What to do if your passport is stolen
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If your passport is stolen while you’re on your trip follow this guide on what to do next. Rest assured knowing that our policies may help cover your extra costs while you arrange an emergency replacement passport.
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Report the incident immediately
Report the incident to the relevant authorities and make sure you get a report from them. Relevant authorities may include:
- The local police
- The nearest Australian embassy, diplomatic or consular mission (the Australian Government may also accept online notifications).
- For visas and passports from other countries – contact the relevant embassy
- Any other relevant parties, such as the airline, hotel or tour operator.
Important: For some countries, it may be an offence not to report the loss or theft or your passport as soon as you learn of the loss. It may also affect your travel insurance cover if you don't report it immediately. Contact us if you need help.
2. Arrange a replacement or emergency passport
Check the process to apply for an emergency or replacement passport with the nearest Australian embassy. To organise a replacement, you may need:
- a passport photo,
- ID (driver's license or expired passport),
- evidence of citizenship (photo of your missing passport),
- your e-tickets or itinerary,
- You may also need a police report.
If you need to travel to a different location to apply in person or collect your emergency passport, you should arrange to do this.
3. Rearrange or cancel any affected travel arrangements
As soon as you know that any of your travel plans are going to be affected, contact any accommodation, tour, transport and other providers to rearrange or cancel any plans you may have.
Make sure you get confirmation from them in writing of the changes or cancellation, and keep receipts and details of any refunds or extra fees paid.
4. Keep your receipts
You'll need to keep all official reports you were given and all original receipts as evidence to support a claim on your travel insurance policy, including your itineraries and booking and cancellation confirmations for any affected transport, accommodation and additional expenses.
In the event of a claim, provide all your supporting documentation such as receipts.
5. Will my travel insurance cover the cost of replacing my passport?
Our policies may cover you for the official processing fees to replace your passport if it got lost, stolen or was accidentally damaged.
If your trip is interrupted as a result of your passport being stolen, lost or accidentally damaged, we may cover you for reasonable and necessary additional travel and accommodation expenses incurred to replace these items. You can find more information in the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).
6. Need to know more?
If you have any questions about what's covered and not covered, feel free to contact us.
7. Passport-safe tips
- Always keep a copy of your passport in some form – whether that’s a photocopy or a photo on your device(s). Play it safe and have copies in multiple forms.
- Travel with some spare passport-sized photos just in case
- Emergency passports do not permanently replace your passport. They can be issued quickly with limited validity so you can return home or continue with your trip.
This is a summary only. It does not include all terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the plans described. Please carefully read your PDS for a full description of coverage. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you
Trip Cancellation
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Help starts here.
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- Baggage delay over 12 hours
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- Personal liability
24/7 emergency assistance
If you need medical assistance or emergency medical evacuation our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Phone: +61 2 8263 0470 or Phone: +61 2 8292 1470 (reverse charges via an operator from anywhere in the world)
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Before your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.