The Women’s Travel Group was in Central America, and checking into our lovely hotel. Shock of all shocks !! To complete check in, we needed all the passports. One was gone along with the entire back pack. Misplaced no? Stolen passport, yes. In front of security and our full group, someone walked off with a bag. It contained what we describe as her life.
What do you do at this point with a stolen passport? Let’s make it simple. Start with a check list and go from there.
- List everything you think you lost. That includes documents, credit cards, lost passport, medicines, photos, phone, cash.
- Prioritize your list, begin with critical medicine and call hotel doctor to re-prescribe it. Then work on passport and credit cards.
- Cancel credit cards. Make emergency appointment with the nearest passport office, usually part of the US consulate. Get a photo taken for your new passport.
- Call friend or family contact in case they can photo and send you identification you might need. Even a social security or medicare card if that is all they can locate.
- Keep receipts for your insurance claim. Call the insurer if you think they can help.
- Calm down, this is a list and a list for a lost passport etc. can be completed.
What good hotels do is check all staff exits, then they look into nearby plants or receptacles. Stolen bags are usually dumped nearby. Only cash, passports are generally taken and usually only cash.
Here is what we did:
We called the US consulate, informed them about the stolen passport. We were given a list of instructions- what to bring- and daily open hours. Today consulate contacts are usually by email or text. Phone calls might work, but do not be disappointed if not. OMG they might be closed on weekends and holidays.
We found a shop get photos; there are often photo places near consulates– for obvious reasons.
At the consulate, we waited in line with others needing help. My favorite couple were holding a new born baby; the wife needed a visa to enter the US. They were excited to show their precious bundle to American grandparents.
At our turn, I explained that the lady’s backpack held every piece of identification she owned. Her husband, at home, could not find additional documentation. Warning: you do not need to carry every lifelong paper; a color photo or hard copies of your documents will do for a new passport. She was crying. I was handing her tax payor paid consulate tissues.
The consular officer asked questions. At the grand finale here are the two questions that secured her new passport. Where are you from? Between sobs, she answered Wisconsin. What is your football team? Sob sob she answered The Green Bay Packers. BINGO, she passed and was able to get a one year non renewal passport. It all would have been a synch, had she kept photos of documents in her phone or on paper.
Our often forgotten last step was a return to the airport for a new entry stamp on her new passport. Then we got the hotel doctor to prescribe her hormone medicine. With her hormones, she stopped crying and our fun trip began.
PS in most cases if you want to claim on insurance, you must also get a police report. In most cases, you need your prescriptions in the generic. Simple travel tips from The Women’s Travel Group, award winning tours for women.
