KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

LOST PASSPORTS

Question: I am going abroad with some friends. What happens if I lose my passport while I am travelling?

Answer: If you are an Irish citizen abroad and your Irish passport is lost, stolen or misplaced, you must contact your nearest Irish embassy or consulate immediately. You will be asked to confirm the loss in writing or, if you are applying for a new passport, to include the details in your passport application.

You must also get in touch with the local police and report the loss of your passport.

You should request a written statement that you have reported the loss of your passport to them. A member of the police authority in the country in which you are staying must witness this statement.

You will need this statement to get an Emergency Travel Document (valid for one journey) from an Irish embassy or consulate.

If you are travelling on a multi-stop journey, where you will pass through more than one jurisdiction, you will need a new Irish passport. Again, you must report the loss of your passport immediately to your nearest Irish embassy or consulate.

If there is no Irish embassy or consulate in the country where you are, contact the embassy of another EU member state. It will get in touch with the nearest Irish embassy on your behalf. An embassy of another EU member state cannot issue you with a new Irish passport, but can issue an Emergency Travel Document.

It may be useful to carry a photocopy of the personal data page of your passport with you when travelling or scan an image of that page and email it to yourself.

Any passport reported as lost or stolen is no longer a valid travel document and you should not try to travel on a passport which has been reported as lost or stolen.

Know Your Rights has been compiled by Kerry Citizens Information Service which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Contact us in Tralee on Tel: 0761 07 7860 Killarney 0761 07 7820, Listowel 0761 07 7840 Kenmare 0761 07 7810, & Caherciveen 0761 07 7780. Outreach Services; Killorglin weekly, Dingle monthly, please call Tralee for more information.

Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service, 0761 07 4000