What Happens If I Lose My Passport

What if I lose my Passport

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office reported that lost passports were costing Brits abroad £5million a year. Every day, around 80 Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) are issued to British nationals around the world who have lost or damaged their passports, or had their passport stolen.

What happens when I lose my passport?

If you lose your passport on holiday, you cannot get a replacement until you are back in the UK. Instead, you will need an Emergency Travel Document (ETD) from your nearest British Consulate or Embassy.

It can take a few days to obtain an ETD depending on where you are. You’ll need a police report, passport photos, and you may need replacement visas. The British Consulate or Embassy will be able to tell you exactly what documents you need.

Look after your passport

Look after your passport carefully. The FCDO have some helpful tips for when you travel: Don’t use your passport as a beer mat or a notebook, and don’t take it in swimming with you! If there is a safe where you are staying, keep your passport in it.

Before you travel, make sure your passport is valid. For certain countries your passport must be valid for six months after the date you travel – check the entry requirements before you go.

Travel insurance for lost passports

Your travel insurance may include cover for the cost of replacing a lost or stolen passport or visa. Your policy wording will contain full details of this cover if it is offered. medicaltravelinsurance.co.uk allows you to compare the benefits of several policies, based on your travel needs. You must report to the local police in the country where the incident occurred as soon as possible, in order to get a written report of the loss or theft.

For more information

More country specific laws and customs can be found at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. The FCDO are also now on Twitter at @FCDOtravel

This information provided by the FCDO Travel aware campaign. Details at travel aware.