Lost Your Passport? Here’s How to Get a New One Quickly

We’ve broken down the stressful process with the steps to take, forms to fill out, and other important reminders.

Always have a photo or photocopy of your passport

It’s a smart move to make a copy of your passport (or snap a photo on your phone) and keep it separate from your passport book. It’s not possible to travel using a photocopy (or just your passport number if you have it memorized), but this information can help expedite the passport process for embassy officials if you’re overseas.

You won’t be able to use your original passport if you find it

If you find your original passport but it has already been canceled, it is no longer valid.

Your replacement passport is valid for 10 years—with some exceptions

When your new passport arrives, it should be valid for the standard 10 years unless you have lost your passport once before. In that case, your new one will only be valid for a year—and you won’t be eligible for a full-validity passport for another 10 years (assuming you don’t lose it again in that time period). That means you’ll have to reapply every year for 10 years—good incentive to keep your passport somewhere safe. If you were issued an emergency passport overseas, this may also be limited in validity. This means that within six months, you will have to apply for a new passport again and pay additional passport renewal fees ($130), but that new passport will be valid for the standard 10 years.

You can use your travel insurance to cover the cost of replacing your lost passport

Travel insurance can help cover the associated cost of getting a replacement passport (including flight change fees), but before you fork over for insurance, check to see if the credit card you used to pay for the trip includes similar benefits to reimburse any expenses.

If you have two valid U.S. passports, you can use the second one to get home

If you have two valid U.S. passports (yes, it’s possible to get a second passport), you will still need to apply for a new one to get home if you are traveling with only one. If you have both with you, then you can use the second one to get home. If you lose your passport in the United States, you can still use your other passport to travel while you apply for a replacement, because it has a different number.

You don’t need to reapply for Global Entry, but you do need to update your information

If you have Global Entry membership that was tied to your lost passport, you don’t need to reapply for the trusted traveler program. But once you have your new passport, you’ll need to log into the trusted traveler program website and enter your new passport number. The same is true with the Mobile Passport app, which will also require your new passport number.

Ramsey Qubein is a freelance travel journalist covering hotels, cruises, airlines, and loyalty programs from around the globe.