Half a million passports go missing abroad each year

Over half a million British tourists either lose, or have their passport stolen, while holidaying abroad each year, according to new research from Halifax Travel Insurance. The result is over 1.7 million days of delayed return trips, as Britons await the official replacement documents needed to get them back home safely.

Indeed, the research found that the average holidaymaker losing their passport abroad has to extend their holiday by three days - costing an estimated £131 per person in extra accommodation and rescheduled flights, equating to a combined £389 million each year. This also inevitably impacts on the workplace, with many people failing to return to work due to delays in getting home caused by lost passports.

Halifax Travel Insurance warns holidaymakers to be particularly careful of their passports in crowded tourist attractions. This is the most common place to lose or have a passport stolen during a foreign holiday, accounting for 15% of victims. Frustratingly, 12% go missing in the airport - either immediately after the traveller arrives or just before they are due to depart.

The insurer also advises making use of a hotel safe, or if that's not an option, finding a well hidden place in your room - since 11% of missing passports are reported stolen from the hotel. Holidaymakers should also be discrete with their documents outside the hotel - as a further 10% of passports are physically taken from a tourist in a local street. Restaurants and bars provide the venue for 5% of incidents while a further 5% are mislaid or stolen on public transport.

Paul Birkhead at Halifax Travel Insurance commented: "Losing your passport abroad is a guaranteed nightmare and we always advise taking several photocopies of the back page with you, just in case something happens to it. This can help to speed the process up and avoid delays on the return leg of your trip, which is not only costly, but can cause serious hassle - especially if you're due back at work. Of course if you have a decent travel insurance policy then it is likely that much of the expense will be covered by your insurer."

Halifax Travel Insurance covers for up to £600 for a lost passport while on holiday abroad. This includes new documentation and any other associated costs such as accommodation and flights.

Advice from the Identity and Passport Service ips.gov.uk

Before travelling

Make sure that:

you have filled in details of your next of kin on the last page of your passport
you have noted down your passport number and its date of issue and have put these details in a safe place, separate from your passport
you have made a photocopy of your passport details page (usually inside the back cover) and left it with a friend
you take one other form of photo ID with you
any children who are travelling on your passport will still be under 16 by the end of your journey (if not, they will need their own passport - a child passport if they are under 16 at the start of their travels and an adult one if they will be 16 by their return date).

What should I do if my passport is lost or stolen abroad?

You must report the loss or theft of your British passport as soon as possible to the local police and to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Consulate, Embassy or High Commission of the country you are in. You can get details of your local FCO post by calling +44 20 7008 1500 (0870 606 0290 within the UK) or by visiting the FCO website fco.gov.uk

When you make the report to the FCO post, you will also need to fill in and sign a lost or stolen declaration form LS01. All cases of theft must also be reported to the local police, as the crime reference details must be inserted in the relevant section of the LS01 form.

The FCO post will record the loss or theft of your passport and forward the information to the Identity and Passport Service. We will then cancel your passport to reduce the risk or someone else using your identity. The FCO will issue you with replacement travel documents so you can travel back to the UK.

In addition, we recommend that you apply for a replacement passport as soon as possible because in many countries it is a legal requirement to carry identity with you at all times. You can apply to us for a replacement passport as long as you are a British national and also:

a UK resident and
in the UK at the time you are applying