What To Do If You Lose Your Passport In China

Feb 10, 2019

When you're living or traveling abroad, mishaps can occur and your passport may be lost or stolen. To help prepare yourself in case this happens, here is what you need to know if you lose your passport while living in China.

1. Report Your Lost Passport Immediately

You should to report your lost passport to the local authorities, especially if it was stolen and not just misplaced. Filing a police report will help confirm that your passport was stolen. In China you will receive a “Receipt of Report” from the local authorities.

2. Contact Your Embassy or Consulate Immediately

You need to also report your lost passport to the nearest embassy or consulate.

3. Take A New Passport Photo

If you lose your passport, you should take a new passport photo. Having a replacement photo will help speed up the process of replacing your passport. You will need a recent color head shot taken in the last six months, and you must be facing the camera. It must be 2 inches wide and two inches tall.

4. Complete the New Passport Application and Statement Confirming Your Lost or Stolen Passport

When you go to the embassy to complete these forms, you need to bring several things with you:

The Passport Replacement fee
Proof of your identity like a driver’s license
Proof of your citizenship like a birth certificate or copy of your missing passport
Your travel itinerary
The Police Report you filed with local authorities

In China you will also need to obtain a Confirmation of Reporting the Loss of Passport from the Local Exit and Entry Administration Department. After you receive this, you must apply for a new passport within 30 days.

5. Apply for a new Chinese Visa

Because foreigners are required to have a visa, you will need to apply for a new Chinese Visa or residence permit from the Exit and Entry Administration Division as well. It might take five working days to process.

6. Wait for your Replacement Passport

Losing a passport can be quite frustrating and inconvenient, but if it happens don’t worry. There’s a way you can replace it and be back to traveling in no time.

When traveling in China, it’s important to protect your important documents and stay safe!