Do this now
Follow these steps in order.
- 01
Stop and write down the last confirmed time and place you held the passport. Search your clothing, room safe, bag linings and document wallet once without scattering other valuables.
- 02
If the likely location is a train, station, airport, taxi, hotel, restaurant or shop, contact that operator or facility first with the date, time, route, seat or room number and a careful description. Use only its official website or staff desk.
- 03
Visit a nearby police box (koban) or police station and file a Lost Property Report. If the passport was taken rather than misplaced, say clearly that it was stolen and follow the officer's crime-report process.
- 04
Ask the officer what report number, receipt or police certificate is available, then keep the station name, address and phone number. Confirm with your embassy which police document it requires; a Lost Property Report is not itself proof that an item was lost.
- 05
Find your country's embassy or consulate through Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs directory, then use that mission's official website to check emergency contacts, appointment rules and whether it can issue passports or only provide limited consular help.
- 06
Prepare what the mission requests. Common examples can include another photo ID, a passport copy or number, citizenship evidence, passport photographs, itinerary, police details, application forms and payment, but there is no universal checklist.
- 07
Tell the operating airline, accommodation and travel insurer that the document is missing. Do not assume a copy, police report or emergency document will satisfy every departure, transit and destination requirement.
- 08
If a wallet or phone disappeared with the passport, lock the phone and contact card issuers immediately. Keep cancellation and replacement details out of public posts.
What to know
Search the responsible facility before the trail goes cold
Japan's National Police Agency says to contact the facility manager when an item was probably lost at a particular place such as a station or department store. Transport operators, airports, hotels and shops maintain their own lost-and-found systems before items are transferred to police, so a precise first call can be faster than a nationwide search.
Give operational details rather than only saying 'a passport': the date, approximate time, line and direction, boarding and exit stations, train car or seat, taxi receipt, flight, hotel room or shop floor. Describe the passport holder or sleeve without sending the full passport number to an unverified account.
Do not delay police and embassy steps while waiting indefinitely. A facility search can continue in parallel, especially when a flight is close or identity theft is possible.
What to know
File the right police report and keep its details
For a passport misplaced on the street or at an unknown location, the National Police Agency directs travelers to submit a Lost Property Report at a police station or police box. The report records the date, time, place and description so police can match it with found property. It does not trigger a search or investigation, and the agency states that it is not proof that the item was lost.
JNTO says a police report will be required when a passport must be reissued or an insurance payment is sought after theft or loss. Tokyo police adds an important practical point: first ask your embassy or consular office whether it needs a police certificate for replacement, then ask the police station handling your Lost Property Report.
If someone took the passport, explain that it was stolen rather than simply lost. Report a crime as soon as practical at a police box or station; use 110 only for an immediate police emergency. Ask what document or case reference will be available and write down the office that controls the record.
What to know
Your own government decides the replacement route
Japan cannot issue a foreign passport. Use Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs directory of embassies and consulates in Japan to identify your country's official mission, then follow the passport instructions on that mission's own website. An honorary consulate may not issue travel documents, so ask which office actually handles the application.
The result may be a full passport, a limited-validity passport, an emergency passport or a one-journey travel document. Names and conditions differ. For example, the United Kingdom has an emergency travel document route for eligible British nationals who cannot replace a passport before urgent travel; Australia warns that its emergency passports have no chip and can face transit restrictions; Canada warns that review of a lost or stolen passport can delay replacement.
Do not copy another nationality's checklist, fee or processing promise. Check appointment hours, holidays, photograph standards, payment methods and collection location on the official page for your citizenship and circumstances. If the office is closed, use only the emergency contact published by that mission.
What to know
Bring evidence, not assumptions, to the embassy
Before the appointment, collect the exact items the issuing authority requests. A secure photo or copy of the missing passport can help with the number and identity details, but it is supporting evidence rather than a travel document. Other evidence may be accepted when no copy exists; ask the mission before obtaining unnecessary paid documents.
Keep your police report details, other photo ID, citizenship evidence, itinerary, accommodation address and recent compliant photographs ready if required. Some governments may ask for a witness, guarantor, declaration or additional identity review. Parents or guardians should expect separate consent and attendance rules for a child.
Never send identity scans to a person who contacts you unexpectedly. Navigate from the issuing government's domain or the Japanese foreign-mission directory. Consular staff may ask for sensitive evidence, but a social-media account or paid 'passport recovery agent' is not a substitute for the official process.
What to know
A copy or police report does not make you flight-ready
JAL warns that boarding can be refused when travel documents are incomplete and tells passengers to confirm the operating carrier's requirements. The replacement document must also satisfy the entry and transit rules for every country on the itinerary. An emergency document that reaches your home country may not permit a planned stopover or onward holiday.
Tell the operating airline as soon as you know the passport is missing, especially when departure is within a few days. Ask about the change or cancellation deadline and what document data must be updated. The airline can explain booking options, but your embassy and the relevant border authorities determine the document and immigration position.
Do not buy a new complex routing before the mission confirms what it expects to issue. A nonstop route home can be easier than one with multiple transit countries, but it is not automatically acceptable. Confirm the exact route with the mission and airline before paying.
What to know
Protect the identity and everything lost with it
The National Police Agency says to contact card issuers and mobile operators immediately when cash cards, credit cards or a phone were also lost. Lock the device from a trusted account, suspend payment cards, secure the primary email account and change credentials only where exposure is plausible.
