What to do if I lost my passport?

If I am traveling and have to deal with the unfortunate situation of: I lost my passport; the first thing that I have to do is to remain calm and then search very well in my belongings, because many times after making all the process to replace it, I then can realize that it was at the bottom of my suitcase, all this time, and this it is not only embarrassing for myself but it is a waste of time for the people working at the embassy and a waste of money for me because the fees for doing it are non-refundable.

So, when I am absolutely sure that I indeed lost my passport, then it’s time for me to call or approach my closest embassy or consulate in the country I am in. In my hotel I can have the information of them so I can go or phone. So if you are in the same situation as me don’t be scared if your embassy is too far from the city that you are in, you will be send to a consulate, which have almost the same functions as an embassy, the only real difference is that the last one is in the capital city of the country and the consulate is in an other city. There are many US consulates, specially if you are traveling in Europe, Asia or in some countries in Latin America such as Mexico, Argentina, Chile, etc.

If I lost my passport in some conflict country, then I have to call the authorities immediately or even maybe call home, I can get in a very difficult situation if I don’t say anything and then get caught, I could be in prison and also be deported.

The replacement time when I lost my passport was 3 days and it is a simple but a tiring process, but it is the only way. So remember to always be aware of your things, so you don’t have to pass to all of this.