Lost or stolen passport? Some useful information so as not to spoil your holidays!

Lost or stolen passport? Some useful information so as not to spoil your holidays!

Lost or stolen passport Some useful information so as not to spoil your holidays! The passport is an essential document for any trip abroad. It is therefore important to take a few precautions before and during your trip to avoid losing it or having it stolen.

 

Tips and recommendations for securing your passport

 

Forewarned is forearmed ! Before going abroad, do not hesitate to make copies of the identification page of your passport and leave a copy with relatives. You can also take another copy with you on your trip and keep it separate from your passport.

 

Scanning this document and sending it to your email account is also a great help in the event of theft or loss of it. This way, you can access it anytime and anywhere. You can also bring with you passport photos less than six months old, in color, in the format of 3.5 x 4.5 cm. You must appear face on, bareheaded, against a light background. If possible, keep a copy of your birth certificate or any other document that could prove your nationality with you.

 

During your stay abroad, it is important to be careful and under no circumstances should you leave your passport in your empty hotel room or expose it to avoid attracting the attention of thieves. It is wiser to make it inaccessible and invisible by depositing it in the safe of the establishment with your valuables such as jewelry, cash or high-tech devices.

 

It is also a good idea not to leave your passport with your money in your wallet, for example. Travel accessories, such as belts with pockets, hide it easily. There are even waterproof pockets that keep it dry while swimming!

 

I lost my passport before my departure, what should I do?

 

The loss of your passport before your departure will affect your trip, because you need this document to cross borders outside the Schengen area. In the event of theft , you must make a declaration of theft to the police station or to the gendarmerie station of your residence. You can then file a passport application at the town hall (if it has a biometric station) or at a branch of the Prefecture of Police if you live in Paris. You must count around 86 € of costs and bring you proof of address, 2 passport photos that meet the standards as well as the declaration of theft.

 

If you have lost your passport , it is necessary to submit a declaration of loss to the town hall or to the administrative police if you live in Paris. The procedure to be carried out as well as the documents to be provided are the same as for the stolen passport. The only difference is that you must file a loss report instead of a theft report. Similarly, if the document has already expired, you have the obligation to prove your nationality by presenting a secure identity card, a birth certificate issued recently or proof of French nationality.

 

The emergency passport

 

In extreme cases such as an unavoidable business trip, the death of a relative or a serious illness, it is possible to request the issuance of an emergency temporary passport . This remains valid for 1 year and does not have a chip (it is only optically readable), unlike biometric passports.

 

The holder in person must file his request with the prefecture or the Paris police headquarters if he resides in the capital. In addition to a form to be completed on site, he must also pay tax stamps worth €30 and bring 2 passport photos and proof of address. The production of a document explaining the urgency of the trip is essential to obtain the agreement of the authorities. The passport will be issued within a very short time, generally 48 hours. However, if you plan to go to the United States, you will also need a visa, as emergency passports are not visa-exempt for the USA.

 

Loss of passport during the stay: the actions to be taken

 

Whether it is the loss or theft of your passport during your stay abroad , you must make a declaration to the local authorities, in particular the police. It is advisable to ask the French consulate or the French embassy to guide you through these steps. The theft declaration receipt is an important document for obtaining a new passport.

 

Once your declaration of loss or theft has been recorded at the consulate, the consular service will guide you through the steps to follow to obtain a new passport. If necessary, the consulate is able to make you a laissez-passer to allow you to return to France. It can even issue an emergency passport if you still need to travel to another country.

 

In summary

 

To save yourself the often tedious process of replacing a stolen or lost passport, it is important to follow a few basic rules of caution. If despite these advices, you have misplaced this document, it is necessary to declare it quickly to the police, whether in France or abroad. Do not hesitate to ask for assistance from the consulate if you find yourself outside France.

 

Do you have any other tips for our readers? Feel free to share them in the comments of this article.