Lost your foreign passport in Hong Kong? Reporting and departure

01First establish which traveller this guide covers

This guide is for short-term visitors already admitted to Hong Kong who travel on a foreign passport. It does not merge their procedures with those for Hong Kong residents losing HKSAR passports overseas, Mainland visitors losing Exit-entry Permits, or visitors who have lost only a landing slip. Nationality, status and the next destination affect the process. Explain any dual-nationality or other relevant circumstances to the appropriate authorities.

Local reporting about passport loss highlights police records and the issuing authority, but claims such as “as fast as two days” may concern a different document and applicant group. They are not a universal processing time for foreign visitors in Hong Kong. This guide offers no same-day replacement promise, document-processing service or guaranteed route to departure.

02Stage one: report the loss and keep a clear account

The Hong Kong Tourism Board's emergency guide advises making a lost report at the nearest police station, then contacting your consulate for a replacement. For police-station locations, its listed police hotline is +852 2527 7177. If theft is involved, explain what you know; do not describe an uncertain loss as a confirmed crime.

Write down when you last had the passport, where you discovered the loss, your name, nationality, passport number and intended departure. Existing photocopies, digital copies and reservations can help explain the situation. Do not publish complete identity documents or verification codes. Ask police what record they can provide and how to obtain a copy, then ask the consulate which documents its actual application requires. Requirements are not identical across nationalities.

The search for the physical item can proceed in parallel through your hotel, transport operator or the last venue you visited. However, leaving a lost-property enquiry and simply waiting is not a complete response. If the passport appears lost and you are due to leave that day, address reporting and replacement with its issuer before deciding whether the original trip can proceed. For tracing ordinary belongings, see the Hong Kong lost-property guide.

03Stage two: ask your consulate which document you need

Reach the relevant Hong Kong consular page through your national government's official website, and check its application and contact routes. Do not submit identity information to an advertisement or a map listing merely because it says “visa assistance”. Some services require appointments; having an office address does not mean you can walk in at any time.

Explain the whole situation on first contact: you are in Hong Kong, the passport is missing, whether you have a copy, your departure date, any transit and the next destination. Ask whether to apply for a replacement passport or an emergency travel document; which identity evidence and photographs are needed; how to submit them; whether attendance is required; and when you can expect information about collection. Confirm fees and timings with the issuer rather than borrowing another nationality's experience.

A new travel document does not automatically settle visas associated with the old passport, the next transport booking or entry eligibility. Tell the consular service about every destination and transit point, and verify the relevant requirements with border authorities and carriers. For a multi-country itinerary, establish which legs the document supports rather than asking only whether you can “take a flight”.

04British-citizen example: emergency documents are not accepted everywhere

The British Consulate-General Hong Kong describes an emergency travel-document route for people abroad whose passport is lost, stolen, damaged or expired when they cannot obtain a new or replacement passport in time. This section explains the British-citizen route only. It is not a process for every nationality; anyone with a different status should follow the consulate's eligibility instructions.

The same page explicitly says an emergency travel document does not guarantee entry to every country. A parent or guardian applies for an applicant under sixteen, and public access to the consulate is by appointment. Start with the official application or contact route and establish whether attendance is necessary before planning the journey to Admiralty.

What if the original passport turns up after being reported lost? The UK government's Hong Kong entry guidance warns that attempting entry with a passport reported lost or stolen results in refusal. Do not assume finding it makes it valid again. Confirm its status with the issuer, then check with the carrier and destination. Having a photograph of the original does not reverse its reported status.

05Stage three: check your Hong Kong limit of stay

Check the stay you were granted on arrival. If replacement may take you beyond the original departure date, or you cannot establish your permitted stay, explain the circumstances through Hong Kong Immigration's official enquiry channels. The general enquiry number is +852 2824 6111, and the email address is enquiry@immd.gov.hk.

Ask whether your situation requires an application, further evidence or attendance, then follow the department's instructions. Reporting to police or having a replacement in progress is not permission to overstay. Immigration states that visitors must leave by the expiry of their permitted stay. Only the authority can determine an application or grant a further period.

Before travelling to an office, confirm which section handles your specific issue and its access arrangements. Knowing that Immigration Headquarters is in Tseung Kwan O does not put every document issue on the same floor, and Hong Kong Immigration does not thereby become the issuer of your foreign passport. Keep police, consular and immigration case references separately.

06Losing only the landing slip is a different problem

Immigration's non-stamping arrangement for visitors explains that the landing slip records your name, travel-document number, arrival date, conditions and limit of stay. Keep it while in Hong Kong. Under normal circumstances, losing the landing slip alone does not affect departure clearance. That statement is not permission to travel without a passport.

If a replacement slip is required, the department describes free replacement in person at the Extension Section, 5th Floor, Administration Tower, Immigration Headquarters, 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories. Recheck current office hours and your case's requirements before visiting. If both passport and slip are lost, explain both; replacing a slip does not resolve the travel-document problem.

07Adjust flights, accommodation and transfers after checking the facts

The Tourism Board notes that passport replacement may take time and that rescheduling a flight may be necessary. Ask the airline about change conditions and document requirements, then use the issuer's progress information to decide the next step. Avoid repeatedly buying non-refundable tickets before you know the documentation will be usable.

If your next stop is Macao or Mainland China, leaving Hong Kong and entering the next jurisdiction remain separate checks. Verify acceptance of the emergency document and the status of existing visas or permissions independently. A reserved ferry, car or hotel establishes none of these. Share confirmed application, collection and transport arrangements with companions. Where appropriate, other group members may continue their original plans rather than everyone waiting at a counter for an uncertain outcome.

For a connecting flight, also explain the transit airport, changes of airline, whether bags must be checked again and whether the connection requires entry. These are questions to verify, not a conclusion that a particular nationality or emergency document will be accepted.