I Lost My British Passport in the USA. What Do I Do Now?

Losing your British passport in the United States can be an unsettling experience, but there is no need to panic because the British government is prepared for these occurrences. Your first step is to contact the British Embassy in Washington DC or one of the eight consulates in the United States to report your passport lost or stolen. Please access the following link to find the nearest British government office: https://www.gov.uk/government/world/usa.

It is important that you report your passport lost or stolen as soon as possible so that no one can use it fraudulently. To report your passport lost or stolen to Her Majesty’s Passport Office you will fill out Form LS01 (Lost or Stolen British Passport notification). Please access Form LS01 by clicking on the following link to the UK government: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-a-lost-or-stolen-passport-form-ls01.

If this is an emergency and you must travel soon, please take this form to the Embassy or nearest British Consulate (please be aware that if you happen to find your passport later, you will no longer be able to use it once you have reported your passport lost or stolen). Completing Form LS01 will not provide you with a replacement passport. Instead, the UK government will issue you an emergency travel document (sometimes called an ‘emergency passport’).

The emergency travel document will allow you to return to the United Kingdom or travel to your next destination through a maximum of 5 countries.  If you reside in the United States, you can use the emergency travel document to travel to your destination and return home to the United States where you can apply for a replacement passport.

If you do not have immediate travel plans and reside permanently in the United States, you will not need the emergency travel document and can apply for a replacement passport through the UK government website: https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports. You will have the opportunity to complete Form LS01 and mail it along with your other passport application materials to Her Majesty’s Passport Office in the United Kingdom.

If you lost your British passport and require further assistance, please give us a call at 404-682-5445. British Passport Pro is a private company based in Atlanta that helps UK citizens residing in the United States obtain their British passport.