What to Do When a Passport Is Lost or Stolen

Quick answer

If your Philippine passport is lost or stolen, report it promptly and do not try to travel on it if you later recover it after declaring it lost. Under the New Philippine Passport Act, Republic Act No. 11983, the loss or destruction of a passport must be immediately reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), or to the appropriate Philippine Foreign Service Post if you are abroad, through an affidavit describing the circumstances in detail. (eLibrary)

If you are in the Philippines and the missing passport is still valid, DFA's published requirements currently call for a police report in English, a notarized Affidavit of Loss, and the documents required for a new passport application. DFA also imposes an additional 15-business-day clearing period for a lost valid passport and lists a ₱350 lost-passport penalty fee, in addition to the applicable passport-processing charges. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

If the passport was already expired, DFA still treats the replacement as a new application and requires an Affidavit of Loss, but its current published requirements do not impose the additional 15-business-day clearing period or require a police report merely because an expired passport was lost. A police report remains sensible if the passport was actually stolen or the theft involved other property or identification. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

If you are outside the Philippines, report the theft or loss to the local police where appropriate and contact the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate immediately. Depending on your circumstances, you may apply for a regular replacement passport or, in an urgent case, an Emergency Passport or an Emergency Travel Certificate. (eLibrary)

Do these things first

1. Make a record of when, where, and how the passport disappeared

Write down the facts while they are fresh:

  • the approximate date and time of the loss or theft;
  • where you last had the passport;
  • where you discovered that it was missing;
  • what bag, wallet, hotel safe, vehicle, or other place it had been kept in;
  • whether other belongings were taken;
  • the passport number, issue date, expiry date, and place of issue, if known; and
  • what efforts you made to locate it.

These details matter because Philippine law requires the affidavit reporting the loss to describe the circumstances in detail. Knowingly making a false statement in an affidavit declaring a passport lost or destroyed is itself an offense under Republic Act No. 11983. (Lawphil)

2. Report a theft to the police

If someone stole the passport, report the incident to the police as soon as reasonably possible.

For a lost valid passport application in the Philippines, DFA specifically requires an original police report in English, together with a notarized Affidavit of Loss. DFA guidance also treats a stolen valid passport under the lost-passport procedure. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

If you are abroad, the exact form of police report or local loss certificate varies by country. Follow the requirements of the Philippine Embassy or Consulate serving your location.

Keep the police report, incident or case number, and any English translation required by the consular post.

3. Prepare the Affidavit of Loss

The affidavit should accurately state the circumstances of the loss or theft. At minimum, make sure it clearly identifies you and, as far as the information is available:

  • your lost passport;
  • when and where it went missing;
  • how it was lost or stolen;
  • whether you reported the incident to police;
  • what you did to try to recover it; and
  • why you are requesting a replacement.

For applications in the Philippines, DFA currently calls for a notarized Affidavit of Loss in English. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Do not exaggerate or invent details simply because you cannot remember an exact time or location. State honestly when a detail is approximate or unknown.

If the passport was lost or stolen in the Philippines

Lost valid passport

DFA currently treats the replacement of a lost valid ePassport as a new passport application rather than an ordinary renewal. You generally need:

  • a confirmed online passport appointment;
  • an accomplished passport application form;
  • personal appearance;
  • an original and photocopy of the police report in English;
  • an original and photocopy of the notarized Affidavit of Loss in English;
  • the documents required for a new passport application; and
  • other documents DFA may require because of your particular citizenship, identity, civil-status, or record circumstances. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

If you have a photocopy of the data page of your last-issued passport, DFA's current guidance says a PSA birth certificate generally will not be required on that basis. If you have no passport copy, be prepared to establish citizenship and identity with the documents required for a new application, including the appropriate PSA civil-registry record and valid proof of identity. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

A Philippine passport application ordinarily requires proof of citizenship and valid and sufficient proof of identity. Republic Act No. 11983 identifies the PhilID as the foremost proof of identity while allowing other competent proof of identity. Different or additional documents apply to naturalized citizens, dual citizens, persons who reacquired Philippine citizenship, foundlings, applicants with civil-registry issues, and other special cases. (Lawphil)

The additional 15-business-day clearing period

DFA currently states that replacing a lost valid passport involves an additional 15 business days of clearing. That period is separate from the ordinary production or release period for the replacement passport. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Do not assume that paying for expedited passport processing eliminates the lost-passport clearing period.

