I lost My Passport While on Holiday: What Do I Do?
Whilst enjoying the many pleasures of travel, it can be easy to forget to keep an eye on your most important belongings: your wallet, bank and credit cards, tickets, as well as passport fall into this 'essential' category.
The importance of one's passport is often only felt when it does go missing, as I discovered recently while travelling in Thailand. I was staying at a hotel in a seaside resort and moved on to Bangkok for a night, before travelling on to Kanchanaburi – of Bridge on the River Kwai fame.
It was in this idyllic riverside locale that I discovered to my horror that my passport was nowhere to be seen. I turned everything out from my baggage and searched every pocket before conceding that it was gone.
But where was it?
It was either in my most recent hotel – at the seaside resort – or I had dropped it. I immediately called the hotel in question, but nobody answered the phone.
At this point I realised how important my passport was (and began to panic a little).
All hotels require your passport number in Thailand, while some want to actually see the document itself and photocopy it. Luckily I was travelling with a friend in Kanchanaburi and his passport number was sufficient to let me stay.
But without him, I could have found myself without accommodation.
Missing Passport? Your Two Options…
And so I quickly entered 'what to do if you lose your UK passport while abroad' into the Internet.
I had two options.
One was to get a new passport, which would take six weeks from the date of the application being received by the UK passport office. But this was no good since my Thai visa expired 14 days hence. The cost incurred would be £84 for a regular passport, plus another £23 for the courier fee – to ensure the passport arrived quickly and in one piece.
The second option was to go to the British embassy in Bangkok and apply for an Emergency Travel Document (ETD). This would cost £95 in local currency. But aside from the money, the real issue for me was that I would be forced to return to the UK prematurely!
And it's an odd feeling when you have no way of identifying yourself – at least, not in such a conclusive way as offered by a passport.
I called the hotel owner at the beach resort again and this time he answered. But he said the lady in charge on the day I stayed was on holiday, but he would try and contact her.
An hour later I called again. To my huge relief, the lady had indeed found my passport. I think she may have taken it to record the number when I checked in and then forgot to give it back.
Erawan Waterfall at Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Money, Tickets, Passport!
But, I reminded myself, I should have checked I had it with me before I left the hotel. Sticking to this checking ritual –‘money, tickets, passport'– should be the holidaymaker's mantra, repeating it myself on this occasion could have saved me a great deal of stress!
I made plans to go and pick it up from the hotel.
Keep a Photocopy
It's prudent to keep a photocopy of your passport in case you lose the real thing; then at least most hotels and guest houses will accept you - and you can provide your passport number if necessary.
Costly Mistake
According to a report on the UK Government website, the number of lost passports resulting in the issuance of an ETD (Emergency Travel Document) increased 300% from 2012 to 2013. Passport replacements cost UK holidaymakers £5m a year.
6,005 ETDs were issued to British holidaymakers by the UK's consulate in Spain from 2012-13, the highest figure of any British diplomatic mission.
Aside from being lost, many ETDs were issued in Spain due to theft and pickpocketing. In Barcelona alone 1,291 ETDs were issued to British holidaymakers in 2012-13.
While such unexpected costs can put a big dent in holiday spending money, the time spent in embassies or organising documentation and photos can also mean less time sightseeing and relaxing.
Passport Security: Top Tips
- Always use hotel/guesthouse lockers to keep your passport safe.
- Remember to check you have your passport before you check out of your accommodation.
- Never give your passport to anyone, as recommended by the UK government.
- Keep a photocopy of your passport.
- It's best to take out travel insurance that covers the price of passport replacement and other related costs such as missed flights etc.
