What should I do if my passport is lost or stolen?

If you are overseas and your passport is stolen, report the incident as soon as possible to the nearest police station (in Austria, ask for the ‘Polizei’). Here you should obtain a police report, called a ‘Bestätigung einer Diebstahlsanzeige’ (confirmation of a reported theft).  If you have lost your passport, you should report this to your local lost property bureau (‘Fundbüro) and ask for a ‘Verlustanzeige’ (confirmation of a reported loss).

You should also immediately inform the Consular Section of the British Embassy in Vienna, or your nearest British Consulates. This will reduce the risk of someone stealing your identity or attempting to enter the UK on your passport.

When making a replacement passport appliction, please enclose a copy of the theft or loss report, along with a completed LSO1 form, to the British Passport Processing Centre in Düsseldorf.

To see the charges for issuing passports, please visit the list of passport fees.

The British Embassy in Vienna can also issue an emergency passport if required. This is valid for a single trip to the United Kingdom only.

If you are in the UK, contact the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) on their Passport Advice Line 0870 521 0410 for guidance.

What if I need to travel in a hurry?

If you need to travel back to the UK and can’t wait for your full replacement passport application to be processed you should contact the Consular Section at the British Embassy Vienna: 01 716130. The Consular Section can issue Emergency Passports (EPs) which are valid for one single journey back to the UK.

What to do if you find a passport that has been reported lost or stolen

If you find a passport that has been reported lost or stolen, you must take it to either the British Embassy in Vienna or the British Honorary Consulates in Bregenz, Graz, Innsbruck and Salzburg as soon as possible.

If you are in the UK, you should take the passport to the nearest Identity and Passport Service office.

Once you report your passport as lost or stolen, it is electronically cancelled. You will not be able to use it as a proof of identity, nationality, or for any other legal purpose. You must not use it as a means of identification as this may be detected as a potentially fraudulent act.

You will also not be able to use it for travel. Doing so may cause the passport to be impounded by the Borders and Immigration Authority at UK ports or airports. If travelling overseas, you could face deportation or arrest.

Returning the passports of deceased persons

It is important to cancel the passport of a deceased person so that it cannot be used illegally.

You must return the passport with a copy of the death certificate to the British Embassy in Vienna or the British Honorary Consulates in Bregenz, Graz, Innsbruck and Salzburg as soon as possible.

The form allows you to choose for us to send the passport back to you or dispose of it. If you do not choose an option, we will dispose of the passport.

When we receive the form, we will immediately cancel the passport.

‘What to do with a passport when the passport holder has died’ form (PDF, 55KB)

If you are in the UK

You should return the passport to the nearest passport office. There are details of passport offices in the UK on the Immigration and Passport Service website.