Lost or damaged passport: reissue documents and the checks to make first
Author: LawSphereX
Category: Identity & Public Services
Published:
Updated:
A lost or damaged Indian passport usually requires examining the reissue process rather than treating yourself as someone who never held a passport. The exact documents depend on the circumstances and the official adviser. Start by preserving the loss or damage details and checking whether you are applying within India or through an Indian mission abroad.
Identify the correct service and circumstances
The Passport Seva reissue page distinguishes reissue situations. Read the current categories before completing the application. A booklet that is unavailable because it was lost, a damaged booklet still in your possession and a routine expiry are not identical descriptions. State the facts accurately and disclose the earlier passport as required.
Write a short account of when the passport was last available, when the problem was discovered and what happened next. Preserve a copy of the earlier passport or its identifying information if available. Do not invent a passport number or replace an uncertain fact with a confident guess merely to complete a field.
Use the official document adviser
The reissue document adviser is the appropriate starting point for the current supporting-document list. Select the actual reason and personal circumstances. Follow the requirements concerning police reporting, declarations, identity and address where applicable. A checklist for an expired passport may be incomplete for a lost one.
Make your own preparation sheet with three columns: required item, record you have and action still needed. For example, if an acknowledgement or declaration is requested, record its exact name instead of describing every supporting paper as an affidavit. Keep the original and a readable copy in the form required for the application.
Report the loss through the appropriate process
Follow the relevant police and Passport Seva instructions about a lost or stolen passport. Preserve the report reference and the narrative supplied. Do not assume that any lost-property receipt automatically satisfies every passport requirement. Our police-reporting guide explains the importance of distinguishing different acknowledgement types.
Where the booklet is damaged but available, retain it and follow the official instructions for presenting it. Do not destroy it, remove pages or attempt a repair that obscures its condition. Explain any uncertainty to the responsible authority rather than making an altered document appear intact.
Check the different route if you are abroad
Contact the Indian embassy or consulate responsible for your location and use its current passport-service directions. The Riyadh mission's guidance illustrates how overseas requirements can include a local police report and location-specific supporting records. It should not be copied as a universal checklist for every country.
If travel is imminent, ask the mission which document and procedure applies to the actual situation. A passport reissue and an emergency travel document are distinct services. Do not make travel commitments on the assumption that an appointment, receipt or online application is approval of a replacement passport.
Keep the application record together
- Earlier passport particulars and available copies.
- The loss or damage account and reporting records.
- The document-adviser checklist for your circumstances.
- Application reference, appointment and payment acknowledgement.
- Requests for clarification and the eventual issue or delivery information.
Check current fees and appointment instructions on the official service before payment. Avoid an intermediary promising guaranteed issue or bypassed verification. A submitted application is a request for examination, not a guarantee of issue by a particular date. Keep later corrections consistent with the original facts and seek official clarification if a recovered old passport changes the circumstances.
Official sources and scope
Sources checked on 2026-11-05. This educational guide was prepared by LawSphereX; it does not claim individual legal advice or professional review.