Losing a passport can be devastating and you might panic out in a foreign country. You should be prepared, and know what to do if you lose your passport.
Your passport is the most important thing when travelling abroad. It proves your identity and makes you legal in a country. It is a great hassle to get a passport. It gives you an opportunity to move around the country and any state freely.
A passport holder reserves rights. These rights help at times in need. Passport is valuable within the country and also when you need to go out of the country, you can use this passport to fly anywhere. It is overly complex to get your passport for the first time. Thinking about losing it and going through the process again also gives chills.
But we have made it easier for you to understand and manage to get our lost passport. People lose their mind thinking what to do if you lose your passport, you need to be calm and control the situation
How to report for the lost passport
You can report the lost passport in two ways.
- To complete the form and submit the written document with all the details to your department of the state.
- You can make a call to the National Passport Information Center and report the missing passport. Though it seems an easy way it is not. It is preferable to submit your application in written form.
Overview on what to do if you lose your passport abroad
1. Make an official call to the embassy
2. Find the nearest embassy
3. Gather all the required documents
4. Wait for the call.
5. Attend a traveling guide class to understand how you can keep your stuff safe.
At first, you can call the last place visited. Any hotel, restaurant or bar where you were at last time with your passport. Sometimes things get settled at this point. Someone might have seen it and help you get me back. But it is not always the case.
People forget things and it becomes difficult to find it the easy way. Those who cannot find it by calling the last place they have to get ready to go through some tough series of steps.
According to the survey under the US Department of State, more than 300,000 American passports are lost or get stolen every year. It does not matter if you lost it in your home or wherever you were. Most important thing is to report it as soon as you can. It is important to understand what to do if you lose your passport.
Steps to take if you lose it in your home
It happens to many people, they find out at the time of departure that their passport is not at its place. That time is really what calls for panic. When you have to go for your flight and find out that your passport is not where it is supposed to be.
Here are some steps to guide you and help you through the process of getting the new passport if you lost one in your home. Here are some steps to help you understand what to do if you lose your passport.
Step one: Make a call to the department
It is not a time to panic and waste time just pondering over what to do if you lose your passport? It is important to inform the department about your lost passport. The passport that is lost needs to be on the lost/ stolen list of the department. They take care of the misuse of any legal passport.
The reported passport than cannot be used under any circumstances. Also take a note that if you find your passport after reporting it lost, you have to submit it to the passport center. On submitting it you can apply to get it back and cancel your request. Otherwise, it will be canceled and you have to get a new passport.
Step two: You can get an expedited passport
You can replace your passport in under 24 hours. Though there is a huge fee including $399 for a passport. There is also an option of getting an emergency passport for under $240. They claim to give our passport in one business day. If there is no such emergency than you should take the easy way and get to the department and submit your form with all the paperwork done.
Step three: Gather all the required documents
There are certain documents that you need to provide your department to fulfill the paperwork this includes
- Your photo
- Identity card
- Citizenship
- Proof of residence
- Your statement of lost passport
- Passport application
- Driver’s license
Step four: For last resort, you can go to the closest passport agency
You can also go to the passport agency and clear the matter with them. They will guide you to the steps and they will help you get the new passport in time. It might take a day or a few hours but in the end, you will get your passport. You need to take all the papers with you to the agency to avoid any kind of delay in time.
What to do if you lose your passport abroad
When you are in a foreign country it sometimes becomes difficult to keep track of your things. No matter how savvy traveler you are, it can happen to you. Losing a passport does not mean that you are stuck in that country forever. Here are the steps you can follow to know what to do if you lose your passport.
Find the nearest embassy or a consulate
It is important to contact your nearest embassy and report your lost passport. Make sure to provide you all the details of your passport. It is also important to let them know about your visit details and when you are planning to leave.
Fill out the application
You will arrive at the embassy and fill out all the paperwork to apply for a new passport. It is better to get all the required documents and a passport photo before heading to the embassy. You will have to pay the normal passport fee of $140.
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