What to do if you lose your documents in Italy

Lost your passport in Italy? If your passport is lost or stolen, first try to recover it by retracing your steps and contacting the places you visited. If you cannot find it, report the loss or theft to the Italian authorities and contact the British Embassy in Italy for advice on replacing your passport or travelling home.

If you are looking for information about how to replace a lost passport, what to do if you lost your passport in Italy, or how to get a replacement passport, this guide takes you through the process step by step. If you are flying from Rome and searching for information about lost passport forms at FCO Italy, remember that passport replacement is handled by the UK authorities, not by the airport itself. If you are in Rome, the British Embassy in Italy can provide consular assistance and tell you what to do next.

Losing your passport or other documents while travelling can be stressful, especially when you are far from home. The good news is that there is a clear process to follow in Italy. Knowing what to do, where to look and who to contact can make an unexpected situation much easier to manage. When planning a trip, we think about what to see, where to stay and what to pack. We rarely think about what would happen if our passport disappeared somewhere between a museum, a restaurant and the hotel.

And yet, it is one of those pieces of information worth having to hand.

So here is our practical guide to keep with you while travelling in Italy.

First things first: try the simplest solution

In Italy, there is still a surprisingly valuable resource: people.

Before starting any formal procedure, retrace your steps and contact the places you visited. A lost passport or wallet is sometimes handed in to the staff of a hotel, restaurant, museum or shop, or to the local authorities. Hotels, restaurants, museums, taxis, public transport companies and shops often keep items that have been found, hoping that their owner will come back for them.

If you are travelling in Rome, Florence, Milan or any other Italian city, one phone call or a quick visit to the places you visited earlier that day could solve the problem faster than you expect.

It is worth trying. Sometimes your passport is not really lost. It is simply in the hands of someone who is trying to get it back to you. If you cannot find it, however, you should report the loss or theft to the Italian authorities and contact the UK authorities for advice on what to do next.

In this guide, you will find out where to look for a lost passport, how to report a lost passport in Italy, how to replace a lost passport and what to do if your British passport is stolen while travelling in Italy.

Where can I find my lost passport or documents?

Start by contacting the place where you think you lost your passport or documents, as well as any lost property service that may have received them. If you are staying at a hotel, ask at reception. The hotel may have found your passport or other belongings and kept them safely.

Before reporting your passport lost or stolen, try to reconstruct your last movements.

Check:

• your hotel or apartment;

• restaurants and bars;

• museums and attractions;

• shops;

• railway stations;

• airports;

• taxis;

• buses and other public transport;

• tourist information offices;

• local lost property offices.

How to call an Italian number from a UK mobile

If you are in Italy with a UK SIM card and need to contact a museum, hotel or another place where you may have lost your passport, you can call an Italian number using the international prefix +39. For example, an Italian Rome number such as 06 6988 3331 can be dialled from abroad as +39 06 6988 3331.

You do not need to add any other international prefix: +39 is the country code for Italy.

Where can I report or look for a lost passport?

You can start by contacting the place where you think you lost your passport, the relevant lost property office, the railway station or the airport. If you think you lost your passport on public transport, contact the transport company. If you lost it in a museum, restaurant or another venue, ask the staff directly. If you have no idea where you lost it, you should report the loss to the Italian authorities.

If your passport has been stolen, report the theft to the Polizia di Stato or Carabinieri.

How can I recover a lost passport?

If your passport has been found, you can recover it from the place or service that took it in: for example, a hotel, museum, restaurant, transport company or local lost property office. Before going to collect it, contact the organisation to make sure they actually have your passport and ask how and when you can collect it.

There is one important thing to remember, however:

A passport that has been reported lost or stolen may no longer be valid for travel.

If you have already reported your British passport as lost or stolen, you should not use it even if you find it later. Once a passport has been reported lost or stolen, it is cancelled and cannot be used to cross a border.

What should I do if I lost my passport in Italy?

If you lost your passport in Italy, first try to recover it by retracing your steps and contacting the places you visited. If you cannot find it, you should report the loss to the Italian authorities and contact the British Embassy in Italy for advice. If your passport was stolen, report the theft to the Italian police. The police may provide documentation confirming that you reported the theft.

You should then follow the instructions provided by the UK authorities for replacing your passport or obtaining the appropriate travel document.

If you are due to fly home soon, do not wait until the day of your flight.

Contact the British Embassy or the relevant UK consular service as soon as possible.

Can I travel back to the UK if I lost my passport in Italy?

If you have lost your British passport while travelling in Italy, contact the UK authorities as soon as possible to find out what travel document or replacement passport you may need.

