WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR INDIAN PASSPORT IS LOST ABROAD!

A trip abroad sounds fancy, but before you decide to visit a country abroad, there are a few things you must keep in mind. Getting a travel visa sounds like the toughest part of the plan, but things can get really grey if you get to the country and lose the most important part of documents, your Passport!

Losing a passport can be an extremely nerve-wracking experience. It isn't simply a loss of just another personal document. Passport theft is considered a significant case of identity theft. A stolen passport is often manipulated with someone else's photograph and used for illegal cross-border activities. All the offences will be recorded under the name of the original owner of the passport.

This can be difficult if you lose your passport while travelling in another country where you are unknown with the legal procedures and held back in the country. The documents required for a lost Indian passport are extensive, and getting these together in an unfamiliar land can be troublesome.

If you find out that you have lost your passport and have tried looking for it in all possible places, take action before there is enough time for your passport to be misused.

1. FILE AN FIR IMMEDIATELY-

Without waiting for someone to return your passport or looking for more places, file an FIR with immediate effect. Visit your nearest police station with a photocopy of your passport (or a photograph on your mobile phone) and one valid identity proof.

If you think that a particular person steals your passport, file an FIR against them. If you do not know who stole it, file an FIR against the unidentified title. If it is not stolen, but you think you misplaced it, register a complaint along with the details of the place where you feel you lost it.

If you do not have a copy of your FIR, visit the passport office and request a copy of your passport. You will be required to submit identity proofs like birth certificate, Aadhar card, address proof, etc.

Filing an FIR is crucial to avoid any legal complications if your passport were to be misused.

2. RE-APPLY FOR YOUR PASSPORT-

Once the FIR is filed, apply for another passport online. Visit the webpage called the official passport Seva, register, and fill in the application form for a new passport. Once the application form is filled, verify the information and then submit it. Usually, if all the conditions are fulfilled, a new passport is issued within 30 working days. Although, if you happen to be in a hurry and need a new passport immediately, you can apply for a tatkal passport, where your passport will generally be much faster, within 14 working days. It usually only takes 1-3 days for the issue of a new passport through the tatkal application; however, the charges are higher this way.

3. PAY AND SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT-

Find and click on the 'pay and schedule appointment'. Pay your fees, which (for regular) application is around 1500 rupees, excluding the processing fees. If it is a Tatkal application, the fee will be higher.

Once the fee is paid, select a Passport Seva Kendra or RPO that is the most convenient for you to visit. Choose your preferred date and time to schedule your appointment.

Once this is done, you will now be sent a receipt to download and print out. This receipt is essential as it will contain your application reference number or appointment number.

You can also use the SMS that will be sent to you containing these numbers.

THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR A LOST INDIAN PASSPORT ARE AS FOLLOWS -

Filled application (or the receipt if you filled it online)

Birth certificate or any other proof of birth

An affidavit about the details of how and where you lost it.

Original FIR report

Residential proof

Xerox copy of the first and last two pages of your old passport (If possible)

This whole experience can be even more daunting if the passport is lost while travelling abroad. Like we mentioned earlier, the legal procedures change with every country, and it can take up quite some time if you do not know exactly how to go about it.

4. WHAT TO DO IF THE PASSPORT IS LOST WHILE TRAVELLING ABROAD-

REGISTER A COMPLAINT IN THE NEAREST POLICE STATION- You must register an official police complaint as soon as possible. Then, again, mention the details of where and when you lost it. When you lose your passport while travelling abroad, the embassy usually carries out the recovery process, and the official police complaint is an essential document for the proceedings.

VISIT THE EMBASSY- Find out where the nearest Indian embassy is and visit. It is recommended that you make an appointment in advance and inform them about your case beforehand. Ensure that you have all your identity proofs like Nationality proof and address proof; if you do not have any of these (or if they were lost along with the passport), call anyone back in India and request them to send you a scanned copy of these documents.

If your passport is stolen, make sure you mention that clearly.

Documents required for a lost Indian Passport -

Xerox copy of the front and back pages of the lost passport

Photocopy of the police report that mentions if the passport was stolen or lost.

Passport size photos (4 to 6)

Photocopy of the air tickets that you travelled in and your visa

A written application clarifies your status as a visitor in the country, and you need to return.

Having said that, if you lose your passport in another country other than India, you do not have to wait till the new passport is re-issued in order to come back to India. Once you contact the embassy and they process your complaint and verify your documents, you will be issued an emergency certificate that can be used as a one-time passport for the trip back.

Once you get back to India, apply for the re-issue of your passport according to the procedure mentioned. Make sure to keep a record of all the copies and receipts generated during this process, including your tickets.