A Passport is probably the most important and essential belonging that a traveler carries with him. A person might survive the ordeal of losing his/her iPhone but losing your passport is a pain we hope you never have to experience.
But in the unlikely event that you do, here’s a list of things you can do as damage control to minimize the consequences and get back right on track ASAP:
Keep Calm
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Relax, take a chill pill, breathe and think. It’s happened to people before and will happen to others too. There are mechanisms in place to deal with very such similar issues.
Also Read: Best and Worst Passports in 2016
Recollect
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Try to remember where and when you last saw your passport. Maybe instead of being pick pocketed, you just dropped or left it behind somewhere. Drop in at all recently visited locations and give the manager your contact info in case they find it later.
Go to the Nearest Police Station
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Get an official complaint filed and some sort of written statement or documentation from the nearest Police Station. This makes issuing of a new passport easier and also ensures that your passport isn’t used for any malpractice.
Make use of Resources
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Use your local connections, social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. and fliers to gather help for your cause. Someone might just have spotted it and can inform you.
Cash Reserve
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In case you are mugged and have lost your wallet too, it is advisable though to keep a stash of emergency cash (preferably under the mattress. NOT), but if you haven’t then ask your family or friends to wire some money. The issuing of further documentation will require processing fees and you may have to reschedule flights which will require cash.
Contact the Embassy/Consulate
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Your nearest embassy can issue an emergency certificate in the event of passport loss, but most of them require a police statement so better keep that handy.
Documentation
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The re-issuing process is sped up if you have a copy of your lost passport. If you don’t, then the hotel you’re staying with will have one. Get a copy of that and submit it at the Embassy.
Local Issues
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You may be required to complete some National formalities and get documentation like exit visa done, according to the local laws of the country you are in. This may also cost you some money according to the fees applicable.
Flight Re-scheduling
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Book new tickets or try to reschedule existing ones to a later date soon as possible. The best course of action though would be to wait for a formal date and then make arrangements accordingly.
Finishing up
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Yippee!! You came back! But once you’ve reached home be sure to apply for a new passport as the one issued to you is a temporary one and has a short expiry date.
The most important thing is to bring back only good memories from your trip and leave all the negative stuff behind. Accidents are a part and parcel of life and shouldn’t permanently scar some of the best moments of your life. That being said, losing one’s passport regularly is not advisable (duh! obviously), and some countries stop issuing fresh ones after a couple of times.
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