subject: Lost Or Stolen Passport? Look Into Priority Replacement Services [print this page] Keeping a copy of your original passport and spare passport sized photos are the best precautions you can take in case you need an rush lost or stolen passport replaced. In the event that you are traveling outside your country, it may be unlikely that you would have proof of citizenship, like a birth certificate handy. It is also very easy to get emotionally distraught when you lose your passport while traveling. However, most countries have a procedure to replace your documents. If you calmly follow the steps, you can acquire a replacement.
Before contacting anyone, conduct a detailed search for your passport. Perhaps, it has simply been misplaced and will resurface in a book or beach bag. Perhaps one of your traveling companions absentmindedly stowed your passport with theirs while you were distracted. Be sure to search thoroughly before concluding that your passport is gone.
If you determine that your passport is really lost or has been stolen, contact the local authorities and file a report. The copy of this report may help you when you are applying for a replacement and when you are talking to airlines about changing tickets. It is unlikely, but possible, that your passport will be found and turned in. So, it is a good idea if the local authorities know where you are located to return it to you or to call you to pick it up.
After you have gotten a report from local police, it is time to go to the embassy or consulate of your own country. Find out the steps that you need to follow to get a temporary United States passport fast. Record the address, phone number and hours that the consulate is open for future reference.
When you are out of the country, it is unlikely that you will be issued a full passport. The emergency document is a temporary stand in until you can get home and replace your passport through regular channels. Replacement passports are a way that you can complete your travel or travel on short notice, such as cases of a lost or stolen passport.
The main precaution you can take to ease passport replacement while traveling is to make a copy of your passport. This can serve as your identification. One solution is to scan your passport digitally and email the pages to yourself. Then, it is available for you to download in the case that you might need it, without having to carry hard copies with you. It is a good idea, however, to carry spare passport photos with you.
Having two passport photos available require some planning. A photo can be used for passport replacement when it is two inches by two inches with an unobstructed view of your face against a light background. Remove sunglasses or hats before the photo is taken.
