A lost or stolen British passport must be reported to HM Passport Office immediately. Reporting cancels the passport and prevents misuse. In the UK, replacement is by a standard new application at the standard fee. Abroad, the route is an Emergency Travel Document from a UK consulate for travel home, followed by a full passport application on return. This guide covers the reporting process, the LS01 form, the differences between UK and overseas scenarios, and the police reporting question. It is informational only and not regulated advice. Verify current rules with GOV.UK before acting.
TL;DR: The 60-Second Answer
- Report a lost or stolen UK passport online at GOV.UK as soon as possible.- Reporting cancels the passport immediately. A reported passport cannot be reactivated, even if later found.
- In the UK, replacement is by standard new application: £53.50 online or £64 postal.
- Abroad, an Emergency Travel Document at £100 from a UK consulate covers the journey home.
- Police reports are not required by HMPO but help with insurance claims for stolen passports.
Last reviewed: May 2026 · Sourced from GOV.UK
Reporting a Lost or Stolen UK Passport Online
The fastest way to report a lost or stolen British passport is through the GOV.UK Report a Lost or Stolen Passport service. The form is the LS01 (Lost or Stolen) form, available online. The report takes around ten minutes to complete and requires the passport holder's full name, date of birth, and the passport number if known.
The passport number is not strictly required for the report. If it is unknown (for example, because the passport was stolen and no copy is to hand), the report can still be submitted and HMPO will use other identifying information to locate the record.
Reporting cancels the passport with immediate effect. The passport number is recorded as lost or stolen in HMPO's database and shared with Interpol's Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database, which is checked by border authorities worldwide. A cancelled passport cannot be reactivated. If the passport is later found, it must be destroyed or returned to HMPO and a fresh application is needed for any future travel.
For passports lost or stolen in the UK, the online report is the primary action. For passports lost or stolen abroad, the online report should be combined with contacting the nearest UK consulate to begin the Emergency Travel Document process.
Replacement After Loss or Theft in the UK
Once a UK-based loss has been reported, a replacement passport is applied for through the standard new-application route, not the renewal route. The fee is £53.50 online or £64 by post in 2026. The replacement is treated as a full application, not as a continuation of the lost passport.
Because the application is classed as a new application rather than a renewal, the standard countersignature rule applies. A countersignature from an eligible professional contact who has known the applicant for at least two years is required. The countersignature is not needed for a renewal that has not been preceded by a loss, but it is needed after a loss because the previous passport is no longer available for HMPO to verify against.
Required documents include the lost or stolen passport's number where known, a full birth certificate or other primary identity document, a recent compliant photograph, and the supporting documents that would be expected for a first application. HMPO may run identity checks that take longer than a standard renewal, with first-application processing times of four to eight weeks rather than the standard three-week renewal target.
The Online Premium and 1-Day Premium services are not generally available for post-loss replacement, because the application is classed as a new application rather than a renewal. The standard timeline must be planned for.
What to Do When the Passport Is Lost Abroad
For a passport lost or stolen abroad, the first step is the same: report the loss online through GOV.UK as soon as possible. The second step is contacting the nearest UK embassy, high commission, or consulate, found through the GOV.UK Contact an Embassy directory.
The consular route produces an Emergency Travel Document, not a full replacement passport. The ETD is a single-use travel paper valid only for a named journey, usually to return to the UK or to a specific onward destination. The 2026 ETD fee is £100, payable in local currency at the consulate.
The ETD application starts online at the GOV.UK Emergency Travel Document service. The applicant generates a reference number and books an appointment at the consulate. The appointment requires a recent photograph meeting passport rules, supporting identity documents, travel tickets showing the journey, payment, and a police report if the passport was stolen.
On return to the UK, a full replacement British passport must be applied for through the standard route. The ETD ceases to function once the named journey is complete. The full passport application is treated as a new application because of the loss event, and runs through standard first-application timing.
Police Reporting and Insurance Claims
HMPO does not require a police report to issue a replacement passport after a loss in the UK. For an Emergency Travel Document abroad, a police report is required if the passport was stolen.
For insurance claims, a police crime reference number is usually essential. Most travel insurance policies and personal effects policies require evidence of the theft through a police report filed within 24 to 48 hours of discovery. The police report should include the passport, any other stolen items, and the circumstances of the theft.
In the UK, theft of a passport can be reported online to the relevant police force. The Action Fraud service handles passport-related identity theft cases. A standard theft report at the local police station produces a crime reference number that satisfies most insurance requirements.
Abroad, the police report is filed in the country where the loss or theft occurred. Many tourist destinations have specific procedures for foreign visitors, including English-language report forms and dedicated tourism police units. The consulate handling the ETD application will advise on local reporting procedures.
What Happens If the Lost Passport Is Found
Once a UK passport is reported as lost or stolen, it cannot be reactivated. Even if it is found later, it remains cancelled. The passport number is permanently flagged in HMPO and Interpol databases.
