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.
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