What to do if you lost your international passport

Losses happen to everyone. But what to do if it happened to you? 

In the Kupi.com Blog, we tell you what to do if you lost your international passport, and how to restore it so that no questions arise. 

Can it be restored

The migration service of Russia explains how to restore an international passport. However, it cannot be “restored” in the true sense — only a new one can be issued following the standard procedure: you prepare all documents, submit them to the migration service, pay the fee, wait, and receive a new international passport.

No additional fines or fees are charged for a new international passport.

What to do if you lost it in Russia

If you lost your international passport, the first thing you need to do is report it to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. You can submit an application via this link on the Gosuslugi portal. In the application, specify:

— Full name or full name of the child whose passport was lost;
— date and place of birth;
— place of residence;
— date, place, and circumstances of passport loss;
— known passport data.

Why you need to report to the police

Storing an international passport is the responsibility of a Russian Federation citizen. Its loss is a failure to fulfill this duty. Even theft is not a basis for releasing you from responsibility. Unfortunately, there is a fine for losing an international passport:
— from 100 to 300 rubles if you contacted the police immediately;
— from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles if you contacted them a week or more later.

Furthermore, illegal schemes, such as taking out a loan, could be carried out with your passport. Therefore, in case of loss, it is necessary to contact the police immediately. 

Within one week after submitting the application, your international passport becomes invalid. After that, you can apply for a new one. 

 How to apply for a new international passport in Russia

It's easy to order a new passport on Gosuslugi. You need to:

1. Fill out the application.
2. Choose the Ministry of Internal Affairs department where you will receive the document.
3. Pay the state duty: 5,000 rubles for a ten-year passport and 2,000 rubles for a five-year passport. 
4. Go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, provide original documents. In our blog, you can find out more about what documents are required for an international passport.
5. Take a photo and submit fingerprints.
6.  Wait for the international passport to be issued, from one to three months. It all depends on where you submitted the application. 
7. Pick up the ready passport. 

By the way, when processing documents, be sure to check the transliteration in your international passport, i.e., how your first and last names are written in Latin characters. This will help avoid errors when booking airline tickets. 

If you are afraid of losing the “main traveler's document” and want to avoid trouble abroad, you can get an additional one. We explain in the blog whether it's possible to have two international passports (spoiler: yes, it is). 

What to do if you lost it abroad

Unfortunately, the procedure for restoring an international passport abroad is much more complicated than at home. Here is an instruction from the Gosuslugi website:

1.  Block your bank cards.
2. Contact the nearest police station with a statement about the loss of documents. You will be issued a certificate, which will be needed to obtain a temporary document — a certificate for returning to the Russian Federation.
3. Make an appointment at the diplomatic mission or consular office of the Russian Federation in the host country and submit an application for a certificate. The electronic form can be filled out in advance on the website of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: study the regulations, check the box for familiarization, and then click the “New application” button at the top of the page.

At the embassy, you will need to fill out an application. Take with you: 

• photo 3.5×4.5 cm;
• Russian Federation passport;
• statements from two witnesses confirming your identity;
• other documents, which depend on the complexity of the situation. Here is a detailed list of documents that may be required. 

After this, you will be issued a certificate free of charge, with which you can return to your homeland. The processing time is two days, but sometimes it can be longer: up to 10–12 days if you have not provided all documents or if you have refugee status.

So, if you are a tourist and lost your international passport abroad, all that remains is to return home and apply for a new one. 

By the way, with the certificate of return, you can safely stay abroad for another 14 days. After that, you need to enter Russia and, within three days, submit it to the FMS department to get a new international passport. But if you really want to continue your journey, find out the full list of countries you can visit without an international passport.

Losing an international passport is not scary — not being prepared for it is. But don't worry, you will definitely handle everything. Forward, to adventures!