Now that the borders have reopened, many of us are dusting off our passports in anticipation of finally travelling again. If our passports have expired or less than 6 months validity, this may mean renewing our passports. Yet, for some of us, this may be a moment of panic when we can’t find our passports.
Here’s what to do when you lose your passport whether you are in Singapore or overseas.
Report Your Lost Passport Immediately
Regardless of whether you lost your passport in Singapore or overseas, the first step is to report the loss immediately.
If you lost your passport in Singapore, you can report the loss online or in-person at the ICA building. It is not necessary to make a police report in order to replace your passport.
For online reports, you will require your Singpass login and details on how the passport was lost.
For in-person reports at ICA building, you will require your NRIC (for adults) or birth certificate (for children below the age of 16) and details on how the passport was lost. For children, the parent is required to report in person with the applicant.
You Need To Pay Additional Fees On Top Of The Passport Replacement Fee
For your first passport loss, you would need to pay a $50 fee, on top of the prevailing passport fee of S$70 (for applications submitted online, by post, or deposit box) or S$80 (for applications submitted over the counter at ICA Building or at the Singapore Overseas Mission).
For your second and subsequent passport losses, this fee increases to $100.
This means that replacing your passport (which is lost more than once) is going to cost a $170 to $180.
If You Lost Your Singapore Passport Overseas
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), if you lose your passport overseas, you should immediately lodge a local police report and contact the nearest Singapore Overseas Mission.
You would need the police report, two recent passport-sized photographs, documentary proof of your citizenship status and identity (e.g. Identity Card, Birth Certificate).
For Singapore tourists, the Embassy or Mission will issue a Document of Identity (DOI). This will allow you to return to Singapore after your particulars have been verified. The DOI application fee is S$15. After returning to Singapore, you would need to apply for a new passport at ICA (see above steps).
For Singaporeans who are working or studying overseas, the Embassy or Mission will assist in your application for a replacement passport.
If you lose your passport in a country with no Singapore Embassy, check with the nearest Singapore Overseas Mission for assistance.
Lost Passports Must Be Reported Within 14 Days
Even if you don’t want to replace your passport, you must report the loss of your Singapore passport. This is because under the Passports Act (Chapter 220), a lost passport must be reported within 14 days of losing it
If you misplaced your passport and reported it as lost, your lost passport cannot be used later even if you find or recovered it. Recovered passports should be surrendered to ICA within 14 days. Failure to surrender a recovered passport is an offence and could incur a fine and/or imprisonment.
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