Lost or stolen passport

> Replacing your lost, stolen or damaged passport

British Passport is lost or stolen abroad

It is vital you report a lost or stolen passport as soon as possible to the local police in the country you are in and to the nearest British Embassy, Consulate or High Commission even if you don't want to replace your passport immediately. This will reduce the risk of someone using your passport or your identity.

When you report the loss or theft to the Embassy, they will give you a Lost or Stolen (LS01) Notification form to fill in and sign. We will record the loss or theft of your passport and forward the information to Identity and Passport Service. The IPS will then cancel your passport to reduce the risk of someone else using your identity. You need to use form LS01 to report any loss or theft of your passport whether applying for a replacement passport or not.

Once you report your passport as lost or stolen, it is electronically cancelled. If you find it, you will not be able to use it as a proof of identity, nationality, or for any other legal purpose. You must not use it as a means of identification as this may be detected as a potentially fraudulent act.

You will also not be able to use it for travel. Doing so may cause the passport to be impounded by the Borders and Immigration Authority at UK ports or airports. If travelling overseas, you could face deportation or arrest.

Help travelling back to the UK or other destination

If you need to travel urgently you may be eligible for emergency travel documentation, see 'Urgent travel' page.

Replace a lost or stolen passport

You can also apply for a replacement passport at the same time as reporting your British passport lost or stolen. You can apply for a replacement passport as long as you are the holder. You should see the 'Replacing your lost, stolen or damaged passport' page.

What to do about a damaged passport

You do not need to report a damaged passport, but if your passport is damaged beyond reasonable wear and tear, some airlines may not let you travel. For this reason we recommend that you apply for a replacement as soon as possible.

You will need to send the damaged passport when you apply for a replacement. We will return it once we have established your identity and confirmed that the damage is not due to fraudulent tampering. 'Fraudulent tampering' means someone trying to change the identity details or photo on a passport, for example, to use it illegally. Please see the 'Replacing your lost, stolen or damaged passport' page.

If your child was included on the passport

If your child was included on your lost, stolen or damaged passport they cannot be included on the replacement. All children now need their own passports to travel abroad. You will need to apply for a first child passport for them if they are under 16. If they are 16 or over they can apply for an adult passport. Please look under the 'What passport do I need' section.

If you later find your passport

If you find your passport after reporting it lost or stolen, you must return it to the nearest Embassy, High Commission or Consulate or the Identity and Passport Service in the UK. It will already have been electronically cancelled but we need to take further cancellation action. You cannot use it for travel, as legal proof of nationality or for any other legal purpose.

Replacing your lost, stolen or damaged passport

Steps you should take to get a replacement for your passport

Your application

Please ensure that your application is correctly completed. Incorrect applications will cause long delays and may incur additional expense. Getting it right the first time will save you time and money.

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