.

Parents must provide proof of parent-child relationship, which can be fulfilled with a birth certificate, adoption decree, or court order establishing custody.

If both parents cannot be present at application, then Form DS-3053 must be completed by the parent that cannot be present, notarized and submitted with photo ID. Note that many countries require the form to be notarized at a U.S. embassy or consulate; local notaries may not be valid is some instances.

More information regarding applying for a child’s passport can be found here.

Do I Need to File a Police Report

While not explicitly required in every instance, filing a police report if your passport is stolen is a good idea.

A police report documenting your stolen passport can help process your passport cancellation and prevent any delays during re-application.

It may also be required to leave the country, in some cases, as you no longer have the passport you entered with and any potential applicable stamps in it. Having a police report can help clear up any confusion while traveling back to your home country.

And if you plan to file for reimbursement of passport re-application fees with your travel insurance, you will need a police report for your claim.

How Can Travel Insurance Help

Travel insurance can be a little bit of a gray area regarding what actually may be covered and varies depending on the specific policy. Certain premium credit cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve® may provide travel insurance coverages that may assist with passport related travel issues while abroad.

For instance, if passport reimbursement fees to replace a stolen passport are going to be covered, it will usually fall under baggage and personal effects coverage.

And if your trip is interrupted due to a lost or stolen passport, you may be able to file for reimbursement under trip interruption coverage to help with the cost of extra hotel nights or rescheduled flights.

If your passport was stolen right before you leave for your trip, the trip cancellation coverage might apply to cover any expenses lost due to last-minute trip cancellation, provided you filed a police report.

It’s important that you verify with your travel insurance plan or your credit card provider that you initially used to pay for the travel expenses to best understand your coverage.

Bottom Line 

Losing a passport or having one stolen, particularly while traveling, can seriously throw a wrench in your plans.

But take a breath and remember that, while frustrating, there is a system in place to help address this unfortunate development. And that system is in place because this happens all the time.

Whether you accidentally left your passport in the seat back of the plane or it was lifted from your bag while seeing the sights, you aren’t alone in dealing with this.

And honestly, it can happen to even the most experienced travelers.

Calmly follow the steps outlined to get a new passport in hand, be kind to staff helping you get back on the road, and try not to let temporary misfortune permanently sour your love of adventure. ❤️