Easily Report and Replace a Lost Or Stolen Passport

An individual must bring a passport when travelingindividual should ask the hotel staff for the
outside of the United States. This documentinformation. To be the most proactive, passbook
serves as proof of identity for every Unitedholders should do their research, print this
States citizen and travel beyond the U.S. bordersinformation prior to leaving for the trip, and pack
cannot be done without it. A lost or stolenit with the other travel documents.
passport while traveling will prevent the passbookWhen a passbook is recorded as missing, it will be
holder from being readmitted to the U.S.invalidated immediately and will not be permissible
Therefore, everyone should know how to replacefor travel. If the passbook is later located, it must
the document in order to act quickly in such anbe turned in to the U.S. State Department for
emergency situation.handling. The agency will cancel the document and
When the passbook is misplaced, the holderprovide it to the passbook holder if requested.
should notify the government without delay.The cancelled document will not be valid for
There have been situations where a passportinternational travel, so the holder should make
was taken and the thief tried to quickly use it insure it is lost before it is reported as such.
order to travel. Quick reporting on the part of theA new passbook must be obtained in person with
passbook holder will prevent this from happening.the Passport Agency or Acceptance Facility. The
Reporting can be done via the telephone or byholder will need to re-apply as if this were the
completing and submitting the government DS-64first time the passport was being obtained. The
report. If the person is traveling outside of thereport of lost or stolen passport will also need to
U.S. when the incident occurs, the local U.S.be supplied to the government. The applicant will
consulate or embassy should be informed.receive a new passport within four to six weeks
Those who have lost their passbook whileof submitting the application and supporting
traveling will find it a bit more difficult to replace.documentation.
The individual should make copies of the passbookIf the passbook is lost immediately before
prior to traveling and stash these in a carry on,traveling, this presents a complication. Many
checked baggage, or a wallet. A person can alsotravelers will not be able to wait up to six weeks
obtain a certain type of insurance that will coverfor regular government processing of the
the replacement cost of the passbook.documents. They may then opt for expedited
The individual will need to show up in person inprocessing services that will result in a new
order to replace the passbook when travelingpassport within two or three weeks. If this still is
overseas. A directory of U.S. consulates andnot quick enough, the individual may retain the
embassies that will handle this situation can beservices of a private company that will rush
found on the Internet. Since Web access may notprocessing for an additional fee.
be easy to obtain during foreign travel, the