While nearly all other documents can be accessed online, a lost passport is one of the last analogue emergencies that can ruin an international trip.
Here's a guide to replacing a lost passport, depending on when you need it, how much you can afford, and where you live. (The process for last-minute renewal of an expired passport is roughly the same, by the way.)
At least three weeks
Yes, you can report your lost passport and have it replaced on the Department of State's website at travel.state.gov/passports. The website has a list of 7,500 passport collection locations, including post offices, public libraries and court clerk's offices, where you can make an appointment or, in most cases, just walk in during the appointment time. They will review your documents, send them to the Department of State, and you will receive your passport in the mail.
Before your appointment date, find out what you need to bring with you: at a minimum, you will need a list that includes proof of U.S. citizenship, payment (acceptable forms vary by facility), the appropriate forms (DS-11 and DS-46 for lost passports), and most facilities will require a properly taken photograph.
The “normal” processing time for a replacement passport is 6-8 weeks and costs $165. If you choose the “expedited” service, you can get your passport in 2-3 weeks for an additional fee of $60.
Matt Pierce, managing director of passport services at the State Department, noted that pandemic-era delays had been resolved as of December and said applications may be received “sooner than advertised.”
Follow the instructions carefully to avoid delays, and consider paying the extra $19.53 for faster delivery.
When time is running out
If you're traveling in the next three weeks or less, you'll need to take the extra step of visiting one of 26 passport processing offices across the U.S. If you choose not to use an outside agent, you'll need to make an appointment online or over the phone at least 14 days before your trip.
Walk-ins, which were an option before the pandemic, are no longer an option, but the State Department has increased capacity to eliminate the need for walk-ins, and offices will give special priority to documenting “life-threatening emergencies” for immediate family members, Pierce said. People should bring any necessary documentation with them, as well as proof of upcoming travel, such as a flight or cruise reservation.
If you need an appointment the next day or the day after then your situation is compromised. In such cases, please make an appointment by phone or contact your local MP.
Laurie Lee, CEO of Chicago-based visa processing firm Swift Passport & Visa Services, has seen clients who are facing missed weddings or once-in-a-lifetime events spend hours refreshing websites looking for last-minute bookings, even booking cross-country flights if they're available — a process that, of course, costs both time and money.
At the passport office, the process is similar, but you'll likely get your passport the same day. Pierce says that in most cases, you won't have to return the next day, but it's possible. (If you have time, you can also have your passport mailed to you.)
Use Express
If you have at least three business days to spare and are willing to shell out a few hundred dollars for assistance, consider Swift or one of the more than 200 other agencies registered with the State Department as couriers or expedited delivery companies.
Expeditors are especially useful for people who live far from the nearest passport office and can't or don't want to drive or fly there. They also help people who can't get an appointment slot. They have appointment slots so they can bring clients' applications directly to specific passport offices. For example, Swift can bring 10 applications a day to its Boston office and five to its Chicago office. Depending on the urgency, Swift's fees for assistance range from $155 to $599.
If you use an agency, you'll need to go to a local passport acceptance facility, such as a post office, where staff will review your documents, seal them in an envelope, and send (or hand) them to the agency, who will handle the rest of the process and return your new passport to you.
What could be the problem?
If you go to a passport agency, make sure you give yourself plenty of time, as making a mistake on the form can cause delays and even ruin your trip.
“Common mistakes include signing in the wrong place, not dating the application, using the wrong size passport photo or using the wrong photo frame,” says Steve Deal, chief corporate development officer at CIBT Visa, a major application agent.
Once you get it
When you receive your passport, make digital and paper copies. Change any numbers for trusted traveler programs like Global Entry. Also, keep in mind that if your old passport had a visa issued for your destination country, you'll need to get that reissued as soon as possible.
If you find your old passport later, keep it as a memento – it's no longer valid.
If you lose it overseas
First of all, don't do that: unless you're traveling to a country that strictly requires you to carry your passport with you at all times, keep your passport in the hotel safe and carry a copy and your driver's license with you.
But if your passport is lost or stolen, protect yourself from identity theft by reporting it online and contacting your nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to schedule an emergency appointment. In addition to a paper or digital copy of your passport, you'll need documents similar to those required for replacement in the U.S. You can receive either an actual replacement passport or an emergency passport, which is usually valid for one year.
If it's a true emergency, you can try a last resort: have the airline contact U.S. Customs and Border Protection and ask for permission to enter the country without a passport.
Prevention measures
Several moving companies say that many of their clients have lost their passports during recent moves, so be sure to remember where your passport is packed when you're packing your house.
Before you give up and assume your passport is lost, check your home copier or scanner: “I don't know how many people find their passport in a copier,” says Lee.
