Lost Your Indian Passport Abroad? Police, Mission and Next Steps

1. Report it first.

Passport Seva's FAQ says loss abroad should be reported immediately to the nearest police station and to the Indian Mission/Post (or Passport Office). Get the police report in writing. You will need the original later.

2. Find your Indian mission.

The Ministry of External Affairs lists every Indian Mission and Post by country, and publishes a table of grievance phone numbers and emails for each one. Save the one for your destination before you fly.

3. Work out which document you need.

These are different things.

• An Emergency Certificate (EC) is a one-way travel document to get you back to India. Passport Seva says an EC is generally issued after the mission verifies nationality and particulars.

• A new passport is applied for under "re-issue" with the reason lost/damaged. Passport Seva says duplicate passports are not issued: you get a new passport with a different number and fresh validity.

Which route applies depends on whether you must return urgently, whether you live abroad, and what the mission decides. The Washington DC mission page says the consular officer's decision on an EC is final.

4. If you have returned to India on an EC:

Passport Seva answers this specific scenario with the following re-issue document list: proof of present address, proof of date of birth, the affidavit stating how and where the passport was lost (Annexure F), the original police report, self-attested copies of the first two and last two pages of the old passport if you have them, and the original EC or seizure memo. A photocopy is not mandatory if you lack one, but you will need the old passport number, issue date, expiry date and place of issue. Missions can help if you do not have them.

5. Mission rules differ.

For its own EC eligibility and application rules only, the Indian Embassy in Washington DC's EC page lists an online application, a nationality verification form, photographs, residence proof and a police report no older than two years. This is not a general EC entitlement for every lost passport. Check your own mission's eligibility, current document list, fees and timing. Do not assume the US list applies elsewhere.

Before you travel: keep a photo of the passport photo page and a note of number, issue and expiry date somewhere that is not your passport bag.

Passport renewal steps in India cover a different situation. Check the mission before rebooking your trip.

Official sources

Passport Seva: lost and damaged passports | MEA: Indian missions abroad | MEA: mission grievance contacts | Washington DC mission: EC example only

Quick questions

Who do I tell first? The local police and the Indian Mission/Post, immediately.

Can I get a duplicate passport? No. Passport Seva issues a new passport with a different number and fresh validity under re-issue.

What is an Emergency Certificate? A one-way travel document, generally issued after the mission verifies nationality and particulars.

What if I have no copy of the old passport? A photocopy is not mandatory, but you need number, issue date, expiry date and place of issue. Contact the mission if you do not have them.

Is the police report needed? In its returned-to-India-on-EC scenario, Passport Seva lists the original police report for re-issue. Missions may set their own rules for EC (the Washington DC page asks for a report no more than two years old).

How long does an EC take? It depends on the mission and on whether nationality can be confirmed locally. Ask your own mission for its current estimate; there is no universal time stated here.