How to Get an Emergency Passport While Traveling Abroad

What an emergency passport is and when you need one

An emergency passport is a temporary travel document issued by the U.S. State Department when your regular passport is lost, stolen, or damaged while you are outside the United States. It lets you return home or continue to your next destination without waiting weeks for a standard replacement.

You need an emergency passport if your current passport is gone and you have a flight booked within days, or if your passport is damaged enough that border officials will not accept it. The emergency document is valid for one year and is meant to get you home or to your next port of entry — not for long-term travel.

An emergency passport is not the same as a regular replacement. It costs less, takes days instead of weeks, and comes with restrictions on where you can use it. You will need to apply for a full passport once you return to the United States.

Key Takeaways

• You can request an emergency passport at any U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, and most can issue one within 24 to 72 hours if you have proof of citizenship and identity.
• You must report a lost or stolen passport to the embassy or consulate before you can get an emergency replacement, and they will cancel the old one in the system.
• An emergency passport costs between $135 and $200 depending on the country and whether you need it expedited, and you pay in local currency or by card at the embassy.
• The emergency document is valid for one year only and is restricted to direct travel home or to your next destination — you cannot use it for side trips or tourism.
• You will need to apply for a regular passport after you return to the U.S., and the emergency passport will be invalidated once the new one is issued.

How to find the right U.S. embassy or consulate

Start by going to the State Department's embassy locator at travel.state.gov and searching for the country where you are. The site will show you the address, phone number, and hours of every U.S. diplomatic post in that country. If you are in a small country or remote area, there may be only one embassy; larger countries have multiple consulates in different cities.

Call ahead before you go. Most embassies and consulates have a specific phone line for passport emergencies, and the staff can tell you what documents to bring, whether they have same-day appointments, and how long the process will take in that location. Some posts are busier than others and may have a wait even for emergency passports.

If you cannot reach the embassy by phone, send an email to the consular section. Include your name, passport number if you remember it, and your travel dates. Many posts monitor email during business hours and will respond within a few hours, especially if your flight is soon.

Documents you need to bring to the embassy

Bring proof of U.S. citizenship. This can be your lost passport (if you have a copy), a birth certificate, a naturalization certificate, or a consular report of birth abroad. If your passport was stolen and you have no copy, a birth certificate is the most common backup — bring the original or a certified copy if you have one.

Bring a valid photo ID. A driver's license, state ID, or national ID card from your home country works. If your ID was also stolen, tell the embassy staff — they may be able to proceed with other forms of identification, though the process may take longer.

Bring proof of your travel plans. A flight confirmation, booking email, or airline ticket showing your departure date and destination helps the embassy understand the urgency. If you do not have a booked flight yet, you can still get an emergency passport, but it may take longer because the staff will prioritize people with immediate travel needs.

Bring a passport photo if you have one, though most embassies can take one on-site for a small fee. The photo must meet U.S. passport standards: 2 by 2 inches, color or black and white, taken within the last six months, with a plain background and your face clearly visible.

What happens when you arrive at the embassy

Go to the main entrance and tell security you are there for a passport emergency. You will be directed to the consular section, which handles passport services. Check in at the window and explain that your passport was lost, stolen, or damaged. The staff will give you a form to fill out — usually the Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen U.S. Passport (Form DS-64) or a similar document depending on the country.

The consular officer will ask you questions about your passport: when you got it, where you were when it went missing, and whether you have filed a police report. You do not always need a police report to get an emergency passport, but having one speeds things up. If your passport was stolen, consider filing a report with local police before or after your embassy visit — the embassy can advise you on whether it is necessary in that country.

The officer will take your documents, verify your citizenship and identity, and take a new passport photo if you did not bring one. They will then tell you when your emergency passport will be ready — usually the same day or the next business day. Some embassies issue them on the spot if you arrive early in the morning and the office is not busy.

Cost and payment methods

An emergency passport costs between $135 and $200 in most countries, though the exact amount varies by location. Some embassies charge a flat fee; others charge the base passport fee plus an emergency processing fee. A few countries have higher costs due to local currency exchange rates or additional consular fees.

Payment is usually in local currency or by credit card. Most embassies accept Visa and Mastercard, though some also take American Express or debit cards. A few posts in remote areas may accept only cash in the local currency, so ask when you call ahead. If you do not have enough local currency and your card is not accepted, the embassy staff can direct you to an ATM or money exchange nearby.

The fee covers the emergency passport itself, not the regular passport you will need to get later. When you return to the United States, you will need to apply for a full passport through your local passport acceptance facility or the State Department, and that will cost an additional fee.

Restrictions on using an emergency passport

An emergency passport is valid for one year and can be used to return to the United States or travel to your next destination. However, you cannot use it for tourism, side trips, or any travel that is not directly related to getting home or to your booked destination. If your flight goes from Thailand to the U.S., you can use the emergency passport for that flight, but you cannot use it to visit another country first.

Some countries do not recognize emergency passports for entry, so check with the embassy about whether your destination will accept it. Most countries accept U.S. emergency passports, but a few require a full passport. The embassy can tell you whether your specific destination has restrictions.

Once you arrive in the United States, your emergency passport remains valid for the rest of its one-year term, but you should apply for a regular passport right away. You can do this at any passport acceptance facility — usually a post office, courthouse, or library — or by mail through the State Department. The emergency passport will be invalidated once your new passport is issued.

What to do if your passport was damaged, not lost

If your passport is water-damaged, torn, or otherwise unusable but you still have it, bring it to the embassy along with your other documents. The consular officer will examine it and may be able to issue an emergency passport on the spot without requiring a police report, since the damage is visible proof of the problem.

Damaged passports are sometimes faster to replace than lost ones because there is no question about what happened. However, the embassy will still cancel your old passport in the system once the emergency one is issued, so you cannot use both.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get an emergency passport on a weekend or holiday?

Most embassies and consulates are closed on weekends and U.S. federal holidays, but some larger posts in major cities have emergency duty officers available 24/7. Call the embassy's main number and ask for the after-hours emergency line if you need help outside business hours. Be prepared to explain why your situation cannot wait until the next business day.

What if I do not have a birth certificate or any proof of citizenship?

Contact the embassy before you go. If you have no documents at all, the process is much slower because the consular officer will need to verify your citizenship through records in the United States. This can take weeks. The embassy may be able to issue a limited emergency travel document to get you home, but it is not a full emergency passport.

Do I need a police report to get an emergency passport?

No, but having one helps. If your passport was stolen, filing a police report with local authorities creates an official record that the embassy can reference. Some countries make this easy; others do not. Ask the embassy whether a report is required in that country before you spend time looking for a police station.

Can I use an emergency passport to travel after I get home?

Yes, for the remainder of its one-year validity. However, you should apply for a regular passport as soon as you can, because some countries and airlines prefer full passports. The emergency passport is meant as a temporary solution, not a replacement for a regular one.

What happens to my old passport if it is found after I get an emergency one?

It is no longer valid. Once the embassy cancels it in the system, it cannot be used for travel even if you find it later. Do not try to use it — border officials will reject it, and you could face delays or questioning about why you are carrying two passports.