Lost Passport Emergency Checklist: What to Do First

1. Get somewhere safe and check the last location

1. Check the last document counter, secure compartment, room safe and passport holder.
2. Contact the venue, hotel, airport or transport operator’s official lost-property service. Record its reference number.
3. If theft is suspected, move to a safe staffed place and contact local police. Do not confront a suspected thief.
4. Keep the search brief and follow your issuing authority’s reporting requirements promptly.

Passport missing at an airport · Passport missing at a hotel

2. Report the loss and contact your own consulate

Use your passport-issuing country’s official reporting page and consular directory. Explain where you are, when you need to travel and whether other identity documents or your phone are also missing. A local theft report and passport cancellation are separate steps.

Full lost-passport-abroad guide · Singapore passport holders: ICA and MFA routes

3. Gather the information the authority requests

Requirements differ by nationality and application route. A passport copy can help provide details; it does not replace a travel document.

• Your identity details and a securely stored passport copy, if available
• The circumstances of the loss and any police or lost-property reference
• Your next travel booking, transit stops and local contact details
• Any further identity evidence, photographs or reports the authority specifically requests

4. Check the replacement document and your full route

An emergency travel document may permit only a particular journey. Confirm destination, transit and local exit requirements with the issuing authority and relevant immigration authorities, then check with the airline before travelling to the airport. Do not assume a police report is enough to board.

5. Keep records for bookings and insurance

• Tell the airline and accommodation provider if your travel plans may change.
• Ask your insurer which costs, deadlines and evidence apply to your policy.
• Keep receipts, reporting confirmations and correspondence in one secure place.

Travel insurance questions after passport loss

Save the plan before your next trip

Download the response PDF and save official contacts separately from the original passport. Use the pre-trip guide for validity checks, secure copies, storage and testing a recovery QR. If the holder already has a ReturnKind QR, check owner messages while following official reporting instructions.

Pre-trip passport preparation checklist · How a private recovery QR works