What can you do if you lose your passport overseas?
Losing your passport abroad can sound like the stuff of nightmares, but if you find yourself in this situation, you can rest assured there are options available. These include applying for an emergency passport.
Ordinarily, it takes about three weeks to receive a new passport, but the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) says you should allow for up to six weeks. If you’re overseas and need to travel urgently, you can apply for an emergency passport at an Australian embassy or consulate in your current location.
You can only get an emergency passport if you’re travelling overseas, not if you have lost your passport in Australia. As an alternative, if you lose your passport in Australia or London, you may be able to get priority processing, but this can come with a fee.
These are generally the two fastest ways to replace a lost passport, and usually take two to three business days.
What is an emergency passport?
An emergency passport may be issued if your existing passport has been lost, stolen, or damaged while overseas, and your travel is urgent. Unlike regular passports, emergency passports are only valid for up to 12 months and don’t have a chip (meaning they aren’t an ePassport).
Because of this, DFAT notes there are restrictions on using them in some countries. Therefore, it’s important to check the visa requirements of any country you plan to enter or transit through while using an emergency passport.
What do I do if I have lost my Australian passport?
If your passport has been lost overseas and you need to travel urgently, here are the steps you can take:
1. Report it missing
Your first port of call is reporting your passport lost or stolen to the Australian Passport Office. You can do this by contacting your nearest Australian embassy or consulate.
Make sure you’re certain your passport has been lost or stolen, so double-check your luggage, as well as your accommodation. As soon as you make a report, your passport will be cancelled and you won’t be able to use it again, even if you end up finding it later on.
2. If your passport was stolen, report the theft to police
If you suspect your passport has been stolen, report the theft to police and keep a copy of the report. When you apply to replace your passport, you’ll need to provide as much information as possible, including any police reports. The police report may also be needed if you want to claim your passport replacement expenses through your travel insurance policy.
If you’re worried your identity has been stolen or compromised, the Australian Passport Office recommends contacting IDCARE.
3. Apply for an emergency passport
If you’re overseas, you can apply for an emergency passport by contacting your nearest Australian embassy or consulate. If you need help, you can also call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305. You can also apply for a full-validity passport at the same time and receive it when you return home to Australia.
You’ll also need to make an appointment for an interview and lodge your application in person. Check with the Australian embassy or consulate about what documents you’ll need to bring to the interview. Generally, you’ll need to provide:
- A completed application form
- Documents that prove your identity, such as your birth certificate, Australian driver’s licence, and Medicare card
- Documents that prove your Australian citizenship, such as your Australian birth or citizenship certificate
- Two passport photos (with one endorsed on the back by a guarantor).
If you don’t have original documents with you, you may be able to ask the embassy you’re dealing with if a friend or family member can take them to a Passport Agent at a post office in Australia to have them copied, stamped, and faxed through.
You may also need to provide evidence of urgency, such as your airline tickets or a letter from an employer. You’ll also have to pay the fees when you lodge your application. The fee for an emergency passport overseas is $265 at the time of writing. You’ll have to pay an Overseas Surcharge of $189 for adults or $92 for children as well, unless you’re applying for a full-validity passport at the same time.
How long does a replacement passport take?
It usually takes between three to six weeks to get a replacement for a full-validity passport, regardless of where you apply. If you’re getting an emergency passport overseas, several embassy websites state that it’ll usually take two to three business days to receive.
If you lose your passport in Australia or London and get priority processing, DFAT says your passport will be ready for mailing or collection in two business days.
In other circumstances, DFAT says passports are only issued in less than two business days in Australia if there’s a “compassionate or compelling reason, such as the death or serious illness of an immediate family member or an unexpected need for urgent business travel.”
How much does it cost to replace a lost Australian passport?
The following fees apply, as of 1 January 2026:
- Passport with 10-year validity: $422 for persons aged 16 and over
- Passport with 5-year validity: $213 for children under 16 and persons 75 and over
- Emergency passport overseas or a replacement passport: $265
- Overseas surcharge: $189 for an adult passport and $92 for a child passport
- Priority processing: $308
If you’re getting a passport while overseas, the Australian Passport Office says you’ll usually have to pay an equivalent amount in the local currency when you lodge your application. You can usually pay by EFTPOS or credit card. Visit the Australian Passport Office website for the latest fees.
Does travel insurance cover a lost, stolen, or damaged passport?
Some travel insurance policies cover your passport if it’s lost, stolen, or damaged. Depending on the policy you choose, you may also be covered for the cost of replacing your passport and additional expenses you incur as a result, such as reasonable extra accommodation, food, and travel expenses.
Contact your provider directly or read your policy’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to see whether cover is available and any travel insurance exclusions. It’s also worth checking what claim limits apply and whether you’ll need to pay an excess when you make a claim.
Be prepared for a lost passport
Losing or having your passport stolen can happen to anyone, no matter how careful you are. But by being prepared, you could potentially make the process of getting a new passport a bit easier for yourself. Here are some steps you could take before you leave home:
- Have a copy of your passport certified by a notary public: You’ll need your passport details if you report it missing or stolen. You may want to take a photo of your passport and keep it on your phone, or write down your passport number. You can use notarial services to legalise copies of ID documents, such as with an Apostille, either in Australia or overseas, with more information available on the Australian Government’s Smartraveller website.
- Have identification at hand: You may want to have forms of identification with you, such as your driver’s licence and Medicare card, and certified or notarised copies of them, depending on where you’re going. But make sure you keep them secure.
- Make a plan to access your birth or citizenship certificate: It’s not a good idea to travel with the original copies of your birth or citizenship certificate. Instead, make sure you know where your original copies are located at home so you can get a trusted family member or friend to access them if needed. It can also be a good idea to get a notarised copy.
Having an idea of where your nearest embassy or consulate is while travelling overseas is often recommended. If you’re visiting some Scandinavian countries, for example, the Australian Embassy in Denmark provides passport, notarial, and consular services for Australians in Norway and Iceland as well.
