Nobody expects to lose their passport when they’re overseas, but mishaps can and do happen despite your best intentions. Whether your passport has been stolen or lost, you have no time to lose.
Keep a cool head and take the following steps the moment you discover that your passport has gone missing.
Call your travel insurance provider
Your travel insurance provider should be your first port of call when you lose your passport. Insurers like HL Assurance maintain a travel emergency hotline to assist you around the clock, including emergency medical evacuation services.
Your insurer should be able to advise you on the next steps to take, as well as any documents or reports that you need to produce.
They can also advise you on how and what documents you need to submit to make a claim for expenses incurred, such as additional travel and accommodation expenses.
Contact the nearest Singapore Embassy or Consulate
As soon as it opens, telephone or visit in person the nearest Singapore Embassy or Consulate. They will be able to talk you through the procedure of applying for and collecting a Document of Identity that will enable you to travel back to Singapore without a passport.
If you do not have internet access or are unable to find the contact details of the nearest embassy or consulate, your insurer’s travel emergency hotline should be able to provide you with that information.
You might need to change your travel plans to make it to the embassy or consulate. The list of Singapore overseas missions is published here. Don’t forget to retain all new booking confirmations and receipts for submission to your insurer later.
File a police report
The loss of your passport is likely to involve an element of theft, so do not hesitate to make a trip to the nearest police station to file a report. The police report should also be submitted to your insurer for your impending claim.
In the event that you do not speak the local language or the local police force does not wish to assist you in making a claim, it is advisable to get a local to accompany you to the police station.
Take a passport photo
You will be asked to submit passport photos in order for the embassy or consulate to issue you with a Document of Identity. Before turning up at the embassy or consulate, you will thus need to have your picture taken at a photo booth or photo studio.
If you are not sure where to get your photo taken at your destination, your hotel’s concierge might be able to point you in the right direction. It might also be possible to take a picture using your camera or smartphone and then get it printed at a digital photo lab.
Keep all your receipts and booking confirmations
Chances are, you’ll be incurring quite a few expenses because of your lost passport, from additional accommodation charges to transport charges to the Singapore Embassy or Consulate. If you miss your flight home because of your lost passport, you might also have to book a later flight.
Keep all receipts and booking confirmations for submission to your insurer upon your return to Singapore, taking a photo of them with your smartphone if online submission is permitted.
Buy travel insurance
As you can see, getting protected with a good travel insurance policy can be a lifesaver if you lose your passport. HL Assurance offers single trip and annual travel insurance policies that give you peace of mind when you travel.
Check out the website for the latest deals, promotions and to compare the various HL Assurance travel insurance plans on offer.
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