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Lost, Stolen or Damaged Passport: How to Get a New One

By Kusum, Passport help desk, Dehradun (since 2019) · Updated

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Independent guide by India Customer Care. Not the Ministry of External Affairs or Passport Seva. Apply only at passportindia.gov.in.

On this page
  1. Where did it happen?
  2. Re-issue steps
  3. If you find the passport later
  4. Frequently asked questions
  5. Sources

Report the loss to the police first; the report must show your passport number and a GD number. Then apply online for Re-issue, choosing "lost/stolen" or "damaged", and take Annexure F, the police report and your documents to the PSK. Tatkaal is not allowed. Lost abroad? Report to the local police and the nearest Indian embassy or consulate.

Where did it happen?

Lost or stolen in India

  1. File a police report or FIR. Some states accept an e-FIR; others want a report from the police station. It must show the passport number and a GD number.
  2. Apply online for Re-issue and choose the reason "lost" or "stolen".
  3. Fill Annexure F (affidavit for a lost or damaged passport). Download it with a filled sample.
  4. At the PSK carry: the original police report, Annexure F, a copy of the old passport if you have one, and your Aadhaar, PAN and 10th certificate.

Damaged passport

A passport counts as damaged if the photo, signature or officer's stamp is unclear, details have faded, it was washed or soaked, there is writing on the pages, a page is torn, the stitching is loose, or the e-passport chip has failed. Airlines and immigration may refuse it.

Apply for Re-issue with the reason "damaged", and take the damaged passport, Annexure F and your documents to the PSK. Badly damaged passports can't be re-issued in Tatkaal.

Lost or stolen abroad

  1. Report it to the local police and get a copy of the report.
  2. Contact the nearest Indian embassy or consulate with the police report, your passport number or a copy, and your visa details.
  3. The embassy decides whether to give you an Emergency Certificate (EC) or a new passport.

An Emergency Certificate is only for travelling back to India. After you return, the re-issue file waits at the passport office until the embassy confirms your case, so the timeline is unpredictable.

Re-issue steps

  1. Police report with passport number and GD number
  2. Apply online for Re-issue, reason lost, stolen or damaged
  3. Pay and book an appointment (Normal only)
  4. PSK visit with the police report, Annexure F and documents
  5. Police verification
  6. New passport by Speed Post
YouPayment / policePassport office

The fee for a lost or damaged passport is higher than for an ordinary renewal: see the passport fee calculator.

If you find the passport later

Where you are in the processWhat to do
Only a police report filedTell the police station; they explain how to close the report
Re-issue already applied at the PSKContact your passport office, take an appointment if needed and inform them

Do not travel on a passport you reported lost, even if you find it. A closed police report doesn't mean the passport is valid again. Ask your passport office about its status first.

From our passport deskA customer applied in Tatkaal for a lost passport. The PSK converted it to Normal and the extra Tatkaal fee was not refunded. Keep a photocopy of your passport's first and last pages at home: the police report needs the passport number, and without it the whole process takes longer.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a lost passport replaced in Tatkaal?

No. Re-issue of a lost, stolen or badly damaged passport is not allowed in Tatkaal; apply in Normal.

I found my passport after reporting it lost. Can I use it?

No. Don't travel on it until your passport office confirms its status, even if you have closed the police report.

I don't know my old passport number. What can I do?

The police report must show the passport number, so look for an old photocopy, a visa copy or ask your passport office. Keeping a copy of your passport avoids this problem.

Sources