Website of the UK government

What to do about a lost or stolen passport

It is vital you report a lost or stolen passport as soon as possible. If your passport is stolen you should report it to the police at once.

If you want to apply for a replacement passport and are:

• a British national
• in the UK at the time of applying

you can report your passport lost or stolen at the same time, following the instructions below.

If you are not in the UK, or you don't want to replace your passport straight away, you should report it as lost or stolen by following the link below.

• Report a lost or stolen passport

What to do about a damaged passport

You do not need to report a damaged passport, but if your passport is damaged beyond reasonable wear and tear, some airlines may not let you travel. For this reason IPS recommends that you apply for a replacement as soon as possible.

You will need to send the damaged passport to IPS when you apply for a replacement. IPS will return it once they have established your identity and confirmed that the damage is not due to fraudulent tampering. 'Fraudulent tampering' means someone trying to change the identity details or photo on a passport, for example, to use it illegally.

If your child was included on the passport

If your child was included on your lost, stolen or damaged passport, they cannot be included on the replacement. All children now need their own passports to travel abroad. You should apply for a first child passport for them if they are under 16. If they are 16 or over they can apply for an adult passport.

• Applying for a new or renewed child passport

• Applying for your first adult passport

The cost of a replacement passport

An adult passport costs £77.50 for standard service and £112.50 for the one-week Fast Track service. A child passport costs £49 for standard service and £96.50 for the one-week Fast Track service. The Premium one-day service is not available for replacement passports.

You can find detailed information in 'Table of passport fees, how to pay and refunds'.

• Table of passport fees, how to pay and refunds

The passport application form

To replace a passport you need to complete and submit the standard IPS application form. It comes with full instructions, whether you fill in the paper version or complete it online.

How to get the passport application form

You can get the form in four ways. You can:

• collect it from a Post Office branch that offers the Passport Check & Send service
• request an application form online and IPS will send it to you in the post
• call the IPS Passport Adviceline 0300 222 0000 and ask IPS to send it to you in the post
• complete and submit the application form online, in which case IPS will print out the completed form and send it to you to sign and return with supporting documents

• Find your nearest Check & Send Post Office Opens new window

• Find your nearest Check & Send Post Office (Northern Ireland) Opens new window

• Request a passport application form Opens new window

• Online passport application form explained

• Complete the application form online Opens new window

Who needs to sign the passport application form

If you are applying for a replacement passport you should sign the form yourself at section 9 and get it countersigned at section 10.

The person you ask to countersign should have known you for at least two years. They must:

• be over 18
• hold a current British or Irish passport
• be willing to write their passport number on the form

They should work in a recognised profession or otherwise have good standing in the community. You can find a list of suitable professions by following the link to 'Who can countersign your application?'

The same person needs to certify one of your photographs. They do this by writing on the back:

• 'I certify that this is a true likeness of [Miss, Mr, Mrs, Ms or other title and your full name]'

They must then sign and date the statement.

• Who can countersign your application?

The supporting documents you need to replace a passport

As well as the application form, fee and photos, you should send IPS:

• a Lost or Stolen (LS01) Notification form (if this applies and you have not already sent it)
• the damaged passport (if this applies)

IPS may ask you to supply further documents such as birth or marriage certificates.

IPS will cancel your lost or stolen passport. If you later find it you must return it to a Regional Passport Office.

• Find your nearest Regional Passport Office Opens new window

• Find your nearest Regional Passport Office (Northern Ireland) Opens new window

Lost or Stolen (LS01) Notification form

You can download this form or get it from:

• the IPS Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000
• your Regional Passport Office
• your local police station
• certain Post Office branches that offer the Check & Send service

You can also complete it online. In this case IPS will print out the completed form and send it to you to sign and return with supporting documents.

• Download Lost or Stolen (LS01) Notification form (PDF, 231K)

• Help with PDF files

• Complete Lost or Stolen (LS01) Notification form online Opens new window

If you need a replacement urgently

If you need to travel in less than two weeks you should make an urgent application for a new passport. You can use the Fast Track one-week service (the Premium one-day service is not available for replacement passports). First you should call the IPS Passport Adviceline 0300 222 0000 to make an appointment at a Regional Passport Office.

• Urgent passport applications