If you’re just joining the conversation, you can find parts one and two here:
Pt 1: You’ve been robbed, now what?
Pt 2: You’ve been robbed, now what? Cash and paying for things.
Wrong on so many levels
If you were exploring town carrying only a copy of your passport, you won’t have to worry about this; however, as we talked about in Travel planning, some countries require that you carry your passport with you at all times, not just a copy. In the unfortunate event that you’ve been robbed and your passport was among the items that was pilfered, fear not, the State department has a wonderful FAQ to guide you through the process of getting a new passport.
Your first step is to call the Consular Section in the local embassy or consulate (whichever is closest) for your country to set up an appointment – the number should be on your Crib Sheet.
Not all embassies have a consular section, you may have to travel to another city to get a new passport.
Per the State Department website, to get a new passport, you’ll need:
- A Passport Photo (one photo is required; get it in advance to speed the process of replacing your passport)
- Identification (driver’s license, expired passport etc.)
- Evidence of U.S. citizenship (birth certificate, photocopy of your missing passport)
- Travel Itinerary (airline/train tickets)
- Police Report, if available
- DS-11 Application for Passport (may be completed at time of application)
- DS-64 Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport (may be completed at time of application)
Side note: If you call after hours or on the weekends, you may reach a duty officer who deals mostly in life or death emergencies. If your case is not life threatening, expect them to document the details of your incident, verify that you’re safe and uninjured, and then refer you to the consular office during normal hours.
If you’re in a time crunch, the emergency passport will allow you to either return to the states, or continue on with your trip until you can return home and turn it in for a regular passport.
Not all is lost, getting a new passport and getting your vacation back on track after being robbed can be surprisingly simple… So, I guess that’s one less thing you have to worry about!