If you already have an imminent international trip, contact DFA immediately rather than relying on your intended departure date. DFA itself advises applicants not to purchase outbound tickets until the passport is actually in their possession. (Passport Appointment System)

Fees

DFA's current published lost-passport requirements list a ₱350 penalty fee for a lost valid or expired passport, in addition to the applicable passport-processing charges. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Fees and payment arrangements can change, and special or expedited services may involve additional charges. Use the amount generated by the official DFA appointment and payment system for your particular application.

Passport appointments themselves are free and should be booked only through the official DFA system. (Passport Appointment System)

Lost expired passport

If the passport had already expired, DFA currently:

  • treats the application as a new application;
  • requires an Affidavit of Loss in English;
  • lists a ₱350 penalty fee; and
  • does not list the additional 15-business-day lost-valid-passport clearing period. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

DFA's published requirements do not require a police report solely because an expired passport was lost. If it was stolen, however, making a police report is prudent because it documents the theft independently of the passport application.

How to book the replacement application

For applications in the Philippines, use the DFA Online Passport Appointment System. Appointment slots are allocated through the official system, and DFA warns against fixers and people selling passport appointments. (Passport Appointment System)

You may generally choose the DFA Consular Office most convenient to you rather than being limited to the office nearest your home. DFA maintains offices in Metro Manila and throughout the regions. (Passport Appointment System)

Certain applicants may use DFA priority or courtesy arrangements, including qualifying OFWs, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, pregnant women, and children seven years old and below. Republic Act No. 11983 also directs DFA to provide special lanes for specified groups and for emergency and exceptional cases. Availability and local cutoffs should still be checked with the particular Consular Office. (Passport Appointment System)

A priority lane should not be assumed to waive the requirements or security clearing applicable to a lost valid passport.

If the passport was lost or stolen abroad

Contact the Philippine Embassy or Consulate with jurisdiction over your location as quickly as possible.

The Philippine passport appointment system's official directory allows Filipinos abroad to identify the appropriate Embassy or Consulate based on their place of legal residence. (Passport Appointment System)

The post may ask for documents such as:

  • a local police report or loss report;
  • an Affidavit of Loss;
  • a passport application form;
  • a photocopy, scan, or photograph of the lost passport, if available;
  • proof of Philippine citizenship;
  • proof of legal or immigration status in the host country;
  • another valid identification document; and
  • documents establishing the urgency of travel.

Exact requirements and fees vary by Embassy or Consulate and by local law, so the instructions of the Foreign Service Post handling your case control the filing process.

If you can wait for a regular replacement

If you live abroad and have no immediate travel emergency, the Embassy or Consulate may process a regular replacement passport under its normal passport procedure.

Do not assume that processing periods used by DFA offices in the Philippines apply overseas. Philippine passports applied for abroad may be personalized and transported through different channels, and each post publishes its own estimated processing schedule.

If you urgently need to continue traveling abroad

Republic Act No. 11983 created an Emergency Passport for Filipino travelers who lose their passport while traveling overseas and justifiably need to continue their intended overseas travel before returning to the Philippines or to their overseas residence. (eLibrary)

The implementing rules add important conditions:

  • the applicant's biometric data must already be stored in the Philippine Passport Database;
  • the Filipino must first apply for replacement of the regular, official, or diplomatic passport at the Philippine Foreign Service Post; and
  • Emergency Passports are issued only by Philippine Foreign Service Posts. (eLibrary)

An Emergency Passport has a maximum validity of one year, subject to the limitations stated in the implementing rules. It cannot simply be renewed or extended like an ordinary passport. (eLibrary)

Because another country's immigration, visa, and transit rules are separate from Philippine passport law, confirm before traveling that the airline and every destination or transit country will accept the emergency document for your itinerary.

If you only need to return urgently to the Philippines

An Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) may be issued to a Filipino abroad who has lost a passport or cannot be issued a regular passport and needs to return urgently to the Philippines.

The law provides for validity ranging from 30 days up to six months, depending on the document issued and the circumstances. (eLibrary)

An ETC is not the same as receiving a normal replacement passport. After returning to the Philippines, follow DFA instructions regarding the passport application required for your next international trip.

