What should you do if you lose your passport while traveling?
23/03/2019
A passport is the most valuable asset a traveler possesses, and losing money is often less frightening than losing your passport. Therefore, in this article, travel blogger Nguyen Hoang Bao will share tips to help you "prepare" for the situation of losing your passport abroad.
According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if you lose a valid passport, to prevent identity theft for malicious purposes, you must immediately report this to the local police and the nearest Vietnamese diplomatic mission.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?
• Fill out the Passport Loss Report Form completely (ATTACHED LINK BELOW), and email it to the Consular Department (at cls.mfa@mofa.gov.vn) and the Vietnamese diplomatic mission where you are currently located, along with two 4x6 cm photos.
• Submit a copy of the police report confirming the loss of your passport.
• Be present at the Diplomatic Mission.
• The information you provide in the Lost Passport Report Form (Passport Form) will be entered into the database of the Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security) and the cancellation of the passport's validity will be notified to most countries worldwide.
• Once a lost passport has been reported canceled, its validity will not be restored, and you cannot reuse it even if you find it. You will need to apply for a new passport.
PASSPORT COLLECTION TIME
• If you carry other documents proving your Vietnamese nationality, such as your national identity card, or proof of legal entry into the host country (airline ticket, immigration declaration form) within 5 working days, you will be issued a passport if you continue your journey to another country; if you return to Vietnam, you will be issued a travel document.
• If you are traveling on a tour or in a group/team, a member of the group must present their personal passport confirming your membership, and you will be issued a travel document to return to your home country within 24 hours.
• If you do not have any other documents and do not fall under the categories mentioned above, the Vietnamese Embassy must conduct verification. Within no more than 5 working days, your application for a replacement passport or travel document will be considered.
HOW TO PREPARE DOCUMENTS AND PREVENT INCIDENTS
1. Always keep your passport with you: Buy a dedicated pouch to keep your passport safe inside your jacket, as well as store money and other important documents. Modern fanny packs do this job very well.
2. Prepare your documents in advance to save time in case of emergencies: Pack at least three 4x6 photos (white background, face looking straight ahead, head uncovered, no colored glasses), photocopies of your passport information page, national identity card, and visa if applicable. Avoid keeping important documents, money, or credit cards inside your passport. Additionally, scan and store these documents online.
3. Look up and save the address and phone number of the Vietnamese embassy or consulate abroad.
4. Learn some basic conversational phrases: You can practice a few basic English phrases. For other languages, you can take notes or take pictures of necessary conversational phrases in your notebook or on your phone.
With today's technological advancements, you should download automatic translation software and applications to your phone. Don't forget to download the language of your destination country so you can use the application even without an internet connection.
5. Stay calm when problems arise: Staying calm is the first key to systematically solving your own problems, especially when traveling alone. Be prepared to cope with bad situations if they occur.
At Travel Fest 2019 held in Hanoi recently, he was one of the special guests in a talk show sharing his experiences on backpacking. He is also one of the "7 impressive travel bloggers of 2018" that Travellive previously introduced to its readers.
Over 70 countries and territories bear the footprints of his passionate exploration, and the rest of the world, including Antarctica, is within his conquest plan. The stories of his "once-in-a-lifetime" journeys serve as a catalyst, inspiring travel and exploration of the world for everyone.
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