Important steps to take when I lose my passport in Vietnam?
3-steps to apply for a lost passport
Report the loss with the local Police
Report the loss with the local Police (commune/ward or district police) where the passport is found lost or where you have registered for temporary residence for certification.
- The report must specify your name, nationality, passport number, date of issue, place of issue, visa issuing authority.
- Download form here.
- Please note that in this step you may need a qualified interpreter under Vietnamese law to assist you in the process of working with the Police office.
Contact your Embassy/Consulate in Vietnam
Application new Visa
After obtaining your new passport, you will need to proceed to Vietnam Immigration Department to file an application for an exit visa if you want to leave Vietnam or a new visa if you want to stay longer.
Remember to bring with you:
- Loss Report certified by the Police
- New passport
- Letter from the Ambassy/Consulate
What to do if I lose other valuable documents in Vietnam?
- Local police office (where the document is found to be lost or where you have registered for temporary residence)
- Representative of your Embassy in Vietnam
If your lost documents are found, the Vietnamese authorities will contact and return the documents to you in accordance with Vietnamese law. In fact, many foreigners have got back their lost documents, money and assets in Vietnam.
Do I have to report again when I find my lost passport?
- It is probably because they left it at hotel, airport, train station, restaurant, etc. and have it returned by the service provider.
- Another possibility is that your document is found by a local person who then submits it to the authority and the authority contacts you to receive it back.
- You find the document somewhere by yourself.
Do I have to pay fines for overstaying a visa in Vietnam due to the loss of travel documents?
| Overstaying for less than 15 days | VND 500,000 – 2,000,000 | (~USD 20 – 80) |
| Overstaying for 16 days – less than 30 days | VND 3,000,000 – 5,000,000 | (~ USD 118 – 196) |
| Overstaying for 30 days – less than 60 days | VND 5,000,000 – 10,000,000 | (~ USD 196 – 392) |
| Overstaying for 60 days – less than 90 days | VND 10,000,000 – 15,000,000 | (~ USD 392 – 589) |
| Overstaying for at least 90 days | VND 15,000,000 – 20,000,000 | (~ USD 589 – 786) |
| Fail to notify the competent authority | VND 500,000 – 2,000,000 | (~USD 20 – 80) |
Tips to avoid losing your personal documents during your stay in Vietnam
Another problem is that the language barrier may hinder people from contacting you directly to return the documents. They will instead submit the documents to the police, which may take you more time to get back your documents.
That is the reason why AM Vietnam – a translation company with experience in assisting customers with lost personal documents – has established a channel to somehow help you stand a better or sooner chance of getting your documents back:
- All you need to do is to attach AM Vietnam’s contact information to your personal documents, so that people who find your documents may contact us, and we will receive the documents on your behalf and return them to you. Download the information sheet here.
- In another scenario when you discover that your personal document is lost, you can simply contact AM Vietnam via the hotline: 024 38789800. We will be very happy to assist you through the required procedures to obtain new travel documents.