Lost Passport: Replacement Guide

Quick Answer (30 Seconds)

Lost your passport in China? Don't panic — three steps: Step 1, call 110 (or go to the nearest paichusuo (派出所, police station) to file a report and get a police record); Step 2, contact your embassy (book an appointment to replace your passport or get a travel document — travel documents take 2-5 working days); Step 3, go to the Exit-Entry Administration (chū rù jìng guǎn lǐ chù, 出入境管理处 — transfer your visa to your new document). You'll need: police record, passport copy (best to have photographed it and saved to the cloud beforehand), passport photo. Before you travel, always photograph your passport's data page and save it to your phone and cloud, plus carry a paper copy. Losing it is a hassle, but China's replacement process is actually quite efficient.

Remember: Police report first, then embassy, then visa transfer.

Full Guide

I've lived in China for five years, and I've never lost my passport — but two of my friends have. One had it stolen on the subway, the other lost it at a bar after too many drinks. Both eventually got replacements, but the process was a headache for both of them. Here's everything I learned from their experiences. I hope you never need this guide, but if you do, you'll know exactly what to do.

Step 1: Report to Police (Call 110 / Go to a Paichusuo)

The first thing to do after losing your passport isn't calling your embassy — it's reporting to the police. Why? Because the embassy needs a police report before they'll issue replacement documents.

Call 110 — China's universal emergency police number. Explain the situation: "wǒ de hù zhào diū le" (我的护照丢了 — "I lost my passport"). 110 will connect you to the nearest paichusuo or tell you where to go.
Go to the paichusuo — Head directly to the nearest police station (派出所, pài chū suǒ). Search "派出所" on Amap and you'll find one. Walk in and tell the officer "hù zhào diū shī" (护照丢失 — "passport lost"), and they'll take your statement.
Filing the report — The officer will ask: when you noticed it was missing, roughly where you lost it, your passport number, nationality, etc. Just answer honestly.
Get the police record — After the report is filed, the paichusuo will give you a police report receipt (报警回执) or incident certificate (报案证明) — a paper document. This is the foundation for every subsequent step — keep it safe.

The whole process at the police station usually takes 30-60 minutes, depending on the queue. Police are generally professional and won't give you a hard time, but you may need to be patient.

Step 2: Contact Your Embassy

With the police record in hand, contact your country's embassy or consulate in China:

Find the right embassy/consulate — China has multiple consular districts. For example, the US: the Beijing Embassy covers the north, the Shanghai Consulate covers eastern China, the Guangzhou Consulate covers southern China. Check which one covers you.
Book an appointment — Most embassies require an online appointment. Go to your embassy's official website and find the "passport replacement" or "emergency travel document" page to book.
Passport replacement vs. travel document (emergency):
- Passport replacement — A full new passport. Takes longer, usually 2-4 weeks. Best if you're staying in China for a while.
- Travel document (旅行证件) — An emergency temporary passport replacement. Faster, usually 2-5 working days. Best if you need to leave China quickly. Travel documents can only be used to return to your home country or for transit — not for entering other countries.
Required documents — Bring: original police report, passport copy or photo (if you have one), passport photo (2-inch white background; photo shops near the embassy can take one), completed application form.
Fees — Varies by country. US passport replacement is about $145, travel document about $60. Check your embassy's website for specifics.

Step 3: Exit-Entry Administration (Visa Transfer)

Once you have your new passport or travel document, there's one final step: transferring your Chinese visa to your new document.

Go to the Exit-Entry Administration (出入境管理处, chū rù jìng guǎn lǐ chù) for your area of residence. Search "出入境" on Amap.
Bring: new passport/travel document, police report, old passport copy (if available), temporary accommodation registration form (your hotel will give you this).
Tell the counter staff "qiān zhèng zhuǎn yí" (签证转移 — "visa transfer").
Usually processed on the spot or within 1-2 working days. They'll attach a new visa page to your new document or add an annotation.

This step is critical: If you skip the visa transfer, you may be stopped at the airport when trying to leave China — because your visa is in your old passport, and the system won't show it linked to your new document.

Pre-Departure Backup: The Best Prevention

You can replace a lost passport, but the smartest move is to back up before you travel:

Photograph and cloud-save — Photograph your passport's data page (the one with your photo and personal info), visa page, and entry stamp page. Save to your phone gallery + cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud, etc.).
Paper copies — Print two copies: one in your luggage, one in your day bag. If you lose the original, the copy helps you quickly prove your identity to the embassy.
Save your embassy's contact — Look up your country's embassy in China: address, office hours, and 24-hour emergency phone. Save it in your phone.
Photograph your entry stamp — The entry stamp has your entry date, which is useful when processing documents.

Useful Phone Numbers and Resources

110 — Police emergency (nationwide, 24/7). Say "wǒ de hù zhào diū le" and they'll usually connect you to the nearest paichusuo.
12308 — China's MFA global consular protection and service emergency hotline, staffed 24/7. If you need emergency consular assistance and don't know what to do, call this number for guidance.
Your country's embassy in China — Look up the address, office hours, and 24-hour emergency phone on their website beforehand. Embassies are generally closed on weekends and holidays, but the emergency line is always answered.
Search "派出所" on Amap — Find the nearest police station. In big cities, paichusuo density is high — you can usually find one within a 10-minute walk.
Search "出入境" on Amap — Find the Exit-Entry Administration office. Note: these offices are generally open Monday to Friday, 9:00-17:00, closed on weekends.
Translation assistance — If you don't speak Chinese, 110 can request an English-speaking operator (supported in some cities), or ask your hotel front desk to help you communicate.

Disaster Manual

Disaster Scenario 1: No Police Report, Embassy Won't Process

Problem: You went straight to the embassy, and the staff says "we need a police report before we can issue a replacement."

What to do:

This is standard procedure — most embassies require a police report first. Don't argue with the staff.
Immediately call 110 or go to the nearest paichusuo to file a report.
If you're in a small city without an embassy, file the police report first, then figure out which embassy/consulate covers you — you may need to travel to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or another major city.
Lesson: Step 1 is always reporting to the police. Even if the embassy doesn't ask for it, having the police report can't hurt.

Disaster Scenario 2: No Passport Copy, Can't Remember Passport Number

Problem: At the paichusuo, the officer asks for your passport number, and you draw a blank — who memorizes their passport number?

What to do:

Search your phone gallery for any passport photos you may have taken before.
Log in to your country's passport application portal (some countries let you look up your passport number online).
Ask family back home to send your passport info (photo via WeChat or email).
If you truly can't find it: explain to the officer, provide your name, nationality, and date of birth — they can look you up through the foreign national information system.
Lesson: Always, always, always photograph your passport before you travel. Seriously, don't skip this.

Disaster Scenario 3: Got the Travel Document but Stopped at Airport Exit

Problem: You arrive at the airport with your travel document, and customs says your visa is in the old passport — the new document has no valid visa.

What to do:

This is exactly why Step 3 (visa transfer) can't be skipped.
If you haven't done the visa transfer: explain the situation to customs, show your old passport copy and police report, and ask for leniency. If you're lucky, they may let you through, but it's not guaranteed.
Safest option: Go to the Exit-Entry Administration to process the visa transfer before you leave.
If you're out of time: Contact the Exit-Entry Administration for expedited processing (some cities offer 1-working-day expedited service).
Lesson: The first thing to do after getting your new document is the visa transfer. Don't wait until departure day to discover the problem.

Information verified: August 2026 · Sources: National Immigration Administration of China (nia.gov.cn), public information from various embassies in China · Replacement process and fees vary by nationality — refer to your country's embassy in China for official guidance.