Replace the identity.
Rebuild the permission.
A lost passport breaks two different records: your country’s travel document and China’s entry or stay record. Recover them with the authority that owns each one—before going to the airport.
Make the loss record, obtain a replacement passport or emergency travel document from your own country, then complete the Chinese visa, stay, residence or exit procedure required by local Exit-Entry Administration. A new passport alone is not a safe signal to go straight to the airport.
Find the next authority—without entering identity data
Where is the recovery chain now?
Choose statuses only. Do not enter a name, nationality, passport number, police-record number, address or document image.
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One authority cannot complete another authority’s step
| TASK | PRIMARY OWNER | WHAT TO LEAVE WITH |
|---|---|---|
| Crime, theft or immediate safety | Police · 110 | A safe location and the report or reference staff issue |
| Passport-loss record or certificate | Local public security / Exit-Entry Administration | The locally required loss confirmation or written instruction |
| New passport or emergency travel document | Your own country’s embassy or consulate | The replacement document and its use restrictions |
| China visa, stay, residence or exit procedure | Local China Exit-Entry Administration | Reissued/confirmed document, permit or official application receipt |
| Hotel registration and booking identity | Hotel / accommodation provider and each operator | Updated record or explicit acceptance instruction |
DO NOT COLLAPSE THE CHAIN Your embassy does not reissue a Chinese visa. Chinese Exit-Entry does not issue your country’s passport. A police report can support interim identity handling but is not an international travel document.
Protect the legal departure, not the old itinerary
- 01STOP
Do not drive to the airport as the first step
Airport staff cannot replace a passport or rebuild the Chinese immigration record. Start with the authorities that own those records.
- 02CALL
Contact the mission and 12367
Tell them the location, departure date and current document stage—without posting sensitive details publicly. Ask the local Exit-Entry office and required documents.
- 03PROOF
Preserve proof of urgent travel
NIA guidance allows timely consideration for some urgent departure visa reapplications when a confirmed ticket and required explanation are provided. This is not a same-day guarantee.
- 04BOOKING
Ask the operating airline before changing the booking
Explain that documents are being replaced and ask about change terms and the final identity documents it will require. Keep the answer and case reference.
Carry a controlled evidence set
What can help establish the old record
Passport copy if already held safely, visa or entry-record image, another official photo ID, booking identity, and recent compliant photos requested by the authority.
Keep the official trail together
Police receipt or report, Exit-Entry loss certificate/instruction, accommodation registration and the exact date and place last seen.
Keep every handoff reference
Mission appointment, new passport or emergency travel document, and any restriction or validity information issued with it.
Know what is still pending
Exit-Entry application receipt, reissued visa/stay/residence document or exit permit, plus updated accommodation and operator confirmation.
Never upload this pack to a public form, social post or group chat. Share the minimum required only through a verified police, mission, Exit-Entry, hotel, carrier or insurer channel.
Four bilingual recovery cards
我的护照丢失／被盗了。我现在是安全的。请告诉我应该在哪里报失，以及需要领取什么证明。
My passport is lost / was stolen. I am safe now. Please tell me where to report it and which confirmation I need.
我需要联系本国使领馆，办理新护照或紧急旅行证件。请帮我确认这个地址和办事时间。
I need to contact my country’s embassy or consulate for a new passport or emergency travel document. Please help me confirm this address and opening time.
我的原护照已丢失，这是新护照／紧急旅行证件。请告诉我需要补办哪种签证、停留居留证件或出境手续，以及现在还缺什么材料。
My old passport was lost. This is my new passport / emergency travel document. Please tell me which visa, stay, residence or exit procedure I need and what is still missing.
我的护照已经补发。请帮我用新证件更新住宿登记，并给我一份可以保存的确认。
My passport has been replaced. Please update my accommodation registration with the new document and give me a confirmation I can keep.
Do not assume the standard branch covers these cases
The stay clock still matters
Loss does not automatically extend the permitted stay. Ask local Exit-Entry or 12367 for the correct case route before the stay expires.
Ask about an exit-entry permit
NIA has a route for some foreigners unable to obtain a replacement from their mission. The competent Exit-Entry Administration decides eligibility and evidence.
Protect custody and relationship proof
Keep the child with the responsible guardian and ask both authorities for minor-specific documents. Do not send family identity records to an unverified helper.
Lost-passport FAQ
What should I do first if my passport is lost or stolen in China?
If you are in danger or the passport was stolen, move somewhere safe and call police on 110. Otherwise, report the loss promptly and ask the local public-security or exit-entry authority which loss record or certificate is required. Then contact your own country’s embassy or consulate for a replacement passport or emergency travel document.
Can I leave China as soon as I receive a new passport?
Do not assume so. After receiving a new passport or emergency travel document, contact the local Exit-Entry Administration to reissue or confirm the Chinese visa, stay or residence document, or the exit procedure that applies. A new foreign passport alone does not recreate the Chinese immigration record attached to the lost passport.
Can a police report help me check into a hotel or take a train?
A police or passport-loss record may support interim identity handling, but it is not a universal replacement for a passport and does not guarantee acceptance by every operator. Ask the hotel, railway or airline what it can accept, keep the original record available, and do not treat it as authority for international departure.
What if I entered China visa-free?
Document loss does not automatically pause or extend the permitted stay. Contact the local Exit-Entry Administration or the 12367 immigration service before the permitted stay expires and follow the case-specific instruction.
What if my embassy cannot issue a replacement passport in China?
Ask the local Exit-Entry Administration or 12367 whether an exit-entry permit route applies. NIA guidance covers some foreigners who cannot obtain a replacement from their embassy or consulate, but eligibility and documents are decided by the competent authority.
What changes if a child loses a passport?
Keep the child with the responsible guardian and ask the child’s embassy or consulate and the local Exit-Entry Administration for the exact minor-specific documents. Be ready to prove the guardian relationship, but send identity documents only through verified official channels.
Authority routes checked here
Reviewed 26 August 2026. Local forms and supporting documents can differ by city and case. Confirm the live route with the competent Exit-Entry Administration, your own government’s official mission site and 12367.
- National Immigration Administration — entry, exit and stay/residence servicesVisa reissuance after loss, application receipts and follow-on immigration procedures.
- National Immigration Administration — expedited visa handlingUrgent departure consideration with confirmed travel evidence; not a guaranteed processing time.
- National Immigration Administration — exit-entry permit guidePotential route when a replacement passport cannot be obtained in China.
- National Immigration Administration — 12367 service24-hour immigration-administration help via +86-12367 and supported digital channels.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — foreign consular institutions in ChinaMission directory; verify current contact and appointment rules on your home government’s official site.
- Beijing government — passport-loss stepsCity example showing police, loss certificate, mission and replacement-visa sequence; not a national document checklist.