What to do when you lose your passport abroad?

Reply:

Passport is the most important document when Vietnamese citizens leave and enter the country. Therefore, when unfortunately losing your passport abroad, the most important thing is to stay calm to handle the situation properly and avoid affecting your travel plans. The first thing people should do is carefully check all luggage, bags, coats, safes in hotel rooms or places they have just stopped...

In the case of a tour, the person who loses their passport should immediately notify the tour guide or group leader. These people are familiar with local procedures and can effectively assist in interpreting, contacting the police, the embassy or adjusting the itinerary so that the tourist has time to re-apply the necessary documents. Their professional support helps the process go more quickly and limits the problems that arise.

Once the passport is confirmed to be lost or stolen, the citizen must go to the nearest police station to report and request a lost passport report. This report is mandatory evidence when applying for a travel document or temporary passport at a Vietnamese representative agency. Keeping a photo or copy of the report will help the process go more smoothly.

The next and most important step is to contact the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate in the country where you are staying. The representative agency will base on the records and police reports to guide people to get a travel permit to return home or issue a temporary passport if they still want to continue their journey. When coming to work, citizens should bring documents that can prove their identity such as citizen identification card, driver's license, plane ticket, along with a passport photo saved on their phone or email, if available. These are the bases that help the representative agency verify and support citizens quickly in accordance with the provisions of the law on entry and exit.

In addition, those who lose their passports should also notify the airline so that the airline can reconfirm their information, avoiding difficulties during check-in procedures. The hotel where they are staying can help print documents, contact the authorities or extend their stay if they need to wait for a travel document.

To minimize risks, every traveler should prepare before leaving the country by taking a photo of their passport and saving it on their phone or email, carrying a photocopy when going out but keeping the original in the hotel safe. Not leaving the passport in places where it is easy to drop or be stolen, such as a back pocket or an unsecured bag, also helps ensure the safety of this important document.

Fully complying with the above steps will help Vietnamese citizens promptly handle the situation when losing their passport abroad and continue their journey safely and in accordance with regulations.