AMTD PolicyPal Losing your passport can be stressful and inconvenient. Here’s what you should do if you lose your passport in Singapore or overseas.
Losing your passport, whether in Singapore or while travelling around bustling cities overseas, can be disconcerting. But knowing the right actions to take when faced with this can help you quickly resolve your passport woes and allow you to continue on your travels.
This article outlines the essential actions you should take if you lose your passport in Singapore or any foreign destination. From reporting the loss to the charges involved in getting a replacement, as well as the benefits of travel insurance, find out how to get back on track during your travels.
What to do if you lose your passport abroad
Make a police report at the nearest police station
Your first step involves reporting your lost passport and informing the police of the cause of this loss (negligence, carelessness, theft or robbery).
The police report you obtain is crucial for the next steps. There are two ways to get a replacement passport.
Submit a lost passport report via the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) website
You can quickly alert the ICA of your lost passport by filling up an online form. To do this, you will need your SingPass login credentials and details on how you lost the passport.
You could alternatively head over to the closest Singapore Overseas Mission with your supporting documents for further action.
Related Story: Best Travel Insurance for Seniors 2023
How to report your lost passport in Singapore, online:
- Click on the “Report Online” button on the ICA’s eServices page
- You can lodge reports for yourself and your child who is below 16 years of age
- If the reason for your child’s passport loss is different, you will need to make a separate report from your own
Next, you will need to apply for a Document of Identity (DOI). This serves as your temporary documentation paper to help get you back to Singapore. The DOI takes one to two days to process and you can opt to collect it at the nearest Singapore Overseas Mission.
Reporting your lost passport directly at the Singapore Embassy or Singapore Overseas Mission
If you prefer an in-person approach, you can head to the nearest Singapore Embassy or Singapore Overseas Mission with the following items:
- The police report
- Two recent passport-sized photos
- Proof of Singapore citizenship i.e. your NRIC, driver’s license, or birth certificate
Once your lost passport details are processed, you will need to pay an equivalent of S$15 before your DOI is issued.
Find your way back to Singapore
Once you have your DOI copy with you, it’s time to make your arrangements to travel back to Singapore. While that throws a damp cloth on your travel itinerary, the Ministry of Home Affairs states that you should refrain from resuming your travels or crossing borders with other countries and head home. This is because the DOI is an emergency travel document issued for a one-way trip back to Singapore only.
Related Story: Best Travel Insurance for Families & Groups 2023
Get your replacement passport
If you request a DOI via the ICA website, you’ll just have to wait for the notification saying that your passport is ready. This could be by mail, SMS, or email.
Once your passport is ready, you have a one-month period to collect your passport at the ICA building or your preferred post office.
If you went through the Singapore Embassy or Singapore Overseas Mission to get a DOI, you can apply for a new passport via ICA’s website under the “Apply for Passport Option”. You could also head over to the Passport Unit of the ICA building (next to the Lavender MRT station) from Monday to Saturday.
The cost of a replacement passport
Here are the following costs involved in getting a replacement passport done:
- Prevailing passport fee via
- Online, post, or deposit box applications: S$70
- ICA building or Singapore Overseas Mission: S$80
- Additional loss passport fee
- First passport loss: S$50
- Subsequent passport losses: S$100
Related Story: Average Costs and Benefits of Travel Insurance 2023
What to do if you lose your passport in Singapore
If you lose your passport here, you’ll need to make a report (either online or in-person) with ICA. A police report is not necessary.
The same costs apply to obtaining a replacement passport.
Why you should report your lost passport within 14 days
According to Singapore’s Passport Act, if you lose your passport, you must report your passport loss within 14 days. Additionally, once you’ve reported your passport as lost, you cannot use it even if you find it again later.
In the event you recover your passport, it must be surrendered to ICA within 14 days.
