Frequently-Asked Questions

Questions & Answers

Q. WHAT SHOULD A U.S. CITIZENS DO IF THEIR PASSPORT IS LOST OR STOLEN ABROAD?

A. Contact American Citizens Services for assistance. If you are scheduled to leave the foreign country shortly, please provide the Consular Section with details regarding your departure schedule. Every effort will be made to assist you quickly. You will also be directed to where you can obtain the required passport photos. You must bring a copy of the police report with you to the interview if your passport was stolen or lost.

Q. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO OBTAIN A REPLACEMENT PASSPORT?

A. You will need to complete a new passport application. The consular officer taking an application for replacement of a lost, stolen, or misplaced passport must be reasonably satisfied as to your identity and citizenship before issuing the replacement. In virtually all cases this can be done through examination of whatever citizenship and identity documents are available, conversations with the applicant, close observation of demeanor and replies to questions asked, and discussions with the applicant’s travelling companions or contacts in the United States. Please note the new requirements for passports for minors under the age of 14 and how this will change the way passport applications for minors are handled abroad.

Q. WHAT INFORMATION WILL I NEED TO PROVIDE THE CONSULAR OFFICER?

A. You will be asked for certain information to assist in verifying your citizenship:

1. Personal Data: (including, but not limited to)
• your name
• date of birth
• place of birth
• passport number (if available)
• date and place where your passport was issued

If you can provide the U.S. embassy or consulate with a photocopy of your passport identification page, that will make getting a new passport easier since your citizenship and identity information would be more readily available.

2. Affidavit Regarding Loss/Theft of the Passport/Police Report:
When you report the loss, theft, or misplacement of your passport you must execute an affidavit fully describing the circumstances under which it was lost, stolen. U.S. Department of State form DS-64 may be used for this purpose, or you may simply execute a sworn statement before the consular officer describing what happened. A police report is not mandatory but may be required when the embassy/consulate believes a problem may exist such as possible fraud. An applicant eligible to receive a passport should not be placed in circumstances to miss a plane or unreasonably delay travel to obtain a police report.

3. Citizenship Verification and Name Clearance:
The U.S. embassy/consulate will confirm your previous passport issuance through our Passport Verification System. The consular section will also attempt to clear your name through the U.S. Department of State name check system to ensure there is nothing preventing issuance of a U.S. passport to you (for example: outstanding arrest warrant, court order, etc.) See 22 CFR 51.70.

4. Proof of Identity:
You will also be asked for some proof of your identity. If all your personal papers were lost or stolen with your passport, your identity can be established in a number of ways. In most cases the problem of identity is resolved quickly. It should be noted, however, that if there is any indication of possible fraud the consular officer may request additional documentation or other information.

Information From Consular Interview: The consular officer may be satisfied as to your identity based on the interview with you, or may require other information.

Identifying Witness: Persons traveling with a group or with friends, family or associates in the foreign country can have such a person execute an affidavit of an identifying witness before the consular officer. An identifying witness does not have to be a U.S. citizen.

Information From Family, Friends or Associates in the United States: If you are travelling alone and do not know anyone in the foreign country who can attest to your identity, your family, friends, or associates in the U.S. may contact the consular officer by phone or fax confirming your identity. This is usually quite informal. In emergency situations, your contacts may also communicate with the U.S. Department of State, that Overseas Citizens Services, (202) 647-5225.

Information From Previous Passport Records: If necessary, information about your identity may be obtained from your previous passport application which may have to be retrieved by Overseas Citizens Services, (202) 647-5225, in the U.S. Department of State from the Federal Records Center which is located outside of Washington, D.C.

Q. WILL THE REPLACEMENT PASSPORT BE ISSUED FOR THE FULL 10-YEAR VALIDITY PERIOD FOR AN ADULT?

A. Replacements for lost passports are normally issued for the full 10-year period of validity for adults. Occasionally, cases will arise in which the consular officer has some lingering doubt because of statements made by the applicant, or other circumstances, but is still reasonably satisfied as to identity and citizenship. If there is not time to request and receive the Department’s verification, a passport limited to 3 months may be issued. Limited passports may also be issued in cases in which an applicant has, by mistake, packed the passport with luggage being sent to another location, left the passport at home, perhaps in another country, but has to travel immediately, lost or been robbed of multiple passports in a short timespan, etc. The issuance of a full validity passport takes approximately 15 working days. If you are traveling within 15 working days, and you can provide proof of this travel, you may apply for an emergency limited-validity passport, which cannot be extended. Same-day issuance is available for applications that are complete and straightforward. In some cases, however, we may be required to refer to the Department of State; therefore, some cases may take longer.When the emergency travel has been completed, you will have two options in applying for a full validity passport. You can either submit your application to any U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad or, if in the United States, your local Passport Agency. There will be no additional cost as long as the emergency passport is still valid and is presented for cancellation. If the emergency passport expires or is lost, passport application fees must be paid again.

