Quick answer

Report the loss or theft immediately. Under the New Philippine Passport Act, Republic Act No. 11983, you must notify the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)—or the nearest Philippine embassy or consulate if you are abroad—by submitting an affidavit that explains in detail how the passport was lost, stolen, or destroyed.

If you are in the Philippines, obtain a police report, prepare a notarized Affidavit of Loss, and apply personally for a replacement through the official DFA Passport Appointment System. If you are abroad, report the incident to the local police and immediately contact the Philippine embassy or consulate responsible for your location.

Do not use the old passport if it is later found after being reported. Turn it over to the DFA or the Philippine foreign service post.

What to do immediately

1. Make sure the passport is truly missing

Check your bags, accommodation safe, vehicle, recent establishments, and lost-and-found offices. Ask family members or travel companions whether they moved it.

Do not delay the official report merely because the passport might eventually turn up. The law requires the loss to be reported immediately, particularly because a valid passport can be misused.

2. Record the important facts

Write down the following while events are still fresh:

When and where you last saw the passport
When and how you discovered it was missing
Whether a wallet, bag, phone, money, or other identification was also taken
The passport number, issue date, expiry date, and issuing office, if known
Names and contact details of witnesses
Details of any search you made
Relevant CCTV locations, transport receipts, booking records, or messages

These details should be consistent across the police report, Affidavit of Loss, and passport application.

3. Report theft or suspected theft to the police

If the passport was stolen, snatched, taken during a burglary, or disappeared under suspicious circumstances, report it promptly to the police with jurisdiction over the place where it happened.

Ask for an official police report or certified incident report. If the report was issued abroad in another language, ask the Philippine embassy or consulate whether it requires an English translation and how that translation must be certified.

Even when the passport was simply misplaced, current DFA replacement checklists commonly require a police report for a lost valid passport. Requirements for an expired passport can differ by office, so obtaining a police report is the safer course unless the DFA office expressly confirms that it is unnecessary.

4. Notify the DFA or Philippine embassy or consulate

Section 15 of RA 11983 requires a detailed affidavit to be submitted to:

The DFA, if you are in the Philippines; or
A Philippine Foreign Service Post—an embassy or consulate—if you are abroad.

An email or telephone call is useful for urgent coordination, but it may not by itself complete the legally required report. Ask the responsible office how and when to submit the affidavit and supporting documents.

Use the official DFA directory of consular offices and foreign service posts, particularly when several Philippine posts operate in the same country.

What the Affidavit of Loss should contain

The affidavit should truthfully state:

Your complete name and identifying details
The passport number and dates, if known
Whether the passport was valid or expired
The date, place, and detailed circumstances of the loss or theft
When and where the incident was reported to the police
The efforts made to locate the passport
Whether visas, residence permits, or other documents were inside or attached
Your request for the loss to be recorded and, if applicable, for a replacement document

The affidavit is ordinarily notarized. Abroad, ask the Philippine embassy or consulate whether it can administer the oath or whether it will accept a document notarized under local rules. Some posts provide their own form, such as this official DFA Affidavit of Loss template.

Do not guess missing information or change the story to make processing appear easier. Knowingly making a false statement in an affidavit declaring a passport lost or destroyed is a criminal offense under Section 22 of RA 11983.

Replacing a passport in the Philippines

Book the correct appointment

Apply only through the official DFA appointment portal. Select the appropriate lost-passport or new-application transaction indicated by the system or the chosen consular office.

Appointments are free. Do not buy appointment slots or pay a fixer. RA 11983 criminalizes selling appointments and offering passport-processing assistance for profit without authority.

Personal appearance remains necessary for identity checking and biometric capture. Eligibility for a courtesy or special lane does not automatically waive the documents or security verification required for a lost passport.

Prepare the usual documents

The precise checklist depends on the applicant’s records and the office handling the application. An adult applicant should generally prepare:

Confirmed appointment and printed application packet
Accomplished passport application form
Original and photocopy of the police report
Original and photocopy of the notarized Affidavit of Loss
Photocopy or digital copy of the lost passport’s data page, if available
PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth or Report of Birth, particularly if no passport copy is available
Original and photocopy of an accepted, consistent government-issued ID
PSA-issued Certificate or Report of Marriage if the applicant uses a spouse’s surname
Citizenship documents, when applicable, for a naturalized Filipino, a person who elected Philippine citizenship, or a person who retained or reacquired citizenship under RA 9225
Any additional identity, citizenship, or civil-registry document requested because of a discrepancy

The DFA may treat the transaction similarly to a new application when the passport cannot be produced or its records cannot be adequately established. Names and other biographical information should be consistent with the applicant’s PSA records and valid IDs.

