Many travelers – whether it’s for business of pleasure – have at one time or another lost vital belongings, such as credit cards or documents. And one document that is more important than all others is the passport. Once a passport is lost or stolen the traveler won’t even be able to board a plane out of the country. Therefore it needs to be replaced as quickly as possible.
But dealing with a lost or stolen passport is, more often than not, a time-intensive and stressful undertaking. The difficult nature of the process is oftentimes further compounded by the confusion that is the result of traveling in a foreign land. Language barriers can be an issue as well as navigating the complicated bureaucracy of a strange country.
But as long as travelers follow a few simple tips there is no reason any passport issue can’t be resolved while traveling abroad. This is because most countries have a system in place specifically geared towards helping travelers resolve passport issues.
VISIT THE CLOSEST U.S. CONSULATE OR EMBASSY
A consulate or embassy is the first place travelers should go when their passport is lost or stolen. Most hotels will be able to provide info on the location of the consulate or embassy at the front desk. For those who can’t access this information, the Department of State provides a list of U.S. consulates and embassies worldwide via their website. It can be accessed here: http://www.usembassy.gov/
PROVIDE PROOF OF IDENTITY
The biggest hurdle many travelers face when attempting to replace a lost or stolen passport is identity verification. That’s why pre-planning is crucial as far as traveling is concerned. Those planning trips abroad should make paper copies of their passport and birth certificate in order to present to the consulate or embassy should they lose their passport. For added security, travelers should leave copies of these documents with friends or family members as well as storing digital copies on flash drives and cloud-based services for easy Internet access. Those with lost or stolen passports who neglected to make copies of these documents will be required to have friends and family verify their identity and, if possible find a copy of the passport applicant’s birth certificate and provide it to the U.S. embassy or consulate.
COMPLETE THE PAPERWORK
Passport applicants will have to complete an application once their identity has been verified. Afterwards they will need to file an affidavit. Those with stolen passports will likely also need to file a police report. The application costs for a new passport will be at least $85 dollars, and it will take a number of days to process the application before the passport itself arrives. Those under time constraints can have the Department of State issue a conditional passport that can be used until the new passport arrives.
These are just a few tips designed to help those who have found themselves without a passport while abroad. As stated above, the value of pre-planning can’t be understated. One other outlet that can be of assistance to the international traveler is the U.S. State Department and their Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). This is a free service offered by the State Department that provides assistance to those U.S. citizens traveling or living abroad. This service can be accessed here: https://step.state.gov/step/
Traveling has given Liza Carter-Thompson the opportunity of experiencing culture and being humble in life. While her unforgettable experience was getting engaged on a bayliner boat, the best one would be seeing the Himalayas.