If you lose your passport overseas, report the loss immediately to the nearest United States embassy or consulate. You must go in person. Before you leave home, print out the list of embassies and consulates on the U.S. Department of State's website. Pack the list in a safe place and hope you never have to use it. Once you report the loss, the passport is immediately invalidated so no one else can use it to travel. That also means that you can't use it either, so make sure it's lost before reporting it. A lost passport cannot be re-validated.
After completing a form known as a DS-64, you will receive either a permanent replacement or a temporary passport, depending on how much time you have before you need to travel. A temporary passport is more restrictive; you may not be able to travel between countries with it. Once you get home, you must replace the temporary passport before traveling again. If you need to travel back to the United States quickly and there is no way to get even a temporary passport, an after-hours duty officer may be able to issue a transportation letter for the airline and can notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement that you will be entering the country without a passport.
If you've "lost" your passport at home, meaning you can't find it or remember where you put it, don't rush to report it missing unless you need it in the immediate future. Finding a lost passport is easier than replacing it, so make a concerted effort to find it first. If you're sure it's lost, call 1-877-487-2778 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Friday except for federal holidays. If you're going overseas within a few days or weeks, you may have to pay extra fees to receive a replacement passport quickly.
If you report your loss immediately, the risk that someone else will use your passport to leave the country under your name is small since the passport will be immediately invalidated. To minimize the chance of losing your passport, always use the hotel's safe if you leave your passport in the room. Whenever you and your passport are separated for a short time, check as soon as you get back in your room to make sure the passport is still there. Make a copy of your passport and leave it at home where someone can fax it to you quickly, or give a copy to a traveling companion. Having a photocopy of the information inside makes it easier to replace. Carry passport-sized pictures with you so you won't have to locate a place to take new pictures quickly if you lose your passport.