Travel insurance—your ally in your lost passport and replacement matters
Travel insurance can be valuable when you’re stuck in difficulties as and after you sort out your DOI while travelling. It offers coverage and assistance that mitigates the stress and financial burdens you’d have to manage with losing your passport.
Here are some ways travel insurance can help you:
Financial reimbursement
If you lose your passport, chances are you may have to fork out some funds to get a replacement. Travel insurance can help you recuperate the costs involved in getting a replacement passport or DOI. This includes the fees involved in your passport application and accommodation expenses if you have to stay longer while sorting your DOI out.
Loss of personal belongings
Travel insurance may also provide you with coverage for the loss of your personal items, including your laptop, phone, and other essential items.
Emergency cash advance
If you’re stuck in a situation with minimal cash in hand, emergency cash advances from your travel insurance can help sort out immediate expenses like accommodation, transportation, and other essential needs.
Trip delays or interruptions
If you lose your passport, it could affect your travel plans, resulting in delays or interruptions. Certain travel plans offer coverage for this, inclusive of flight reschedules, accommodation, and other related expenses.
Compare Travel Insurance Plans
Related Story: Best Travel Insurance for Sports 2023
AMTD PolicyPal’s best annual travel insurance plans
In the table below, we’ve compiled the best travel insurance plans and promotions for annual travel insurance in Singapore in ASEAN.
|
Travel Insurance Provider |
Premium Cost |
Insurance Coverage |
Promotions |
|
MSIG TravelEasy Standard ASEAN S$231.20 MSIG TravelEasy Elite ASEAN S$319.20 MSIG TravelEasy Premier ASEAN S$447.20 |
Overseas Medical S$250,000 (Standard) S$500,000 (Elite) S$1,000,000 (Premier) Travel/Trip Delay S$500 (Standard) S$1,000 (Elite) S$1,500 (Premier) Baggage Loss/Damage S$3,000 (Standard) S$5,000 (Elite) S$7,500 (Premier) |
|
|
|
Tiq Travel Entry S$262.00 Tiq Travel Savvy S$369.00 Tiq Travel Luxury S$429.00 |
Tiq Travel Entry Overseas Medical S$200,000 (Entry) S$500,000 (Savvy) S$1,000,000 (Luxury) Travel Delay S$300 (Entry & Savvy) S$500 (Luxury) Baggage Loss/Damage S$2,000 (Entry & Savvy) S$3,000 (Luxury) |
With COVID-19 Coverage. 18 April - 30 April 2024 Single Trip Plan
|
|
|
Allianz Travel Bronze ASEAN S$180.60 Allianz Travel Silver ASEAN S$313.80 Allianz Travel Platinum ASEAN S$415.20 |
Overseas Medical S$250,000 (Bronze) S$500,000 (Silver) S$1,000,000 (Platinum) Travel Delay S$800 (Bronze) S$1,200 (Silver) S$1,600 (Platinum) Baggage Loss/Damage S$1,500 (Bronze) S$3,000 (Silver) S$5,000 (Platinum) |
With COVID-19 Coverage. 1 April - 30 April 2024 Single Trip/ Annual Plan
|
Compare Travel Insurance Plans
AMTD PolicyPal’s best single-trip travel insurance plans
The next table illustrates the best travel insurance plans and promotions for single-trip travel insurance in Singapore in ASEAN. For this table, we’ve applied an ASEAN single trip for one person for one week.
