What to do if you lose your passport while traveling. Complete guide.
I understand that before a vacation you don't want to think about bad things, but it's better to know in advance what I'll talk about in this post.


1️⃣ Calm down. Don't worry. It happens. Everything will be fine!

2️⃣ Seek help
If the loss occurred on an excursion – contact your guide; at a hotel/shop – contact the administrators; at some other place – leave your contact details with the "locals" – maybe someone has already found your passport – so they can find you and return it.

Then call your travel agent, if you have one, for advice and support.

3️⃣ Contact the police
Ask them for a certificate (report) confirming the loss (to later provide this document to the embassy).
Be prepared that the police will speak to you in the local language (you will also need to write the statement in that language): your guide/translator/travel agent can help with this.

Important: not every country's police understand what a "passport loss certificate" is – sometimes to get the certificate, you will have to say that it was "stolen" (don't be embarrassed – your goal is the certificate, because without it, going to the consulate is pointless).

As a result of dealing with the police, you should receive: 2 copies of the loss/theft report and 2 copies of the certificate (one for the consulate and one for the Russian Federal Migration Service).

4️⃣ Go to the consulate
There you need to obtain a "Certificate for Entry (Return) to the Russian Federation." At the consulate, you will need to present:
• Police certificate;
• 2 photos 3.5x4.5 cm;
• State fee;
• Any photo ID confirming your identity (Russian passport/driver's license/copy of either passport).

If you are prepared, you will have no problems with identification at the consulate.
⭕ If you have no documents at all (neither originals nor copies), you can either ask someone who has them to fax them directly to the consulate, or find a couple of "friend-witnesses" with Russian passports who can confirm your identity by stating your date of birth and residential address in Russia.
* The consulate doesn't need to know that you met them on an excursion.

As a result of visiting the consulate, you should receive:
"Certificate for Entry (Return) to the Russian Federation" – this is your ticket home.

🚨Important: if everything is done according to the instructions, you will receive the certificate on the day you apply to the consulate; if there are problems with identification, the process may take up to 20 days – the consulate will wait for a response to its inquiry to the Russian Federal Migration Service.

✅ The validity period of the received "Certificate for Entry" is 15 days.
• During this time, you must leave the host country and return to the Russian Federation.
• If you were unable to confirm your identity and received the "Certificate for Entry" based on additional verification, the consulate is obliged to inform the border service. Be prepared for a thorough check at the border.
• Note that the certificate only grants the right to enter the Russian Federation. You cannot enter other countries with it, so if you need to cross several borders to return, you cannot travel by train or car.
• Upon returning to the Russian Federation, you must surrender the certificate with border checkpoint stamps to the Federal Migration Service office where you received your passport within 3 days. Then you can apply for a new passport.