Please note that two consecutive emergency passports cannot be issued. If you are issued with an emergency passport, your next application must be for a full-validity passport, which will be printed in the U.S. and take approximately 15 working days to process.

Q. ARE FEES CHARGED FOR REPLACEMENT OF LOST/STOLEN PASSPORTS ABROAD?

A. The normal passport fees are collected from applicants for replacement passports. Applicants will be asked to provide names of persons they feel would be able to assist them financially if there is sufficient time. See our information about Financial Assistance to U.S. citizens abroad and Learn About Sending Money Overseas to U.S. Citizen in an Emergency.

However, if:

• the applicant’s money and documents have been lost or stolen, or
• the applicant is a victim of a disaster

and the applicant does not have and cannot reasonably be expected to obtain money to pay the fees before continuing travel, no passport fee will be charged and a limited validity passport will be issued. When the person applies for a full validity passport on their return to the United States the regular passport fee will be charged for the replacement passport. See the U.S. Department of State Schedule of Fees, 22 CFR 22.1

Q. CAN THE U.S. EMBASSY ISSUE A REPLACEMENT PASSPORT OVER A WEEKEND OR HOLIDAY?

A. U.S. passports are not routinely issued by U.S. embassies and consulates abroad on weekends and holidays when the embassy/consulate is closed. All U.S. embassies and consulates have an after hours duty officer available to assist with life or death emergencies of U.S. citizens abroad. Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate after hours duty officer for assistance if you have an emergency need to travel. Phone numbers for U.S. embassies and consulates are also available in our Consular Information Sheets and Key Officers handbook.

If you are scheduled to travel directly to the United States, the duty officer may be able to assist in issuing a transportation letter to the airline and alerting U.S. Customs and Immigration to the fact that you will be attempting to enter the United States without a passport.

Duty officers must focus primary attention on life or death emergencies. Depending on the circumstances and conditions in the foreign country, it is possible that a replacement passport may not be issued until the embassy/consulate reopens for business. At that time the Consular Section will be in a better position to verify your citizenship and identity and clear your name through the Department of State name check system.

Q. What kind of emergency services does American Citizens Services provide?

A. American Citizens Services provides many emergency services to Americans, including:
• Replacement a Passport - If you lose your passport, a consul can issue you a replacement, often within 24 hours. If you believe your passport has been stolen, first report the theft to the local police and get a police declaration.
• Helping Find Medical Assistance - If you get sick, you can contact a consular officer for a list of local doctors, dentists, and medical specialists, along with other medical information. If you are injured or become seriously ill, a consul will help you find medical assistance and, at your request, inform your family or friends. (Consider getting private medical insurance before you travel, to cover the high cost of getting you back to the U.S. for hospital care in the event of a medical emergency.)
• Helping Get Funds - Should you lose all your money and other financial resources, consular officers can help you contact your family, bank, or employer to arrange for them to send you funds. In some cases, these funds can be wired to you through the Department of State.
• Helping In An Emergency - Your family may need to reach you because of an emergency at home or because they are worried about your welfare. They should call the State Department's Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. The State Department will relay the message to the consular officers in the country in which you are traveling. Consular officers will attempt to locate you, pass on urgent messages, and, consistent with the Privacy Act, report back to your family.
• Visit In Jail - If you are arrested, you should ask the authorities to notify a U.S. consul. Consuls cannot get you out of jail (when you are in a foreign country you are subject to its laws). However, they can work to protect your legitimate interests and ensure you are not discriminated against. They can provide a list of local attorneys, visit you, inform you generally about local laws, and contact your family and friends. Consular officers can transfer money, food, and clothing to the prison authorities from your family or friends. They can try to get relief if you are held under inhumane or unhealthful conditions.
• Make Arrangements After The Death Of An American - When an American dies abroad, a consular officer notifies the Americans family and informs them about options and costs for disposition of remains. Costs for preparing and returning a body to the U.S. may be high and must be paid by the family. Often, local laws and procedures make returning a body to the U.S. for burial a lengthy process. A consul prepares a Report of Death based on the local death certificate; this is forwarded to the next of kin for use in estate and insurance matters.
• Help In A Disaster/Evacuation - If you are caught up in a natural disaster or civil disturbance, you should let your relatives know as soon as possible that you are safe, or contact a U.S. consul who will pass that message to your family through the State Department. Be resourceful. U.S. officials will do everything they can to contact you and advise you. However, they must give priority to helping Americans who have been hurt or are in immediate danger. In a disaster, consuls face the same constraints you do - lack of electricity or fuel, interrupted phone lines, closed airports.

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