What to do if You Lose Your Passport While Traveling In Europe

What to do if You Lose Your Passport While Traveling In Europe Losing things in Europe, like your Passport or European health card, can put a damper...



What to do if You Lose Your Passport While Traveling In Europe

Losing things in Europe, like your Passport or European health card, can put a damper on your vacation, but luckily, there are resources available to Americans traveling abroad who have had their passports stolen or have lost them. You are not the first, and certainly will not be the last, American to lose something while on vacation. The first thing that you need to do is get to a U.S. embassy in Europe and speak with someone about what steps to take to get a new passport, European health card or other important document.

What to do if You Lose Your Passport While Traveling In Europe

Replacing a Lost Passport in Europe

Don’t worry, you are not stranded in Europe forever if you have lost your passport or it has been stolen. The first thing to remember if you are in Europe and have lost your passport is to not panic. Make absolutely certain that you have not simply misplaced the passport in your hotel room or in your luggage. If you are 100% sure that your passport is lost in Europe, then it is time to go to a U.S. embassy, which can be found by consulting the U.S. Department of State website. Do this before you leave for Europe, and make a note of where the embassies are in the countries that you will be traveling to so that you can get there quick without a lot of searching when you need to.

Once you get to the U.S. embassy or consulate, head to the information desk and tell them you lost your passport. If you registered with the U.S. Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), they will have record of you in their system and the process will be much quicker, however do not worry if you didn’t register; they will still help you!

The U.S embassy or consulate will have a document that you will be required to fill out. If there is a police report related to your passport being stolen, bring this along with you so that the incident can be documented with the United States. You should bring another form of identification, such as your driver’s license, or if you are without any United States Identification, you will need a friend or family member to issue a sworn statement that you are who you say you are. They will check the Passport Verification System to ensure that you have had a passport issued to you before. Then, you can fill out a lost passport application, take new passport photos and pay the applicable fees to get a new copy of your passport. You will be issued your passport shortly and can get back to your European vacation!

A lost European health card will be handled in much the same way. The U.S. embassy or consulate in the country where you are visiting will walk you through the necessary steps to get you a new European health card so that you can be protected if a health issue arises.

Do not worry if you have lost important documents while in Europe, such as your passport or European health card. The U.S. embassy will help you to get new documents and will get you back on track quickly.

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