If you lose your passport in China, file a loss report with local police first, then contact your embassy or consulate — replacement may need a fresh visa or exit permit, so it's generally not a same-day fix.
A police report establishes the loss officially and is typically what your embassy or consulate will ask to see; the embassy or consulate is separately the body that issues an emergency travel document.
Start with the nearest police station for a loss report, then contact your embassy or consulate as soon as you have it, and build in time before any planned departure.
Why both steps generally matter
Losing a passport in China is generally treated as a two-step process. A police report establishes the loss officially and is typically what your embassy or consulate will ask to see. Your embassy or consulate is separately the body that can issue an emergency travel document — and exit formalities afterward may also require a replacement visa or exit permit before you can leave the country.
Your country's embassy or consulate in China is the authority on emergency travel documents — procedures and requirements vary by nationality, so treat their guidance as the definitive source, not a general script.
Local police — the nearest station, or the emergency line — are the authority for the loss report itself.
Because a replacement document may need a fresh visa or exit permit before you can leave China, this is generally not a same-day fix. Build in time before any planned departure.
The general sequence
Visit the nearest police station to file an official loss report. This is typically the first document you'll need for the embassy step that follows.
Your country's embassy or consulate in China is generally who issues an emergency travel document — contact them as soon as you have the police report.
You'll typically need the police loss report plus passport-style photos when you apply for the emergency document. Check your own embassy's specific requirements before you go.
A replacement passport or emergency travel document may need a fresh visa or exit permit before you can leave China. Your embassy and the local exit-entry authority can confirm what applies to your case.
A real mistake to avoid
Not keeping a passport photocopy or photo
Without a copy of your passport's photo page, both the police report and your embassy's emergency-document process are generally slower and harder.
Workaround: Keep a photocopy or a photo of your passport's main page stored separately from the passport itself — in email, cloud storage, or with a travel companion — before you travel.
Before you travel
Keep a photocopy or photo of your passport's photo page stored somewhere separate from the passport itself.
Save your embassy or consulate's contact details somewhere reachable even without your phone.
Know the general sequence: police report first, embassy or consulate second.
Build in extra time before departure in case a replacement visa or exit permit is needed.
Frequently asked questions
What's the first thing to do if I lose my passport in China?
Report it to the nearest police station to get an official loss report — you'll typically need this for the next step with your embassy or consulate.
Do I need a police report to replace a lost passport in China?
Generally, yes — most embassies and consulates ask for a police loss report as part of the emergency travel document process. Confirm the specific requirement with your own embassy or consulate.
Can I still fly home without my original passport?
Your embassy or consulate can generally issue an emergency travel document, but leaving China may also require a replacement visa or exit permit. Check with your embassy or consulate and the local exit-entry authority before booking a flight.
What if my China visa was in the lost passport?
This is exactly the kind of case-specific question your embassy or consulate and the local exit-entry authority need to confirm directly — requirements vary by nationality and this page cannot substitute for their guidance.
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