If a previously lost passport reappears, it must not be used for travel. Attempting to travel on a reported-lost passport will result in delay or refusal at the border, and may trigger further investigation by border authorities. The passport should be returned to HMPO or destroyed in line with the GOV.UK guidance.
If a replacement passport has already been applied for or issued when the original reappears, the original cannot be used in addition to the new one. The new passport is the only valid travel document. The cancelled passport may be kept as a record but cannot fulfil any travel function.
This rule is strict for security reasons. A passport reactivated after a loss report would create uncertainty in international border systems, and any uncertainty is treated as a security risk. The trade-off accepted by the rule is that an over-cautious loss report cannot be reversed.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The first common mistake is delaying the loss report. Every hour between the loss and the report increases the window in which a stolen passport could be misused. Reporting should happen as soon as the loss is realised, even before a comprehensive search of belongings.
The second common mistake is reporting a passport as lost when it is merely misplaced at home. A reported passport cannot be reactivated. If the passport is found within hours of a misplaced moment, the report should not yet have been submitted. A genuine search of the home and any travel bags should precede the report.
The third common mistake, particularly abroad, is assuming a replacement passport can be issued at the consulate. The consulate issues only the Emergency Travel Document. A full replacement British passport requires application through HMPO, which means application from the UK on return, except in rare cases where the overseas applicant route applies.
The fourth common mistake is failing to file a police report when the passport was stolen. The police report is needed for insurance claims and for some ETD applications. Even where HMPO does not require it, the report should be filed for the wider claim and record purposes.
Editorial Disclaimer
Content on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute regulated immigration, legal or financial advice. Kael Tripton Ltd is not authorised by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) and does not provide regulated immigration advice. Rules, fees and processing times change without notice. Verify current information directly with GOV.UK, HM Passport Office, the Foreign Office, or an OISC-registered adviser before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly should I report a lost UK passport?
As soon as the loss is realised. The online report at GOV.UK is the fastest route and takes around ten minutes. Reporting cancels the passport with immediate effect, preventing fraudulent use. The passport number is shared with Interpol's Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database, which is checked by border authorities worldwide. Delaying the report increases the window in which a stolen passport could be misused for identity fraud or unauthorised travel.
Do I need a police report to replace a lost UK passport?
HMPO does not require a police report for replacement after a UK-based loss. For an Emergency Travel Document abroad following a theft, a police report is required by the consulate. For insurance claims on stolen passports, a police crime reference number is almost always required by the insurer. In all theft scenarios, filing a police report within 24 to 48 hours of discovery is sensible, even where HMPO itself does not need it.
What if I find my passport after reporting it lost?
Once reported, the passport is cancelled and cannot be reactivated. It cannot be used for travel even if physically found. The cancelled passport should be destroyed or returned to HMPO in line with GOV.UK guidance. A fresh passport application is the only route to a usable travel document. The cancellation is irreversible to maintain integrity in international border systems.
Can I get a replacement passport at a UK embassy abroad?
No. UK embassies and consulates do not issue full replacement passports. The consular service for travellers abroad is the Emergency Travel Document at £100, valid for one specified journey. Once the journey is complete, a full British passport must be applied for through HMPO in the UK. The full passport application is treated as a new application, with the standard first-application timeline of four to eight weeks rather than the three-week renewal target.
How much does it cost to replace a lost UK passport in 2026?
In the UK, the replacement application uses the standard new-application fees: £53.50 online or £64 by post. Abroad, the Emergency Travel Document fee is £100 for the journey home, plus the standard application fee for the full passport replacement on return. The fee is not refunded if the original passport is later found. There is no surcharge for the loss itself, only the ordinary fees for the new application.
Can I travel before my replacement passport arrives?
Only on a current passport or, if abroad, on an Emergency Travel Document for the named journey. The cancelled lost passport cannot be used for travel. If the replacement has not arrived in time for planned travel, the HMPO premium services are not available because the application is classed as a new application rather than a renewal. Travel plans must accommodate the standard new-application timeline, which can be four to eight weeks.
How we verified this
The reporting process, LS01 form references, ETD route, and fee schedule were taken from the GOV.UK Report a Lost or Stolen Passport service, the GOV.UK Emergency Travel Document service, and the GOV.UK passport fees page, all reviewed in May 2026. The interaction between HMPO reporting and Interpol's Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database is published in HMPO operational guidance on GOV.UK.
Primary Sources
- GOV.UK Report a lost or stolen passport: the LS01 reporting service
- GOV.UK Emergency Travel Document: overseas replacement route
- GOV.UK Apply for or renew a passport: replacement application service
- GOV.UK Passport fees: 2026 fee schedule including ETD
- GOV.UK Contact an embassy abroad: UK consulate directory
