When a trip is coming up or actually happening, there is nothing
worse than the realization that your passport has been stolen or is
lost. It is bad enough when the trip has not yet started, but is right
around the corner. It is even worse when someone is in a foreign country
and has no documentation to prove that they are indeed a US citizen. It
is times like this that call for expedited lost or stolen passport
services.
If a passport is lost or stolen, how the situation is
handled depends on where the traveler is. If the person is still on U.S.
soil, everything can be handled rather quickly and without great
expense. If the traveler has already gone abroad, everything changes,
but it can still be taken care of. As long as you know what to do, there
is no need to panic.
From the moment the passport is discovered
to be missing, it is important that the passport holder jumps right into
action. A phone call to the State Department should be the first move
to make them aware the passport has indeed been lost or stolen. They can
then do what they have to on their end to make sure that it is not used
for illegal purposes.
In order to get a hold of the State
Department, the passport holder must call their toll free number
(877-487-2778) and report what happened. After they have done that, they
can go to the website and download the DS-64 form. This is the form
that must be filled out in order to get a replacement passport.
The
DS-64 form will have to completed and turned in along with a new
passport application. The process itself is the same as the process to
get a new or replacement passport from this point forward and all fees
are also the same. As long all forms are filled out properly, the time
frame to get the new passport should be the same as if they were getting
one for the first time.
Realizing that a passport can be lost or
stolen at an inopportune time, there are passport expediting services
that can be used to make everything happen quicker. Just like the
expedited services for a new passport, lost or stolen service cost $60
to have it back in about three weeks. If that does not make things
better, there are quicker services that are available for a higher fee.
If
the person is already abroad, the process changes just a bit. The
citizen will have to go the local US Embassy or Consulate and let them
know what happened. If they have copies of all of their documents, they
should bring them with them. At this point, the representative will let
them know what has to happen and guide them through the process.
Nobody wants to ever think of losing their passport at the wrong time, but it is nice to know that you can get an expedited lost passport replacement. Many passport expediting
services are available if you need them. This situation can be quite
stressful, but as long as the passport owner knows what to do,
everything can be taken care of rather quickly. Be prepared and keep
copies of everything and know contact numbers before the trip ever
happens and everything will be fine.
