What Steps to Take When You Lose Your Passport in the Airport?

Isn't that your worst nightmare, that of losing your passport in the airport? Imagine yourself standing in line waiting to board the plane and get your bags checked. You're homebound after a vacation and the moment you reach out for a passport you see to your utter shock that it's not there. You try not to panic and you check your pockets only to find them empty. You step out of your line and pull your suitcase, shake things well to realize that it's lost. This may happen to even the most careful traveler as an accident. If you want to stay aware of the immediate steps that you should take when you lose your passport in the airport, read on the concerns of this article. We give you some options to remember.

If you're in the United States of America

In case you're utilizing your US passport as the primary source of identification in any of those hundred airports in the country and you lose it, the first step that you should take is to find a Transportation Security Administration representative and inform him about what happened. The TSA will look for a manager and you may even be taken through the process of flying without a passport. Most likely, they will ask you to produce some other form of identification and will utilize some technology to get a clear picture of who you are. So don't think that this is the end of the world as there's still hope for you!

If you're not in the US but abroad

If you're abroad and you're trying to return to your country or fly to some other country and you lose your passport, things may get a bit more difficult. To get on to the plane, you have to show your passport and get it stamped. In case you lose your US passport while you're traveling abroad, even when you're in the airport, you will require replacing it before you can return home. Get in touch with the nearest US embassy for help. If there's urgency for traveling, they will issue you an emergency limited-validity passport by the next working day.

What should you do next?

Don't stay at the airport and loiter around the lost and found. Irrespective of where in the world you are, you should report a stolen or lost passport as soon as you can as this is the first way of avoiding being a victim of identity theft. Travelers may get in touch with the US Department of State to report you loss by email or phone. Travelers should also being a passport size photo, a proof of US citizenship, a DS-64, travel itinerary and DS-11 to the consulate or embassy.

So, if you had the notion that losing the passport anywhere in the world means the end of the world, you were mistaken. Take into account the above mentioned steps to recover your passport or even continue your journey with a limited period passport.

Read also: How The Philippine Bureau of Immigration Almost Ruined My Malaysia and Singapore Tour

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