By Pedro Bianco
En esta noticia
Losing a U.S. passport or having it stolen is a headache, and there is one detail many people do not know that can create a bigger problem: once it is reported lost or stolen, the State Department cancels it immediately, and the document can no longer be used for travel, even if it turns up later. Using a reported passport can leave someone stranded at the airport.
Lost or stolen passports are immediately canceled
When a passport is reported lost or stolen, the State Department invalidates it. It is a security measure aimed at preventing someone from using the document to impersonate the holder or commit fraud. The direct consequence is that the passport is taken out of service from that moment on, and the agency makes it clear: it cannot be used even if it is found.
One key detail is that how quickly the passport is canceled depends on how the report is filed. The fastest way is online, by completing Form DS-64 (statement regarding a lost or stolen passport). When it is reported this way, the State Department cancels the passport within one business day.
It cannot be used even if it turns up later
Many people report the passport, assume it is gone, and then days or weeks later find it in a drawer or a suitcase. The instinct is to think that once it is recovered, it works again.
That is not the case: once it has been reported and canceled, the document does not regain its validity. Trying to travel with a passport listed as lost or stolen can end at the worst possible moment, at immigration control or at the airline counter, with the risk of being unable to board.
That is why, even if it turns up, you should not use it or try to travel with it.
How to apply for a replacement
Because the document has been canceled, this is not a routine renewal: a new passport must be requested. Inside the United States, the process is done in person with Form DS-11, the same route used by people applying for a passport for the first time, and it cannot be handled by mail.
Abroad, you must contact the nearest embassy or consulate. In general, the loss report (DS-64) is submitted along with the replacement application.