What should you do if your passport is damaged or lost?

June 23, 2023By Lan13 Anh13Posted in India Passport, Passport, Travel Documents

A damaged passport is defined when the passport has not been damaged beyond recognition as its number is readable, the name is legible and the photo is intact. The loss of a passport is reported to the Indian Mission and the Police Station. The person needs to contact the respective Mission or post and have an Emergency Certificate (EC) issued for returning to India after the verification of Indian nationality/origin and particulars.

What should you do if your passport is lost or damaged?

If the passport is lost abroad, then it should be reported immediately to the nearest police station and the passport office or the Indian mission.

An individual can also apply for the ‘Re-issue’ of a passport.

A checklist of documents needs to be submitted with the application form by tapping on the ‘Documents Required’ link on the home page.

How to apply for a passport when lost or damaged:

Duplicate passports are not issued, but a passport with a different passport number is made with fresh validity.

Applicants should look in the ’re-issue’ category under the section of Lost/Damaged passport.

Steps to get a lost passport:

Step 1: File an FIR with a copy of their passports in the nearby police station.

Step 2: If you miss the previous step, then book an appointment with the nearest Regional Passport Office(RPO) and receive a copy while filing the FIR.

Step 3: A copy of the FIR should be kept.

Step 4: The documents needed are proof of address, birth certificate and Aadhaar card.

Step 5: Users can also go for an online application by reapplying on the official Passport Seva website.

Step 6: Log in to the registered ID. And if in a hurry, opt for the ‘Tatkal’ tab which will provide you with the passport within a maximum period of 14 days.

Step 7: Now to schedule the payment and appointment, the user needs to click on the ‘Pay and Schedule Appointment’ link on the ‘View Saved/ Submitted Applications’ screen for scheduling an appointment.

Step 8: Lost passports need to pay a processing fee with an additional amount of Rs 1,500.

Step 9: Now the individual can check via the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK ) or RPO for getting to the nearby location along with the date and time of a suitable appointment.

Step 10: You need to take a printout of the application reference number (ARN) or the appointment number. By confirming it via SMS.