What to do if you lose your passport abroad
If you lose your passport abroad, search your bags and your last stops, then report it as lost or stolen: file a local police report if it was stolen, and contact your country's nearest embassy or consulate. Bring a photo ID, your passport copy, a passport photo, your travel plans and the police report. They can usually issue an emergency passport so you can continue or return home.
Why it matters: Knowing the embassy steps turns a crisis into a delay.
Steps
- Search your bags, your room and your last stops, and ask the hotel front desk.
- If stolen, file a report with the local police and get a copy.
- Contact your country's nearest embassy or consulate, using the number you saved before the trip.
- Report the passport lost or stolen as the embassy instructs.
- Bring another photo ID, your passport copy, a passport photo, your itinerary and any police report.
- Apply for an emergency or replacement passport as instructed.
- Tell your airline and travel insurer, and change onward bookings if needed.
Stop and call a professional if
- you are also in danger or were assaulted: call the local emergency number first, then the embassy, which has staff to help citizens in distress
Common mistakes
- Traveling without a copy of your passport.
- Not saving the embassy's contact details before you go.
- Waiting until the day of your flight to act.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: What to do if you lose your passport abroad
What to say
If you lose your passport abroad, search your bags and your last stops, then report it as lost or stolen: file a local police report if it was stolen, and contact your country's nearest embassy or consulate. Bring a photo ID, your passport copy, a passport photo, your travel plans and the police report. They can usually issue an emergency passport so you can continue or return home.
What to show
- Search your bags, your room and your last stops, and ask the hotel front desk.
- If stolen, file a report with the local police and get a copy.
- Contact your country's nearest embassy or consulate, using the number you saved before the trip.
- Report the passport lost or stolen as the embassy instructs.
- Bring another photo ID, your passport copy, a passport photo, your itinerary and any police report.
- Apply for an emergency or replacement passport as instructed.
- Tell your airline and travel insurer, and change onward bookings if needed.
Where it stops
Stop and call a professional if you are also in danger or were assaulted: call the local emergency number first, then the embassy, which has staff to help citizens in distress.
Check question
Who can replace your passport abroad?
Answer: Your country's embassy or consulate. Only your own government issues passports.
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Sources
- US federal guidance for citizens traveling abroad, 2026. Reviewed September 28, 2026.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .