I’ve Been Pickpocketed and My Passport Was Stolen? Now What?

If you’ve been the victim of a stolen passport and are overseas, don’t panic! That’s the first step. ID theft and pickpocketing have become a common enough occurrence so you there a steps in place that make it easy to acquire a new passport.

You won’t be able to travel until you receive a replacement, whether it’s to the United States or to another international destination. After going through a few steps with the US embassy closest to you, you’ll be free to travel and on the road again.

Because of the rampant problem of a pickpocketing, reporting a stolen passport is one of the main reasons why you always need to know where the US embassy is located wherever you are traveling. You must apply in person for a new passport, and if you have been the victim of a serious crime be sure to report it to the embassy as well as the local police authorities.

In order to acquire a new passport, you’ll have to fill out Form DS-64 and provide a sworn statement that your passport was stolen. You’ll also have to fill out Form DS-11 which is an application for a passport. In addition to the forms, the State Department advises bringing the following items with you to the embassy:

  • Passport photo

  • Identification

  • Evidence of U.S. Citizenship (photocopy of passport will do)

  • Travel Itinerary

  • Police report

While a police report is not required to obtain a replacement, it is helpful in the case of serious crimes. For a petty crime such as being pickpocketed, however, there is often very little the authorities can do to assist you. Sometimes filing a police report for ID theft can delay your travel and if so it is best to do without one.

Don’t want to have your passport stolen in the first place? It’s good to know you can get a replacement even if you’re not on United States soil, but it’s naturally best to avoid the situation altogether. Instead of worrying about being pickpocketed and losing your passport, protect your valuables from the onset with anti-theft travel products.

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