What To Do If You Lose Your U.S. Passport In Cancun

CANCÚN | If you lose your passport while traveling in Cancun, Mexico, it is important to take immediate steps to secure a replacement. Losing a passport can be an incredibly stressful and overwhelming experience, but it’s essential to stay calm and take action quickly. Your passport is your proof of identity and legal citizenship while in a foreign country. It allows you to cross international borders safely and access your country’s embassy and consulate.

Unfortunately, accidents may happen during a vacation. Just this week, a fire broke out in Tortugas Hotel on Holbox Island, about 6 miles from the northeastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Some of the affected guests are international tourists coming from the United States and other European countries who were devastated by the loss of their personal documents.

If you ever find yourself in this predicament, you are in for some good news! Thankfully, whether your passport was misplaced, stolen, or in this case, destroyed by fire, there is a way to acquire a passport to get you home.

1. Contact The U.S. Embassy Or Consulate In Cancun
   The main U.S. Embassy is located in Mexico City, while nine consulates general and nine consular agencies are distributed in several parts of Mexico, including Cancun. To report a lost passport, you can contact any one of these offices. The complete list, together with their contact numbers and addresses, is found on the official website of the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico.

(U.S. Consular Agency Cancun, 12 Boulevard Kukulcan, Cancun, 77500, Mexico)

If you’re in Cancun and need to report an emergency, you are advised to contact the U.S. Consulate General in Merida from Mexico. Otherwise, you may contact the U.S. Consular Agency in Cancun via telephone or online contact form.

When talking to the officer, tell them the details of how the passport got lost and the schedule of your return flight. The latter is important so the consulate agency may issue an emergency passport with limited validity if needed. If your phone is one of the lost or stolen items, you can always reach out to local authorities to help you contact the consulate.

2. File A Police Report In Cancun
   Although only optional, filing a police report is recommended, especially if your passport and other documents were stolen. This should protect you in case the robber attempts to steal your identity. On the other hand, if your passport was misplaced or destroyed, this step is no longer necessary.
   
3. Take Passport Photos
   Having a passport photo ready before visiting the consulate can help speed up the process of acquiring a new passport. Several photo booths are available in Cancun that cover tourist events. Surely, they can also take your picture and provide a printed copy cut into the U.S.-style 2-inch square passport photo. A detailed guide on passport photos is found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

4. Complete The Application Form And Set An Appointment
   The majority of the requirements are accomplished in this step. First, go to the online Passport Navigator. This friendly guide contains a link where you can generate a barcoded application form (DS-11). Aside from basic information, you also need your Social Security Number. For lost and stolen passports, you need to fill out another form (DS-64) to describe the circumstances. After completing the forms, print them and bring them to your appointment.

The next thing you need to do is to schedule an appointment online by selecting your preferred appointment location and time slot. Take note that if you are a group, each individual needs their own schedule. If your flight is happening soon, you may request an urgent appointment. You must explain the nature of your emergency for them to respond to your request. If your flight is scheduled within the next three days, they will contact you within one business day. It is also important to know that they are closed on holidays.

5. Visit The U.S. Embassy Or Consulate
   On the day of your appointment, arrive at the embassy or consulate on time since each slot only is only allotted 30 minutes. You should have the following requirements ready to avoid any cancelation of your appointment:

A completed application form (DS-11)
Statement on lost or stolen passports (DS-64) (if applicable)
Police report, if available
Passport photo (2 x 2 inches)
Proof of U.S. citizenship (original and photocopy)
Physical government-issued photo ID (original and photocopy)

Since your passport was lost, you may present a U.S. birth certificate as proof of citizenship. For identification, you may check out the complete list of primary and secondary IDs accepted for passport application.

Important: For emergency passports, you also need to bring proof of a paid return flight to the U.S. and an itinerary.

A traveling woman’s hand holding a blue American passport with some money inside while wearing business clothes outside on a sunny day

6. Pay The Fees
   For regular U.S. passports for adults, the application fee is $160 valid for 10 years, which includes a passport book and card. However, if you are a victim of theft or disaster, the fee may be waived, and you will be issued a limited-validity passport. You can pay the fees once you return home and replace it with a regular passport.
   
7. Receive Your Emergency Passport
   Normally, the renewal of U.S. passports takes between four and six weeks. However, if you are renewing your passport from Mexico because of theft or an accident, this waiting period is significantly less. If your flight is scheduled within the next three days, you will be issued a temporary emergency passport within 24 hours. Once home, you may have this replaced for a fully valid passport.
   
8. Renewing your U.S. passport in Mexico is not as complicated as it may seem. In the event of an emergency such as theft or disaster, you can follow these steps to acquire a temporary emergency passport so you can return home and receive your regular-validity passport. Proper preparation is key for the smooth processing of this application process.
   
9. With this list, you can start the process of getting your new passport quickly so that you’re ready for your next adventure. It’s always helpful to keep photocopies of important documents like IDs, birth certificates, and passport photos with you when you travel in case something happens. That way, if anything does come up, you’ll be prepared and won’t have to worry about it while enjoying your vacation in beautiful Cancun.