Checked 6 Nov 2026 on government pagesLeer en español

Lost your US passport abroad? Here’s the fastest way home.

Report it with Form DS-64, then apply in person at a US embassy or consulate on Form DS-11. If you need to travel before a full passport can arrive, ask for a limited-validity emergency passport, valid for up to a year.

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Step by step

What US citizens do, in order

  1. Report itReport the passport lost or stolen with the State Department’s online form (DS-64). It is cancelled within one business day and you get a confirmation email. You can also report it when you apply at the embassy.
  2. Get a police report if it was stolenIt is not required, but bring a copy if you filed one: the embassy asks for it with your application.
  3. Apply in personGo to a US embassy or consulate with Form DS-11, a passport photo, photo ID and proof of US citizenship. A photocopy of the lost passport or a birth certificate helps. Add where and when you lost it on the form.
  4. Ask for an emergency passport if you fly soonWhen a regular passport can’t reach you in time, the consular section can issue a limited-validity emergency passport, valid for up to one year. Swap it for a full passport once you’re home.

What it costs. Regular passport fees apply. If you’re the victim of a serious crime or a disaster and can’t pay, you may qualify for a free limited-validity passport, and the embassy can explain how family can send you money.

Watch out. Once you report your passport lost or stolen, it can’t be used for international travel again, even if you find it.

171 countries

Find your US mission, country by country

Each page lists every US embassy and consulate there, and the nearest one to each airport. Not listed? Find a US embassy or consulate ↗

Sources

Government pages we read

Questions

Questions people ask

What do I do first if I lose my US passport abroad?

Report the passport lost or stolen with the State Department’s online form (DS-64). It is cancelled within one business day and you get a confirmation email. You can also report it when you apply at the embassy.

How much does it cost?

Regular passport fees apply. If you’re the victim of a serious crime or a disaster and can’t pay, you may qualify for a free limited-validity passport, and the embassy can explain how family can send you money.

Can I use my passport if I find it after reporting it?

Once you report your passport lost or stolen, it can’t be used for international travel again, even if you find it.

Can Num get me a new passport?

No. NUM is not a government agency; only your government issues passports. Num finds your nearest mission, lines up the documents and helps you rearrange your trip.

NUM is not a government agency and does not issue passports or travel documents. Only your government can, and its fees are paid to it directly. Embassy and consulate locations come from the governments’ own office lists where we have them, and from public data (Wikidata, Wikipedia’s lists of diplomatic missions, the UK Foreign Office’s list of posts, and © OpenStreetMap contributors under the ODbL); confirm opening hours and appointments on the mission’s own site. Steps checked on government pages, 6 Nov 2026.