A friend travelling in the UK had his passport when he boarded a flight in Belfast to Heathrow last Sunday. He was connecting with a flight from Heathrow to Vancouver and when he went to board his flight home to Vancouver, his passport was gone!
He put it in a pocket. He either dropped it or it was pick pocketed! As it never showed up at Lost and Found, I suspect it was taken. Apparently they are "hot" items. Who knew?
It was Sunday and Canada House in London closes for Canadian holidays, so he had to wait until Tuesday to get his replacement passport. He booked a hotel a block from Canada House at Trafalgar Square and paid £265.00 a night!
If you need a replacement passport, it's like getting a new one. You need 2 photographs and complete the passport application found online. Everyone should have a copy of their passport, somewhere. He had a copy on his phone! The process time for a replacement passport can vary. If you have your pictures, application completed and a copy of your original passport, it is possible to get a temporary passport faster. He was able to get his temporary passport in one day, but would miss the flight to Vancouver so he waited for another day.
What did this cost my friend? $415.00 for the passport, £245.00 X 3 for the hotel and if his ticket was restricted, a one way air ticket from Heathrow to Vancouver and two days lost wages!
If you are travelling, always keep your passport in a secure spot. Make sure you have a copy with someone at home, in your possession or both. If you lose your passport, notify the closest Canadian embassy.
If your passport is damaged, you may be refused to enter a country.
What makes a passport damaged? Normal "wear and tear" such as folded pages or a small bend do not count as damage. Damage includes stains from a liquid, a significant tear, unofficial markings on the data page, missing visa pages (torn out), or a hole punch.
I keep my passport in a leather holder. Along with my passport, I have my travel medical insurance card, my Nexus card and a business card so if it's found by a nice person, they will call me. I have a copy of my passport at home and on my cell phone.
