Lost or Damaged Passport: How to Get a Replacement

• Lost or stolen: report it at the nearest police station the same day, before doing anything else. This protects you if someone else misuses it and is required for your application.
• Damaged: no police step needed for ordinary wear, water stains, or a torn cover, unless it’s damaged beyond recognition (see below).
• This is a Reissue application, not “Fresh” and not “Renewal”. Picking the wrong category is one of the most common rejections.

• Lost or stolen: an FIR is mandatory. Get a signed, stamped copy, and photograph it immediately in case the physical copy is misplaced later.
• Damaged, but readable: no FIR needed. You submit the damaged booklet itself along with an affidavit explaining what happened.
• Damaged beyond recognition (burnt, soaked through, illegible pages): some Passport Offices ask for a police report too, for the record, treat it like the lost-passport process to be safe.

For a lost or stolen passport

• Original FIR / police report copy.
• Annexure F, a notarised affidavit stating how and where the passport was lost.
• Proof of Identity: Aadhaar, Voter ID, PAN, or Driving Licence.
• Proof of Address: Aadhaar, a recent utility bill, bank passbook, or rent agreement.
• Proof of Date of Birth: birth certificate, Class 10 certificate, or Aadhaar.
• A photocopy of the old passport, if you have one, this speeds things up but isn’t mandatory.

For a damaged passport

• The damaged passport itself (even if torn or partly illegible).
• An affidavit explaining how the damage happened (water, fire, tearing, wear).
• The same Proof of Address and Date of Birth documents as above.

1. Log in at passportindia.gov.in (register first if you’re new).
2. Click Apply for Fresh Passport / Re-issue of Passport and select Re-issue.
3. Under the reason for reissue, choose Lost/Stolen Passport or Damaged Passport, whichever applies.
4. Fill in your personal details. If you have your old passport number, entering it pre-fills much of the form from your existing record.
5. Complete the form, upload your scanned documents (FIR, Annexure F, and the rest), and submit to get your ARN.
6. Pay and book: pay online, then schedule your appointment at a PSK or POPSK, you can choose any across India.
7. Visit the PSK with all originals. Police verification is mandatory for lost passport cases; for damaged ones it depends on the extent of damage.

You can still apply, missing the exact old passport number isn’t a dead end:

• Contact your Regional Passport Office (RPO) by phone or email with your name and date of birth, they can often trace your old file details.
• If you genuinely have nothing, fill the application with whatever personal details you’re certain of. The verification process at the PSK is designed to establish your identity even without the old number.
• Any other proof that mentions your old passport (a visa page, a photocopy you’d shared elsewhere, an old booking) helps but isn’t required.

Passport Seva’s records flag repeat losses against the same applicant. If this isn’t your first time, expect closer scrutiny and a longer verification period, this isn’t a punishment, it’s a standard fraud-prevention check built into the process.

To get through it smoothly: carry every supporting document you can, write a thorough, honest affidavit explaining the circumstances, and avoid booking non-refundable travel around a tight passport deadline.

1. Report to local police where you are, and get a copy of their report.
2. Contact the nearest Indian Embassy or Consulate immediately, explain your travel dates so they can prioritise a genuine emergency.
3. The mission issues an Emergency Certificate (EC), a one-way travel document that lets you return to India. You’ll typically also file a local police report at the mission’s request.
4. Once you’re back in India, apply for a full passport reissue through the normal Passport Seva process above.