Notify the passport authority promptly under its official rules. Many issuing countries invalidate a passport after it is reported lost or stolen; if the original later appears, do not travel on it unless the issuing authority explicitly confirms that it remains usable. The rule and return method are nationality-specific.
Contact the travel insurer before incurring major replacement travel or accommodation costs. Keep receipts, police details, embassy correspondence and airline change records. Coverage, exclusions and prior-approval rules depend on the policy; this article does not promise reimbursement.
What to know
Hotels, onward bookings and status documents need separate checks
If changing hotels before replacement, contact the next property before arrival. Explain that the passport is missing and ask what police or embassy evidence it can accept while following Japan's guest-record rules. Carry the original documents you do have; do not alter a passport copy or present it as the original.
A lost passport does not automatically cancel every reservation, but names and passport numbers attached to flights, ferries, rail passes, car rental or tickets may need updating. Change only records that actually use the old document number and keep the old and new numbers secure.
A residence card, visa document or permit is not replaced by the passport process. Long-term residents and travelers who lose a separate Japanese immigration document should contact Japan's Immigration Services Agency in addition to their embassy. Visitors with a visa in the missing passport should ask both the issuing mission and the relevant destination authority how the visa must be replaced or linked.
What to know
Prepare before Japan without creating a second identity risk
Store a secure encrypted passport scan and record the passport number, issue and expiry dates. Keep one paper copy separate from the passport, and give a trusted contact at home a secure way to retrieve a copy if the issuing authority requests it.
Save the official embassy or consulate page, insurer assistance number, airline booking contact and accommodation address offline. A screenshot is useful only as a contact aid; always reopen the official website for current hours and instructions when connectivity returns.
Do not keep the passport, all cards, both phones and every copy in the same bag. The goal is not to carry more sensitive documents, but to keep enough verified information and a separate payment or communication route to complete the official replacement process.
If that does not work
Use the fallback.
- If the embassy is closed, use the emergency telephone or online form published on its official website. Do not treat an unofficial agent, search advertisement or social-media account as a passport authority.
- If you have no passport copy, tell the embassy exactly what other identity and citizenship evidence is available. A trusted contact may be able to send a secure scan, but let the issuing authority decide what is acceptable.
- If you are outside Tokyo, ask whether a nearer consulate can issue the document or only take inquiries. Do not travel across Japan until the responsible office confirms the appointment and collection location.
- If a flight leaves soon, contact the operating airline before its change deadline, but do not attempt international travel with only a photocopy or Lost Property Report.
- If you cannot afford the next step, contact your insurer and embassy for options. Do not assume the embassy will pay for accommodation, transport, a passport or a flight.
- If the original passport is found after it was reported to the issuing authority, do not use it until that authority confirms its status. A found document may already be invalid.
- If the passport was stolen with a phone or wallet, secure the phone, email and payment accounts first, then keep the police, embassy and airline processes moving in parallel.
- If the replacement document cannot use the original transit route, ask the embassy and airline to check a simpler route before rebooking; entry and transit permission are country-specific.
Before you need it
Save this offline.
- Secure passport scan or copy and the passport number, issue date and expiry date
- Official embassy or consulate page and emergency contact
- Airline booking reference and operating-carrier contact
- Travel insurer policy and assistance number
- Accommodation addresses and phone numbers
- Other government-issued photo ID and citizenship evidence, if available
- Police station or koban name, report number and officer instructions
- A separate payment method and trusted-contact details
Frequently asked questions
Lost Your Passport in Japan? Police, Embassy and Flight Steps FAQ
Can I fly home from Japan with a photocopy of my passport?
Do not rely on a photocopy for international travel. It can help identify you during the replacement process, but the issuing authority must provide or approve a valid travel document, and the airline and every transit or destination country must accept it.
Does a Japanese police report replace a passport?
No. The National Police Agency says a Lost Property Report records the circumstances and helps match found property; it is not proof that the item was lost and it is not a travel document. Ask your embassy which police certificate or report detail it needs.
Should I go to a koban or a police station?
For lost property, the National Police Agency says you can submit a report at a police station or police box. If the passport was stolen, say so and follow the officer's crime-report instructions; use 110 only for an immediate emergency.
What if I left the passport on a train or at a hotel?
Contact the responsible operator or facility first with precise time, route, seat or room details, then file the police report and contact your embassy. Facility and police systems can work in parallel.
How long does a replacement passport take in Japan?
There is no universal time. Nationality, identity evidence, office, appointment availability, weekends, holidays and whether a full or emergency document is possible all matter. Use your own government's official mission page and do not rely on another traveler's timeline.
How much does an emergency passport or travel document cost?
Fees and payment methods are set by the issuing government and can change. Check the official embassy or passport-authority page for your nationality; police reporting and travel-insurance coverage are separate questions.
Can I use the original passport if it is found later?
Do not assume so. Many governments cancel a passport once it is reported lost or stolen. Ask the issuing authority whether it is still valid and how to return or destroy it; do not test it at an airport.
Will the embassy pay for my replacement flight or hotel?
Do not assume it will. Consular services and financial-assistance rules differ, and replacement passports normally involve fees. Contact the insurer and embassy, keep receipts and obtain any approval required by the policy before major spending.
Do I need to contact Japanese immigration too?
A short-term visitor normally starts with police, their own embassy and the airline. Contact Japan's Immigration Services Agency as well if a residence card or separate Japanese status document is missing, or if the embassy advises that your status record needs action.
Primary evidence
Official sources used
Open these pages again before travel. External links lead to the responsible Japanese authority or transport organization.
