Had your UK passport stolen abroad?
Awful
isn´t it?
We
went through a stressful and long process to recover after we
were robbed in Bolivia. We had no idea what to do and spent days and
days calling, emailing and visiting people, embassies and immigration offices.
A nightmare! So we decided to write down some important and valuable
information for anyone who was unfortunate as us to have their ´key-to-travel´
taken from them.
All
the information here was accurate for December 2012 and for the conditions set
for Bolivia (where we were robbed). The prices, times and requirements may have
changed since writing this.
Useful
website to look over (Bolivia)
http://ukinbolivia.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports
Key
steps to take
- Report the theft to the
police immediately and get an official statement (you will need
this a lot!)
- Report the theft (or loss) to
your nearest embassy or consulate and fill in the LS01 form
- Visit your nearest embassy or
consulate and apply for an Emergency Travel Document (ETD)
Emergency Travel Document (ETD)
The ETD is your temporary replacement
passport. It allows you to travel internationally for 9 months but is more
restrictive than a regular passport. It only allowed 5 transit countries to
´final destination´, which basically means, you are only allowed to visit 5
countries before you reach your destination and then the ETD is no longer valid
for further travel and you must apply for a regular passport once in that
country.
You
should check the requirements for all transit countries as visas may be
required to entre with an ETD. As British nationals, we required a tourist visa
to entre Argentina which was not a requirement with a regular passport.
When
flying, also note that some countries (e.g. United Arab Emirates) do not permit
entry with ETD and you will have to remain air side (i.e. remain in arrives and
departures) until your next flight. Again, make sure you check the requirements
for individual countries you will be visiting.
You will need
- £95 (or equivalent in local
currency)
- A copy of the police report for
the theft
- A standard passport photo (view
the requirements here
- A copy of your flight itinerary
to your final destination
- A copy of your old passport (if
possible) or another form of ID
You
will need to allow 3-4 working days to allow processing time.
Once
you have your ETD, you must then go to the immigration office and get another
entry stamp so you can exit the country.
You will need
·
A copy of your ETD
·
A copy of your police report
·
Proof of the date you entered the country (e.g. a bus ticket)
Applying for a visa with an ETD
Individual countries
may vary, the information here was directed towards a visa for Argentina.
To
obtain some visas, there may be a price. In the case for Argentina, with an
ETD, it was US$50. Whichever country you need a visa for, you must go to that
countries embassy and provide the following:
You
will need
- Your ETD (they hold onto
this during the processing time)
- A copy of your ETD
- Visa fee in dollars (or the
equivalent in local currency)
- A recent bank statement
(to prove you have at least US$100)
- An out-going ticket
(flight itinerary or bus ticket, to prove you will not over stay
your 30-day stay)
- A reservation of accommodation
in that country
- An entry (bus/plane) ticket
into that country
- A copy of the police report for
the theft
In
Bolivia, there were 3 places where you could obtain a visa for Argentina: the Argentinean
Embassy in La Paz or the Argentinean Consulate in
either Tupiza or Villazon. The
processing time depends on where you apply; we were told it could take up to a
week in La Paz but only a day or two in Villazon (it actually only took a few
hours!). Because we applied in Villazon (the Bolivia-Argentina border town)
There was no need to show an entry ticket into Argentina. The
visa was valid for 30-days.
Useful
websites
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/passports1/passports-a-to-z/l-topics/lost-stolen-passport 
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