Expect additional verification

DFA posts currently state that replacement of a lost valid passport is subject to a 15-day clearing period before processing. This security period is separate from passport production, delivery, and any ordinary processing estimate. An official example appears in the Philippine Consulate General in Nagoya’s lost-passport requirements.

Confirm the calculation and any emergency procedure directly with the office handling the application. A lost expired passport may be handled differently, and an overseas post may have its own verification and mailing timetable.

Check the amount before paying

Fees depend on the application site, processing option, passport type, and replacement service. The DFA’s domestic e-payment information presently lists ₱950 for regular processing and ₱1,200 for expedited processing, plus the payment-channel convenience fee, but a lost-passport replacement may involve an additional charge.

Use the amount generated by the official appointment system or confirmed by the DFA office. Overseas posts charge in local currency and publish separate fee schedules. Keep every official receipt.

The DFA itself advises applicants not to buy outbound tickets until the passport is physically in their possession.

If the passport was lost or stolen abroad

Contact the nearest Philippine post immediately

Tell the embassy or consulate:

Your present location and contact number
Whether you are safe
Whether the passport was valid
Your scheduled travel date and destination
Whether you need to continue traveling or return directly to the Philippines
Whether your visa, residence permit, or work authorization was also lost

Follow that post’s specific appointment, photograph, translation, payment, and mailing instructions. Official overseas checklists commonly require personal appearance, a police report, a notarized affidavit, proof of Philippine citizenship and identity, and a copy of the missing passport if available. For example, the Philippine Embassy in Washington’s lost-passport guidance identifies these core requirements while reserving the right to ask for additional documents.

Ask which travel document fits your situation

RA 11983 provides two emergency options:

Emergency Passport: For a Filipino who lost a passport while traveling overseas and has a justified need to complete intended overseas travel before returning to the Philippines or to the person’s overseas residence. It is valid for one year from issuance.
Emergency Travel Certificate: For a Filipino returning to the Philippines after losing a passport abroad or who cannot be issued a regular passport. Its validity may range from 30 days to six months.

These are not interchangeable. An Emergency Travel Certificate is generally intended for the return journey described by the issuing post, not open-ended international travel. The embassy or consulate must evaluate the facts and supporting documents.

Before traveling, confirm acceptance with the airline and with every destination or transit country. A travel document issued by the Philippines does not override another country’s visa, entry, or transit rules.

Deal separately with visas and residence permits

A replacement Philippine passport does not automatically reproduce a lost visa, entry stamp, residence card, or work permit. Contact the immigration or visa authority that issued each document.

Preserve copies of:

The lost passport and visa pages
Police and consular reports
Arrival records or boarding passes
Residence or work permits
Employment documents
Appointment confirmations and official receipts

If your lawful stay is about to expire, contact the host country’s immigration authority immediately. Philippine consular assistance does not extend a foreign visa or legalize an overstay.

Requirements for a child’s lost passport

The child must generally appear personally with the parent, legal guardian, or properly authorized adult. Prepare:

The child’s PSA-issued Certificate of Live Birth or Report of Birth
Police report and notarized Affidavit of Loss signed by the proper parent, guardian, or authorized person
Copy of the lost passport, if available
Valid passport or competent ID of the accompanying parent or adult
Proof of parental relationship or legal guardianship
A Special Power of Attorney when a person other than a parent or legal guardian files or accompanies the application
Additional documents required by the DFA for the child’s family circumstances

Under RA 11983, either parent may file a minor’s application. If someone other than a parent files it, an SPA executed by the person exercising parental authority is required. Guardianship, adoption, deceased-parent, and custody situations can require different documents, so obtain a case-specific checklist before the appointment.

If the passport is later found

Once a passport has been reported lost, do not assume it is valid merely because you recovered it.

