What to do if your phone, cards or passport are stolen abroad

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If your phone, cards or passport go missing abroad, first get to a safe place, then block access to money and accounts, report a missing passport, and arrange the documents needed to travel. The order depends on what was taken and whether you face immediate danger. This guide is for U.S. travelers; other nationalities should use their own government's consular guidance.

Use the first available device or trusted person

1. If you are in danger or injured, seek local emergency help. Emergency numbers and police reporting channels vary by country. Ask your hotel, transit staff or local authorities for the correct route.
2. Contact the issuer of each missing card promptly. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission says to report a lost or stolen credit, ATM or debit card to its bank or credit union as soon as possible. Use the issuer's app, official website or a number from a trusted record, not one sent by an unknown caller.
3. Secure a missing phone. From another device, use your phone provider's and major account providers' official recovery tools to lock or suspend access where available. Change passwords for accounts you cannot otherwise protect. If the phone held your only authentication method, contact the provider for recovery instructions.
4. Report a lost U.S. passport. The U.S. State Department says to report it promptly. Once reported, that passport is invalid for international travel. Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for an in-person replacement application; tell staff if you have urgent travel.
5. Record the incident. Follow local police reporting procedures. The State Department says a police report is not mandatory for a U.S. replacement passport, but it can help document the circumstances. Your insurer may have separate evidence requirements.

If departure is close

Do not assume a photograph of a passport is a travel document. The State Department says travelers who lose a U.S. passport abroad need a new one before returning to the United States, and an embassy or consulate may offer a limited-validity emergency passport when there is not time for a regular one. Check the current document list and process before going; a copy of the missing passport, other ID and itinerary may help, but consular staff will explain what can be done if some items are unavailable.

Prepare a recovery card before the trip

Before a group trip, the document-and-payment split checklist helps each traveler plan what they will keep and how they can recover access.

Keep your card issuer contacts, embassy locator, insurance details, and a trusted person's contact somewhere separate from the phone and wallet you carry daily. Store document copies securely rather than publicly. The European city-trip bag checklist covers how to separate essentials before a day out.

Official sources, checked 2026-09-28: FTC card-loss guidance, State Department lost passport abroad, and State Department help for crime victims. Procedures and consular availability can change; use the live pages for your situation.