Losing your passport at the airport can be a nightmare – but what should you do if it happens to you? I asked a range of travel experts for their advice on lost passport procedures
Passports are an essential part of travelling abroad(Image: Chris Cook via Getty Images)
We’ve all experienced it – you’re relaxing in the airport departures lounge before boarding your flight, and you feel compelled to check your bag for your passport despite having already done this a million times. This vital travel document is the only thing that will allow you to board your international flight and enter the country awaiting you at your destination.
I recently flew to Stockholm, choosing hand luggage only to cut costs, and I noticed that nobody asks for your passport until you’re literally at the gate preparing to board. What happens if you reach into your bag and discover your passport has vanished?
And how far can you actually go without one?
To discover once and for all what the actual procedure is for missing passports at the airport, I decided to consult a range of travel experts – and they all agreed that one crucial step should be undertaken first.
Becky Theriault, Scandinavia travel specialist at The Luxury Holiday Company, advises that you should always retrace your steps before assuming the worst.
She explained: “Passports are often misplaced rather than permanently lost, so it’s worth carefully retracing your route through the airport. Common places documents are left behind include security trays, airport lounges, restaurants, shops and gate seating areas.
“Many airports also have dedicated lost property teams, while security staff and airline representatives may be able to help locate a passport if it has been handed in. The sooner the relevant teams are notified, the greater the chance of recovering the passport before departure.
“One of the biggest misconceptions travellers have is that losing a passport at the airport automatically means their holiday is over. In reality, a misplaced passport and a permanently lost passport are very different situations, and the outcome will depend on how quickly the issue is identified and reported.”
Retracing your steps throughout the airport is the single most crucial action you can take if this happens to you, and in most cases, a fellow passenger will have already handed it in.
If you have done this and still had no joy, your next port of call should be your airline.
Harry Deacon, a travel expert at esim company Holafly, explained: “If you cannot recover your missing passport, you must go to the airline’s check-in counter or gate desk as well as to airport security or the police.
“Most airports have a substation of their respective national police on-site; for an official report for travel needs to continue, you will usually be required to obtain one from a security official or police officer.”
Is it possible to board a flight without a passport?
If you’ve searched the airport and notified the airline about your predicament, you may be wondering what your options are — can you actually board the aircraft, even if you’ve already checked in online?
In short, the answer is usually no — though there are occasional exceptions. Richard Young, travel expert and owner of selfcatering.co.uk, has shed light on why checking in simply isn’t sufficient.
He said: “Checking in doesn’t remove the requirement to have the correct physical travel document when you board. The airline can check your passport again at the gate and, if you cannot produce the document required for your destination, you will normally be refused boarding.
“There are exceptions though, on a UK domestic flight, a passport is not necessarily required at all so best to check with the airline first.”
How to report a lost passport
If you genuinely believe your passport is gone for good, it must be declared as lost. Alex Trimis, CEO and co-founder of Welcome Pickups, said: “Once a UK passport is reported lost, it is cancelled and cannot be used for travel, so don’t rush this decision. However, it is advised to cancel a lost or stolen passport as soon as you’re sure it’s definitely lost to reduce the risk of anyone using your passport or identity.”
You can declare a passport lost or stolen via the government website, for which you’ll require a phone number. You can report it yourself, or alternatively, somebody else can do it on your behalf.
One measure that could simplify things is having a copy of your passport accessible at all times, whether that’s a scan or a photograph stored on your phone.
LP Maurice, travel expert and CEO of Busbud, said: “When travelling, I always advise keeping a copy of your passport somewhere separate from the original. It can also be useful to have a secure digital copy. A copy will not replace the passport at the airport, but it can help confirm your identity if something goes wrong. Losing a passport can mean changing your plans or missing a flight, but acting quickly, speaking to the right people and having copies of your important documents can make a difficult situation much easier to manage.”
