Inform The US State Department

The first step is to inform the US State Department in Washington if the item has been lost within the United States. If you are overseas, notify the nearest US Embassy or Consulate. This should be done immediately so that it may be inactivated to prevent its being used illegally by someone else.

Form DS-64

You may report the loss over the telephone or by filling in, signing and sending in Form DS-64. The form may be found on the Internet on the American State Department web site. If you find a US passport belonging to someone else, simply send it to the State Department in Washington D. C. in a sturdy envelope.

If You Find It

If you find your passport after having reported it lost or stolen, you are advised to return it to the State Department in Washington. If you ask them to,they will cancel it and send it back to you. Otherwise, it will be processed for destruction.

Replacement

The next step is to apply for a new one. If you are in the USA and not in a hurry to travel, you can do this in person at either a Passport Agency or an Acceptance Facility. There are twenty-six agencies and a vast number of Acceptance facilities (these may be specially designated clerks of the court, post offices, public libraries and other government facilities).

Form DS-11

An application form will need to be completed. This is called a DS-11. You will also need your DS-64, two color photographs, proof of US citizenship and proof of your identity. The requirements for the two photographs are very precise so make certain your photographer is familiar with them. You will also be required to pay an application fee.

Expedited Services

Getting a replacement if you have imminent plans to travel or if you are already out of the country is only slightly more complicated. There are a number of private organizations that are happy to take on the stress for you. They offer different levels of service depending on the time scale involved and they are priced accordingly.

Expedited Service is the best choice when you need your documents within two weeks due to a lost US online passport. It will be processed and returned to you within eight to fourteen business days. In addition to the expedited new United States passport documentation required when you are under no time pressure, you will need proof of your intent to travel. The next level up is ‘Rush Service’, which takes five to seven days. Priority service takes less than one week and Next Day and 24 Hour levels of service are self-explanatory. All levels of service may be requested over the Internet. There is even a same day service available by making a telephone call.

Contact US Embassy

The nearest US embassy or consulate should be contacted as soon as possible. A new application needs to be filled out and some proof of the individual’s US citizenship. It is recommended to have a photocopy of the document made in the event of theft for proof of identity in just such a situation. If the lost passport is a child’s, and you need an expedited child passport, you should follow all of these same steps.

Basic Information

The consular officer will need to know some basic information such as the number of the lost document, if possible, and the place and date where it was issued. An affidavit must also be filled out where the applicant must describe the circumstances in which their document was lost.

Passport Verification System

A Passport Verification System is used to locate the application for the lost document. Once this has been located and the officer feels that there is no evidence of fraud, they will issue the applicant a 10-year passport. If however the diplomat feels that there may be some unanswered questions about the circumstances of the theft, they can issue a three-month identification document.

Fees

When the applicant has suffered financial loss also, they will not be required to pay for the limited validity passport. This will provide them with the identification required to re-enter the United States. They can apply for their regular validity document once they are back at home. The limited validity document will restrict their movements while outside of the US.

When The Consular Is Closed

Applications are processed during business days. They will not be processed on weekends or holidays when the Department of State is also closed. An after hours consular officer is on call for situations where a life or death concern is taking place. Losing one’s passport is not a life or death concern even though it may almost feel like it.

Time It Takes

Replacing lost documents such as identity papers is a straightforward process if there are no extenuating circumstances. Normally a replacement document can be processed within a few days but this is dependent on where the applicant is located. Local holidays and other circumstances could influence the time frame so these must also be factored into the waiting time.

Prior to traveling, one should review the tips on decreasing the chances of having ID documents stolen. A lost passport limits one’s freedom. Many people choose to wear their document in a pouch under their clothing. Learning from experiences helps to create a heightened awareness of how to safeguard one’s documents. Taking more of a responsibility to discourage theft of documents of value should be a top priority for every traveler. All of the above also applies if the lost passport is a child passport and an expedited child passport is required.

First things first. Before anything else, you have to report the loss of your passport. You do this by filling up a DS-64 form, which would contain your statement regarding the loss or theft of your US passport. This is an important step to getting a replacement passport, and one that you should do immediately. Or you could also call the US Department of State to report this. In cases where you lose your passport while traveling in another country, you would need to contact the nearest US Embassy or consulate as soon as you can.

When filling up your Form DS-64, make sure that you fill in every item correctly and exhaustively. This may also require you to remember details that surround the loss of your passport. Fill in any detail that you think will be helpful in replacing your passport. Once you are done with this step, you can then send the form to the Passport Services office of the US State Department.

Let’s say you lose a passport that’s still valid at the time of the loss. What would you do next? You will be required to have your USA passport replaced. To seek a replacement, you will have to personally submit your DS-64 along with a DS-11 form to the acceptance facility or passport agency. The DS-11 is what you’ll fill in to apply for a replacement passport.

Take note that once your passport has been reported lost, that passport will be invalidated. It means that that passport is no longer an official document, and can therefore no longer be used for travel. Also, once invalidated, you cannot request the passport to be re-validated. You would thus need to apply for a new passport.

In cases where you are able to find your passport after reporting it’s theft or loss, you have to submit your recovered passport to the US Department of States Passport Services office. Once you submit it to them, you have the option of having it canceled and returned to you, or to have it destroyed by not requesting its return. The choice is yours to make.

When applying for a replacement passport, the acceptance facility will require you to submit your application in person. And since you have to travel to the agency’s office, it is highly advised that you check your documents before you even go there. This would save you the hassle of going back and forth until you are finally complete all the requirements.

Now that we’ve covered everything you need to know about how to replace a stolen pass port, let’s sum them up here. First, you would need to report the loss of your new passport. From there, you can take care of getting a replacement. Just always make sure that you fulfill every requirement asked of you, as this saves you a lot of time in the process.

But before you even go to have your lost or stolen passport replaced, you need to report its loss immediately. You can do this by filling up a Form DS-64, which is a statement on the loss or theft of your US passport. This is an important step that you need to go through before having your passport replaced. Another option would be to call the Department of State in their toll-free numbers. Or if you lose your passport in another country, contact the US Embassy or Consulate nearest you as soon as possible.

When filling up your Form DS-64, make sure that you fill in every item correctly and exhaustively. This may also require you to remember details that surround the loss of your passport. Fill in any detail that you think will be helpful in replacing your passport. Once you are done with this step, you can then send the form to the Passport Services office of the US State Department.

Now what if the stolen or lost passport is still valid by the time of its disappearance? You would then need to have it replaced. To do this, you need to submit in person the Form DS-64 along with form DS-11, which is the application form for replacement passports to your nearest U.S. passport agency or acceptance facility.

Take note that once your passport has been reported lost, that passport will be invalidated. It means that that passport is no longer an official document, and can therefore no longer be used for travel. Also, once invalidated, you cannot request the passport to be re-validated. You would thus need to apply for a new passport.

What if you recover your passport after you’ve reported it was stolen? You will be required to send this to the US Department of State’s Passport Services office. You can request this passport returned to you, otherwise, it will be destroyed by the office.

When applying for a replacement passport, the acceptance facility will require you to submit your application in person. And since you have to travel to the agency’s office, it is highly advised that you check your documents before you even go there. This would save you the hassle of going back and forth until you are finally complete all the requirements.

Now that you know how to replace a lost or stolen USA passport, let’s sum things up a bit to wrap everything up. First, you need to report the loss of your passport renewal immediately. You can either fill in the DS-64 form, call a toll-free number, or the nearest Consulate or Embassy, depending on your case. Once you’ve reported your loss, that’s only the time you can request for a replacement passport.