Losing your passport abroad is not only inconvenient, but highly stressful too. Fortunately, there are steps that can be taken to cancel and replace your passport, as well as measures that can be taken to attain emergency documentation.
The bad news is, you may need to pay a fee to sort out your situation. The good news is that you’re dealing with a first world country, so you can benefit from more efficient and timeous service.
Depending on how urgently you need to travel, you may not even need to fork out at all. For now, the first thing to do is to take action as soon as possible so that no one steals your identity!
Let’s dive right in and take a look at the steps you need to take to get back on track as smoothly as possible:
Step 1: Cancel your passport immediately
Do not hesitate to cancel your lost or stolen passport. It is important to do this as quickly as possible in case a morally-corrupt opportunist finds your documentation. Note that you may report a stolen or lost passport on behalf of another person.
Please note: This step only applies if you do not need to travel within 6 weeks and can afford to wait for your passport application to be processed. If you need to get moving within that timeframe, you have no choice but to apply for emergency documentation.
This process includes a section for cancelling your passport, which is why you don’t need to do it separately. However, for those of you who do not need to travel in a hurry, you can cancel your passport by reporting it online here.
Step 2: Get replacement documentation
So by now you know that you have two options available: Acquiring emergency documentation at a cost, or applying for a replacement passport and waiting for it to be processed.
If you want to apply for a replacement passport and you’re a United Kingdom citizen, you can do so right here.
If you need an emergency passport, you can find what you are looking for here.
Keep in mind that you may need to present proof of travel plans such as booking confirmations etc. You will need to pay £100 to apply for an emergency passport and this is non-refundable. It is possible to pay online when you apply.
You may need to make an appointment at the local British embassy, consulate or high commission in addition to your online application. However, you will find out after submitting your application.
If your emergency passport is needed for urgent travel (due to the ill health or death of a family member, or for your own medical treatment) you should call the Passport Adviceline here.
We wish you the best of luck in your endeavour to sort out your passport, and hope that this article was useful.
