What Should Happen if I Lose my Passport on Holiday?

Everyone should check their passport before they head to the airport, but what happens if you lose your passport while you’re away? This is a very stressful situation, and it’s important to stay calm and know what to do. We’ve listed out some top tips for your trip and what you should do in the event of a lost passport…

Tips before travelling

1. Photocopy important documents like your passport and keep the copies in your hand luggage
2. Make a note of important phone numbers, like who you should call to cancel a missing bank card
3. Keep your travel insurance in your hand luggage and make a note of your policy number, the company and the emergency numbers
4. Let someone you trust know about your travel plans and make sure you have an emergency contact at home just in case
5. Take more than one form of ID and store them in a safe place (for example, a locked safe in your hotel room, or keep them on you)

The steps you need to take

The first thing you should do if you’ve lost your passport is find a local police station and file a police report. Sometimes you won’t be offered a report if your passport is lost, not stolen, however, insurance companies need to see that you tried to report it. This is the official guidance from the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

Once you’ve filed a policy report, you can also cancel your passport on the gov.uk website. It’s useful if you took a photocopy of it before you left home because it can help you answer questions when completing the cancellation form. While you’re on the gov website, if you are abroad and need to travel imminently, you can also apply for an emergency travel document or by heading to the nearest British Embassy.

Can I still travel home?

Once you have obtained an emergency travel document, this will allow you to travel for one trip. Essentially, because you have lost your passport, this will get you home. You won’t be able to continue to travel to other countries. Currently, the fee for an emergency travel document is £125 which includes the cost of couriering the document to you. Generally, once approved, it takes approximately two days for the document to be ready, but this varies by case. If you apply online, you may still be asked to attend the British Embassy so it’s best to do this as soon as possible.

Who do I need to notify?

Once you know you have lost your passport and have gone through the above steps, you should notify your airline. You also need to notify your travel insurance company, so they are up to date. Plus, if you lost your passport at your hotel, you should notify the hotel. If you lost it on public transport, you should notify the public transport provider to see if they can locate it. This is required for your travel insurance so they can see you have tried all options to get it back.

Once you have safely returned to the UK, you can then begin the process of applying for a replacement passport. Online, this service costs £102 for an adult or £115.50 if you complete a paper form. If you’re not travelling for some time, you don’t need to do this straight away. It is important to note that some countries have rules on the validity of your passport, so it has to be valid for at least three months after your return, for example. Some countries require your passport to be valid for longer, like Australia requires you to have at least 6 months validity from the date you enter the country. Always check the entry requirements for where you’re travelling to, so you don’t get caught out.

What will my travel insurance cover?

P J Hayman’s Travel Plus policy covers for loss of passport in the personal money, passport and travel documents section. Loss of a passport is covered up to £500. It’s important to be aware of some of the key requirements under the policy such as:

• You must report the loss of passport to the police and obtain a written report.
• If you lose it at your hotel or accommodation provider, you must report the details to your hotel or accommodation provider, get written confirmation, and keep any travel tickets and tags to support your claim.
• If you lose it on public transport, you must report it in writing to that public transport provider and get written confirmation that you have contacted them.
• You should also provide an original receipt or proof of ownership for the passport to support your claim. For example, the proof of your purchasing or renewing your passport.

This is why it is important to report the loss as soon as possible and keep all receipts/correspondence.

Don’t forget travel insurance

Losing a passport is hopefully something you will never have to experience, but we hope that with the above tips you should be better prepared if it happens. As always, don’t forget your travel insurance so you can travel, with confidence.