Section 15 of RA 11983 requires a recovered passport to be turned over to the DFA. If physical turnover is not feasible, submit an affidavit stating where it is and who possesses it. Do not try to travel with it or test whether an airline or immigration scanner will accept it.

If another person is withholding the passport

A passport that is being held by an employer, recruiter, lender, partner, or other identified person should not be falsely described as having disappeared.

A Philippine passport remains government property. Under Sections 13 and 22 of RA 11983, a person or entity without legal authority who confiscates, retains, or withholds it may face imprisonment of 12 years and one day to 20 years and a fine of ₱1 million to ₱2 million. A government agency that takes possession of a passport must promptly turn it over to the DFA.

Document the demand for its return and contact the DFA, police, Philippine embassy or consulate, or—when employment abroad is involved—the Migrant Workers Office or Department of Migrant Workers. Seek urgent assistance if threats, trafficking, forced labor, detention, or domestic violence are involved.

Evidence to preserve

Keep secure copies of:

Passport data page and visa pages
Police report and incident number
Affidavit of Loss and notarization details
DFA or consular acknowledgment
Appointment packet and payment receipts
Travel itinerary and proof of emergency
Communications with hotels, airlines, employers, police, and immigration offices
Photographs, CCTV requests, witness information, and receipts showing where you were
Reports concerning other stolen IDs, bank cards, or devices

Avoid posting the full passport number, birth date, signature, or data-page image publicly.

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting until the travel date before reporting the loss
Booking an ordinary renewal while concealing that the passport is missing
Giving inconsistent dates or circumstances in different documents
Filing a false affidavit because another person actually possesses the passport
Arriving without originals and photocopies
Assuming a photocopy of the passport is itself a travel document
Assuming visas or residence permits transfer automatically
Buying non-refundable tickets before the replacement is released
Paying fixers or sellers of appointment slots
Using a recovered passport after it has been reported lost
Ignoring the loss because the passport had already expired

When help is urgent

Contact the DFA or nearest Philippine embassy or consulate immediately if:

You are stranded abroad or scheduled to travel soon
You have no other identification
Your immigration status or work authorization is at risk
A child’s passport is missing in a custody dispute
The passport was taken through robbery, coercion, trafficking, or domestic violence
Someone is using or attempting to sell the passport
Your personal details appear to have been used for fraud
An employer, recruiter, lender, or private person refuses to return it
Police or immigration authorities have detained you

Bring proof of the emergency. Special or emergency handling is assessed on the documents and circumstances; it is not guaranteed merely because a ticket has already been purchased.

Frequently asked questions

Is a stolen passport handled differently from a lost passport?

The replacement process is broadly similar, but the affidavit should expressly state that the passport was stolen and describe the crime. A police report is especially important.

Must I report an expired passport that went missing?

Yes. RA 11983 refers to the loss or destruction of a passport without limiting the duty to valid passports. The replacement checklist or clearing procedure may differ for an expired passport.

Can I report the loss online?

You may use email or official contact channels to alert the DFA and obtain instructions, but the law requires submission of a detailed affidavit. A replacement application also generally requires personal appearance.

Can I travel using a photocopy or photo of the passport?

No. A copy helps establish passport details but is not a valid passport or travel document.

Can the 15-day clearing period be skipped?

Do not assume so. Current DFA-post guidance applies the clearing period to lost valid passports. If stranded abroad or facing a genuine emergency, contact the responsible embassy or consulate to ask whether an emergency passport or Emergency Travel Certificate is appropriate.

What if I do not know my passport number?

Report the loss anyway. Provide every detail you know and bring proof of identity and citizenship. A saved data-page copy, old application receipt, visa record, or airline record may help the DFA locate the passport record.

Will reporting the passport cancel my visas?

Reporting protects against use of the missing passport, but the legal effect on a visa is controlled by the country that issued the visa. Contact that country’s immigration or consular authority.

May someone else replace the passport for me?

Generally, no. Personal appearance is required for identity verification and biometric capture. Another person may assist only in situations and under documents allowed by law, such as an authorized adult accompanying a minor.

Official references

This article provides general legal information, not legal advice for a particular case. Requirements can vary with the applicant’s records, age, citizenship history, family circumstances, location, and urgency. Confirm the current checklist directly with the DFA office, embassy, or consulate that will handle the application. Sources last checked: 27 July 2026.