|
Insurer |
Premium by Tier |
Insurance Coverage |
Promotion |
|
MSIG TravelEasy Standard ASEAN S$62.00 MSIG TravelEasy Elite ASEAN S$82.50 MSIG TravelEasy Premier ASEAN S$116.00 |
Overseas Medical S$250,000 (Standard) S$500,000 (Elite) S$1,000,000 (Premier) Travel/Trip Delay S$500 (Standard) S$1,000 (Elite) S$1,500 (Premier) Loss/Damage of Baggage S$3,000 (Standard) S$5,000 (Elite) S$7,500 (Premier) |
|
|
|
FWD Travel Premium ASEAN S$31.50 FWD Travel Business ASEAN S$42.84 FWD Travel First ASEAN S$55.44 |
Overseas Medical S$200,000 (Premium) S$500,000 (Business) S$1,000,000 (First) Travel/Trip Delay S$300 (Premium) S$500 (Business) S$1,000 (First) Loss/Damage of Baggage S$3,000 (Premium) S$5,000 (Business) S$7,500 (First) |
|
|
|
Allianz Travel Bronze ASEAN S$64.00 Allianz Travel Silver ASEAN S$66.00 Allianz Travel Platinum ASEAN S$126.00
|
Overseas Medical S$250,000 (Bronze) S$500,000 (Silver) S$1,000,000 (Platinum) Travel/Trip Delay S$800 (Bronze) S$1,200 (Silver) S$1,600 (Platinum) Loss/Damage of Baggage S$1,500 (Bronze) S$3,000 (Silver) S$5,000 (Platinum) |
|
|
|
Starr TraveLead Travel Insurance – Essential (Bronze) South East Asia S$20.40 Starr TraveLead Travel Insurance – Essential (Silver) South East Asia S$26.40 Starr TraveLead Travel Insurance – Essential (Gold) South East Asia S$34.00 |
Overseas Medical S$200,000 (Bronze) S$500,000 (Silver) S$1,000,000 (Gold) Accidental Death S$150,000 (Bronze) S$300,000 (Silver) S$500,000 (Gold) Compassionate Death Cash S$2,000 (Bronze) S$3,000 (Silver) S$5,000 (Gold) |
||
|
Tiq Travel Entry S$57.00 Tiq Travel Savvy S$81.00 Tiq Travel Luxury S$112.00 |
Overseas Medical S$200,000 (Entry) S$500,000 (Savvy) S$1,000,000 (Luxury) Travel/Trip Delay S$300 (Entry & Savvy) S$500 (Luxury) Loss/Damage of Baggage S$2,000 (Entry & Savvy) S$3,000 (Luxury) |
|
|
|
Singlife Lite Asean S$43.51 Singlife Plus Asean S$61.67 Singlife Prestige Asean S$86.05 |
Overseas Medical S$250,000 (Lite) S$2,000,000 (Plus) Unlimited (Prestige) Travel/Trip Delay S$500 (Lite) S$1,000 (Plus) S$2,000 (Prestige) Loss/Damage of Baggage S$3,000 (Lite) S$5,000 (Plus) S$8,000 (Prestige) |
With COVID-19 Coverage. 20 April - 30 April 2024 Single Trip Plan
|
|
|
Great Eastern TravelSmart Premier Classic Area 1 S$65.00 Great Eastern TravelSmart Premier Elite Area 1 S$75.00 |
Overseas Medical S$300,000 (Classic) S$500,000 (Elite) Travel/Trip Delay S$1,200 (Classic & Elite) Loss/Damage of Baggage S$5,000 (Classic & Elite) |
Compare Travel Insurance Plans
Disclaimer: Protected up to specified limits by SDIC. This is only product information provided. You may wish to seek advice from a qualified adviser before buying the product. If you choose not to seek advice from a qualified adviser, you should consider whether the product is suitable for you. Buying an insurance product that is not suitable for you may impact your ability to finance your future financial needs. If you decide that the policy is not suitable after purchasing the policy, you may terminate the policy in accordance with the free-look provision, if any, and the insurer may recover from you any expense incurred by the insurer in underwriting the policy.
Enquire more and contact us today!
Want to know more about AMTD PolicyPal Group insurance plans?
Cannot find what you are looking for? Please reach out to us at:
Read More:
Travelling with Kids? Here’s What You Need to Prepare
The Best Travel Insurance in Singapore for Families
The Best Travel Insurance in Singapore For COVID-19 Coverage