If you find the passport after reporting it lost

Do not simply start using it again.

Republic Act No. 11983 expressly provides that a person who later finds a passport that was reported lost must turn it over to the DFA. If physical turnover is not feasible, the person must submit an affidavit stating where the passport is and identifying the person or entity possessing it. (eLibrary)

This matters because DFA's passport database contains records of lost and stolen passports. A physically intact booklet should not be assumed to remain usable merely because it has been recovered. (Lawphil)

If you find the passport before completing the loss-reporting or replacement process, contact the DFA office or Foreign Service Post handling your case and ask what procedure applies before attempting to travel.

If somebody is withholding your passport

A passport being deliberately kept from you by an employer, recruiter, agency, creditor, relative, or another person is not necessarily an ordinary "lost passport" case.

A Philippine passport remains the property of the Philippine government. Republic Act No. 11983 prohibits unauthorized confiscation, retention, or withholding of a passport and imposes serious criminal penalties for doing so. (eLibrary)

If you are an overseas worker whose employer, recruiter, or another person refuses to return your passport, contact the Philippine Embassy or Consulate and, where appropriate, the Department of Migrant Workers or local authorities. Explain that the passport is being withheld rather than falsely declaring it lost.

Do not sign an Affidavit of Loss saying that you do not know where the passport is if you actually know who possesses it. The law specifically provides a procedure for reporting a passport's location and the person or entity holding it when physical turnover is not feasible. (eLibrary)

Special rules for a child's lost passport

A lost passport belonging to a minor generally requires the child's personal appearance and the participation of a parent, legal guardian, or properly authorized adult under DFA rules.

For a lost valid passport of a minor, DFA currently requires the police report to be filed by the parent, legal guardian, or authorized person who will accompany the child, and the Affidavit of Loss must likewise be signed by the appropriate accompanying adult. The additional 15-business-day clearing period applies to a lost valid passport. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

For children seven years old and below, DFA's current system provides courtesy-lane accommodation rather than requiring an ordinary online appointment, subject to the Consular Office's operating rules. (Passport Appointment System)

Custody, guardianship, absent-parent, adoption, and authorization situations may require additional documents. Do not assume that the documents used for the child's previous passport will automatically be sufficient if family circumstances have changed.

Preserve these records

Keep originals where required and make secure copies of:

  • the police report and police reference or incident number;
  • the notarized Affidavit of Loss;
  • any photograph or scan of the lost passport's data page;
  • your PSA birth, marriage, or other civil-registry records used in the application;
  • your valid IDs and citizenship documents;
  • DFA appointment confirmation and official receipts;
  • emails or written instructions from DFA or the Philippine Embassy or Consulate;
  • immigration documents or residence permits if the passport was lost abroad;
  • airline bookings and documents establishing urgency, if emergency travel is involved; and
  • theft-related records such as hotel, airline, transport, or property-loss reports.

For future emergencies, keeping an encrypted digital copy or secure photocopy of your passport data page separately from the passport can make identification and replacement considerably easier. A copy is not a travel document, however, and cannot substitute for the passport itself.

Also deal with visas and other stolen documents

If a foreign visa, residence permit, work permit, or entry stamp was inside the stolen passport, the DFA cannot determine whether that foreign authorization remains valid or can be transferred.

Contact the country or agency that issued it. Depending on that country's rules, you may need:

  • a replacement visa;
  • confirmation of immigration status;
  • a new residence card;
  • a copy of your police report; or
  • a replacement entry or exit record.

If your wallet, phone, bank cards, IDs, or other identity documents were stolen at the same time, report and secure those separately.

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting until a scheduled trip is close

A lost valid passport carries an additional 15-business-day DFA clearing period in the Philippines. Waiting until a few days before departure can leave too little time even if ordinary passport processing is expedited. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Treating a lost-passport application as an ordinary renewal

DFA currently treats lost valid and lost expired passports as new applications for processing and documentary purposes. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Filing an inaccurate Affidavit of Loss

Do not invent a date, place, story, or claim of theft. Knowingly making a false statement in a passport application or Affidavit of Loss can trigger criminal liability under Republic Act No. 11983. (Lawphil)

