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Lost or Stolen Passport - What to Do when out of the country
Passports
Required for all Mexico Air Travel
(see Passport Requirements)
The Departments of Homeland Security and State formally enacted the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires all U.S. citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and citizens of Canada and Mexico to have a passport or other accepted secure document that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States by air as of January 20, 2007.
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 mandated that the Secretary of Homeland
Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, develop and implement a plan to require U.S. citizens and foreign nationals to present a passport, or other secure document when entering the United States.
In the proposed implementation plan, the Initiative will be rolled out in phases, providing as much advance
notice as possible to the affected public to enable them to meet the terms of the new guidelines. The proposed timeline will be as follows:
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Januaru 20, 2007 – Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
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December 31, 2008 – Immigration and US Customs may no longer accept verbal declaration of nationality for land and sea entrance. There is a listing of acceptable documents here.
US Consulate in Cabo San Lucas:
Blvd. Marina Local C-4, Plaza Nautica,
Col. Centro, telephone (52)(624) 143-3566.
US Consulate in Tijuana:
Tapachula 96, telephone
(52)(664) 622-7400.
For more information on:
Obtaining a passport click here.
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Consulate information click here
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Warnings and advisories click here
What you should do if your passport is lost or stolen while abroad:
Losing or having a passport stolen can be a very unsettling
thing. However, it doesn’t have to ruin your trip! Here are some guidelines
on how to replace a missing U.S. passport while abroad.
1. The first thing you should do after losing or finding that your passport
has been stolen is contact your nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for
assistance. Internet, hotel staff, phone directories are all resources
for finding out where the closest location will be. It is also a good
idea to check out the Consular/Embassy location prior to your trip. You
will more then likely need to physically go to that Consular/Embassy location
and appear before an official to obtain a replacement passport.
2. A new passport application will need to be completed. The consular
will undoubtedly ask you a host of questions about your identity and citizenship.
This
is procedure and just enables the official to maintain that you are who
you say you are. Do not be alarmed.
3. Specific information must also be required to the Consular which may
include: Copy of passport (if you have it) or passport number, name, place/date
of birth and date/place where passport was issued. It’s ALWAYS a good
idea to take a copy of your passport along with you and keep it in a separate
place from your actual passport. Also leave a copy with a friend or relative
at home. Your travel agents often will keep record of your passport information
as well.
4. Loss or Theft of a passport will require an affidavit of loss/theft.
The consular official will allow you to verbally execute a sworn statement
explaining the loss or theft.
5. The normal passport fee will be collected by the Consulate at the time
of reissue for replacements. If your money and documents have been stolen
or you are a victim of disaster, then a limited validity passport will
be issued rather then a full 10 year passport. If your return trip is
immediate please relay that information to the official to help facilitate
quicker processing.
6. You may go to
www.travel.state.gov for additional information