Lost Your Passport On Your Travel Overseas? Don’t Panic; Here’s What You Can Do

Recently, television actors Divyanka Tripathi and Vivek Dahiya returned to India from their trip overseas, after getting robbed of their money and passport. They were robbed in Florence, Italy, where they had gone for a vacation. It is a terrible situation to be in if one loses his passport, money, or phone while traveling overseas, especially passport. A passport is the most important document while traveling overseas. A passport is an official document issued by the government, certifying the holder’s identity and citizenship and entitling them to travel under its protection to and from foreign countries.

If you lose a passport on your trip overseas, you must immediately report to the nearest police station, the passport office, or the Indian embassy.

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Says Meet Kapadia, head, travel insurance, Policybazaar: “Losing passport is a fairly common incident when you’re traveling abroad. You can lose it at the airport, in a restaurant or while shopping. If you lose your passport outside Indian territory, you should immediately contact the Indian Embassy in that country/region. The Embassy will issue a temporary travel document, allowing you to apply for a new passport. One must be patient as this process requires time and authentication documents. If one has comprehensive travel insurance, expenses incurred during the passport re-issuance process will be covered.”

Here are the steps on what you need to do under such circumstances:

Step 1: You must proactively report the incident to the nearest police station. Try to get a copy of the police report, which serves as an official document for the lost passport. You would need this copy when requesting a new passport or an emergency certificate.

Step 2: Next, you must get in touch with your country’s embassy or consulate. They would first confirm your nationality, and then issue an emergency certificate for them to return to their country safely.

Step 3: You must then submit a request for a new visa. You could also apply for lost visas. To get a new one, you need to approach the Indian embassy and submit the necessary documents such as a photocopy of the prior visa and the police report.

Step 4: Next, you need to reschedule your flights. Once you lose your passport, you cannot travel abroad for a while, as it would take time to receive a new passport. Therefore, you must inform your airline about your situation and re-schedule your flight. The earlier you contact the airline, the less you would need to spend on re-scheduling your flight.

Step 5: Try to get an emergency certificate or a new passport, After contacting the Indian embassy, try to apply for a new passport or an emergency certificate. An emergency certificate comes quicker in such situations and can help you to return to your country sooner.

Step 6: Last but not least, try to claim your travel insurance. Inform your travel insurance provider about your situation. Keep with you your police reports and any receipts for expenses related to passport loss.

Documents Needed For Re-Issue Of Your Passport:

• Birth certificate, Aadhar card

• According to Annexure F, an affidavit mentioning all details about the passport’s disappearance

• Police report

• Address proof such as your electricity or phone bill, and Aadhar card, which serve as proof of your current residential address

• Self-attested copies of the first and last two pages of your old passport, along with the emigration check required (ECR)/Non-ECR page

• No objection certificate (NOC)

• Two passport-size current photos of the applicant