Using a passport after it has been reported lost

If you recover a passport that you have already declared lost, surrender it to DFA or follow DFA's instructions. The statute specifically requires turnover of a recovered passport. (eLibrary)

Paying someone to obtain an appointment

Official passport appointments are free. DFA warns applicants to use only its official appointment system, and Republic Act No. 11983 expressly penalizes activities such as selling or hoarding appointment slots and unauthorized paid passport-application facilitation. (Passport Appointment System)

Buying a non-refundable ticket before the replacement arrives

DFA expressly advises applicants not to purchase outbound travel until the passport is actually in their possession. (Passport Appointment System)

When help is urgent

Contact DFA or the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate immediately if:

  • you are abroad and your passport was stolen;
  • you have a flight or required international journey in the immediate future;
  • you need to return urgently to the Philippines;
  • your immigration status abroad depends on producing a passport;
  • you are stranded at an airport, border, port, or foreign immigration facility;
  • a child has lost a passport during overseas travel;
  • somebody is refusing to return your passport;
  • the loss is connected with trafficking, exploitation, coercion, or an unsafe employment situation;
  • you have repeatedly lost passports and DFA is requesting additional documents or explanation; or
  • there is a dispute about your identity, citizenship, civil-registry record, custody of a minor, or entitlement to a passport.

Republic Act No. 11983 permits emergency travel documents even in circumstances where a regular passport cannot be issued, particularly where the safety and interests of the Filipino citizen are at stake. It also permits the DFA to waive certain requirements or fees on humanitarian grounds, but such a waiver is discretionary and should never be assumed in advance. (Lawphil)

Frequently asked questions

Is a stolen passport different from a lost passport?

For DFA replacement purposes, a stolen passport generally follows the lost-passport procedure, but you should clearly report that a theft occurred. For a missing valid passport in the Philippines, DFA requires a police report and notarized Affidavit of Loss. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Do I need a police report if the passport was already expired?

DFA's current Philippine requirements for a lost expired passport list an Affidavit of Loss but not a police report. If it was actually stolen, however, reporting the theft to police is still advisable and may be required for other purposes. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

How long is the clearing period for a lost valid passport?

DFA currently states an additional 15 business days for a lost valid passport. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Is there a penalty fee?

DFA currently lists a ₱350 penalty fee for lost valid and lost expired passports, in addition to applicable passport-processing charges. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

What if I do not have a photocopy of the lost passport?

You can still apply, but you should be prepared to establish your citizenship and identity using the documentary requirements for a new passport application. DFA's guidance states that where a photocopy of the last-issued passport is available, the birth certificate need not be submitted solely for that reason. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Can I use a photo of my passport from my phone?

A scan or photograph can help you identify the passport number and may assist in establishing the details of the previous passport, but it is not itself a passport. The issuing DFA office or Foreign Service Post determines whether the copy satisfies a particular documentary requirement.

Can DFA replace my foreign visa too?

No. A foreign visa or residence authorization is issued under the law of the foreign country concerned. Contact the embassy, consulate, or immigration authority that issued it.

What if I find my passport after filing the Affidavit of Loss?

Do not assume that it is usable. Republic Act No. 11983 requires a recovered passport that was reported lost to be turned over to DFA. (eLibrary)

Can I skip the 15-business-day period because I have an urgent flight?

Do not assume so. DFA publishes the clearing period as an additional requirement for lost valid passports. If you are already abroad and urgently need to travel, ask the Philippine Embassy or Consulate whether an Emergency Passport or Emergency Travel Certificate is legally and practically appropriate for your situation. (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Where should I apply?

In the Philippines, apply through a DFA Consular Office using the official appointment system. Abroad, contact the Philippine Embassy or Consulate serving your location or legal residence. (Passport Appointment System)

Official sources

General-information notice

This article provides general Philippine legal and procedural information, not individualized legal advice. Passport requirements may change, and Philippine Embassies and Consulates abroad may impose additional requirements reflecting local law and circumstances. Where your identity, citizenship, custody rights, immigration status, criminal case, or urgent travel depends on particular facts or documents, obtain instructions directly from DFA or the responsible Philippine Foreign Service Post and, when appropriate, seek qualified legal assistance.

Sources and current procedures checked as of 26 August 2026.

Disclaimer: This content is not legal advice and may involve AI assistance. Information may be inaccurate.

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