What to Do If Passport is Lost or Stolen

These Tips Can Save a Vacation

Author: The Traveling Professor/Tuesday, December 2, 2014/Categories: General Travel

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My first pieces of advice are this:

  • Always know where your passport is.
  • Keep it in a safe place.
  • Never bring a passport with you on your daily itinerary, unless absolutely necessary (carry a copy)
  • Make a passport photocopy

In most cases, when people have claimed they have lost their passport, we have found it.   People tend to panic when they think their passport is stolen.  The best thing to do to get another traveler involved who is cool and collected and can do an organized and logical search.

If a passport is indeed lost or stolen:

File a police report.  With a police report a traveler may temporarily use the police report to travel domestically until they get to an embassy.

Go to the nearest embassy or consulate.   This is the only way a passport can be replaced.  Major embassies may be available on weekends or holidays to replace passports.

In some countries, like Peru, it is necessary to go to the local passport or immigration control office first.   In this case, it might be in the best interest of the traveler to hire a reputable service (usually recommended by a tour company) to guide the traveler through the process of replacing a passport.

For more travel information, see www. travelingprofessor.com


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