Depending on your circumstances and travel plans, you may be able to apply for an Emergency Travel Document (ETD). An Emergency Travel Document is designed for situations in which you cannot use your normal passport and need to travel.

Do not wait until the day of departure. If you have lost your only valid travel document, contact the British authorities as soon as possible and check exactly what documents and information you will need.

What if my passport was stolen?

If your passport has been stolen in Italy, report the theft to the Polizia di Stato or Carabinieri. When making the report, try to provide as much information as possible, including:

• where the theft happened;

• when you noticed your passport was missing;

• what documents were stolen;

• whether any other belongings were taken;

• any relevant circumstances surrounding the theft.

If your bank cards were also stolen, contact your bank immediately and ask them to block the cards. You should then contact the British Embassy in Italy or follow the official UK government guidance for replacing a stolen passport and finding out whether you need an emergency travel document.

What about replacing a lost passport?

If you are searching for information about how to replace a lost passport, the first step is to report the loss and then follow the instructions provided by the UK authorities. The exact procedure depends on your circumstances, where you are travelling and how soon you need to return home.

If you are still in Italy, do not assume that you need to travel to Rome or to the airport to deal with your passport. The British authorities will tell you which service to use and what documents you need.

If you are searching online for a lost passport form, lost passport forms at FCO Italy, or information about replacing a lost passport, always check the latest instructions on the official UK government website before travelling to an office.

What should I do if I lose my documents in Rome?

If you lost your passport in Rome, start by retracing your steps and contacting the places you visited. Check your hotel, restaurants, museums, attractions, shops, taxis and public transport. You can also contact the relevant lost property service. If you cannot recover your passport, report the loss or theft to the Italian authorities and contact the British Embassy in Rome for advice on the next steps.

If you are travelling from Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO), do not assume that the airport can replace your passport. Passport replacement and emergency travel documentation are handled through the appropriate UK authorities.

If you have a flight coming up, start the process as early as possible.

What should I do if I lose my documents in Milan?

If you lost your passport in Milan, follow the same basic steps as anywhere else in Italy. First, try to recover it by contacting the places you visited. If you cannot find it, report the loss or theft to the Italian authorities and contact the relevant UK consular service for advice.

You can contact the British Consulate General Milan.

If you lost your passport on public transport, contact the transport operator. If you lost it in a hotel, museum or restaurant, contact the venue directly. The important thing is not to wait until your departure date if your passport cannot be found.

What should I do if I lose my documents in Florence?

If you lost your passport in Florence, start by checking the places you visited before assuming it is gone for good. Contact your hotel, restaurants, museums, attractions, shops and transport providers. If you believe it was lost in a specific location, the people who work there may already have found it.

If you cannot recover it, report the loss or theft to the Italian authorities and contact the relevant UK consular service for advice. In this case too you can contact the British Consulate General Milan.

The procedure is essentially the same throughout Italy: try to recover your passport, report the loss or theft, and contact the UK authorities if you need a replacement passport or emergency travel document.

Useful contacts for British travellers in Italy

Consular procedures, opening hours and access arrangements can change. For this reason, always check the latest information through the official UK government website before travelling to an embassy, consulate or police station. If you are looking for the British Embassy in Italy, make sure you are using current official information rather than an old travel blog or directory.

This is particularly important if you need to replace a lost passport, apply for an Emergency Travel Document or travel home urgently.

In short: what should I do if I lose my passport in Italy?

If you lost your passport in Italy, don't panic.

Start by trying to recover it. If you cannot find it, report the loss or theft to the Italian authorities and contact the UK authorities for advice on replacing your passport or obtaining an emergency travel document. Remember:

1. Look for your passport.
Retrace your steps and contact hotels, museums, restaurants, transport companies and lost property services.

2. Report the loss or theft.
If you cannot recover your passport, report it to the Italian authorities. If it was stolen, make sure you report the theft.

3. Contact the British authorities.
Ask what you need to do to replace your passport or obtain an Emergency Travel Document.

4. If you are travelling home soon, act quickly.
Do not wait until the day of your flight to find out what documents you need.

And remember: do not use a passport after you have reported it lost or stolen. Even if you find it later, it may have been cancelled and will no longer be valid for international travel.

I lost my passport in Italy. What do I do now?

Losing your passport was probably not part of your Italian holiday itinerary. But it can happen. The important thing is to know what to do next, who to contact and where to look first. Once you have taken care of the practical side of the problem, you can get back to what brought you to Italy in the first place.

Because one lost passport should not be allowed to ruin the rest of your trip.

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