Lost Your Passport in the Philippines? What Taiwan and Hong Kong Travellers Need to Do, Step by Step

Lost a Passport in the Philippines? Get a Police Report First, Then Follow the Taiwan or Hong Kong Route

If you lose your passport in the Philippines, start at the police station covering the place where it happened or where you live, and ask for a written, signed and stamped police report. Only then go to the office that issues your replacement document. The order matters because every office further down the line asks for that report first.

What people call a lost passport report is, in the Philippines, usually this police report. The three official channels that Taiwan and Hong Kong travellers deal with all point to it:

• Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines (TECO): both the entry certificate and a replacement passport require the Philippine police report, and for a replacement passport TECO asks for the original plus one photocopy.
• Hong Kong: GovHK says that if you lose an HKSAR passport while travelling, you should report it to the local police, obtain a copy of the police report, and then contact the Chinese diplomatic and consular mission.
• Bureau of Immigration (BI): the checklist for re-stamping a visa after a passport is lost asks for a police report and/or an Affidavit of Loss.

An Affidavit of Loss is a notarised sworn statement, which is not the same document as a police report. BI accepts either or both, but TECO and the Chinese mission look for the police document, so the police step cannot be skipped. For how affidavits work, see affidavits in the Philippines. The most common gap is leaving the station after the desk officer records a blotter entry, without asking for the written report; the difference is explained in how to file a police report in the Philippines. If the passport was stolen or snatched, say so rather than recording it as simply lost.

Next, gather anything that shows who you are and when you entered: photos of the passport data page and your latest Philippine arrival stamp, the visa page, and your ACR I-Card if you have one. Taiwan travellers should add a Taiwan document with a photo, such as a national ID card, National Health Insurance card or driver's licence. Hong Kong residents should add their Hong Kong permanent identity card. Then follow the route for your document:

• Taiwan passport: go to TECO, covered in the next two sections.
• HKSAR passport: go to the Chinese Embassy or a Chinese consulate and contact the Hong Kong Immigration Department, covered in section four.
• Mainland Chinese passport: the process is different; see losing a Chinese passport in the Philippines.

Whichever route applies, the new document still has to go to the BI main office to have your entry and visa records restored before you can leave. That step is covered separately in section five.

Taiwan Passport Holders Who Need to Go Home Quickly: The Entry Certificate from TECO

If you have household registration in Taiwan and simply need to get home, TECO can issue an entry certificate (入國證明書). It is a document for returning to Taiwan, not a passport. According to TECO's notice, it is issued on the same day and is valid for 30 days.

Who qualifies. TECO's notice says the certificate is for nationals with household registration in Taiwan, and the listed situations include losing a passport that was still valid and being unable to wait for a replacement. Nationals without household registration fall outside this route; they need a replacement passport and should follow TECO's notice on entry permits for returning to Taiwan.

What to bring, based on TECO's entry certificate notice:

1. Two colour photos on a white background, 4.5 cm high by 3.5 cm wide, meeting the notice's requirements.
2. The entry certificate application form.
3. Proof of nationality. For a lost passport, this means the police report plus an original Taiwan document with a photo, such as a national ID card, National Health Insurance card or driver's licence.
4. Attendance in person to complete the passport loss declaration form at the office.
5. For unmarried applicants under 18, identity documents and written consent from a legal representative.
6. Any other document TECO considers necessary for your case.

On arrival in Taiwan. Holders present the certificate to the National Immigration Agency's border unit at the airport or seaport, and after entry use the inspected certificate to apply for a passport or to register a household move-in.

One more step before you leave the Philippines. TECO warns that anyone who lost a passport in the Philippines must take the entry certificate to the BI main office to have the relevant stamps added. BI checks the original entry and visa records, confirms there is no violation and collects the processing fee before you may depart; otherwise immigration officers will require you to complete the procedure before letting you leave. Section five covers this. Because the certificate is meant for returning to Taiwan, book a direct flight where possible, and check with the airline before booking any routing through a third country.

Contact details, from TECO's website: consular services are on the 20th floor, Tower 1, RCBC Plaza, 6819 Ayala Avenue, Makati City; the consular division line is (63-2) 8538-8888; documents are received 08:45 to 11:45 and released 13:45 to 16:45 on weekdays, excluding holidays. The emergency number 0917-819-4597 is only for emergencies such as accidents or robbery; ordinary document questions go to the office line during working hours. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs a global toll-free emergency line, 800-0885-0885, which in the Philippines works only from PLDT public phones or landlines, not local mobile numbers; you can also call +886-800-085-095 at your own cost. For how TECO fits alongside other offices, see Taiwan passport holders in the Philippines.

Staying On in the Philippines: Applying for a Replacement Taiwan Passport

If you are staying to live, work or keep a long-term visa, apply for a replacement passport rather than an entry certificate. A long-term visa has to be recorded again in a passport, and BI's re-stamping checklist refers to old and new passports, so a one-way travel document will not carry you through renewals, the ACR I-Card or future trips.

Documents, based on TECO's notice on replacing a lost passport:

• A completed passport application form plus one photocopy, and, if the lost passport was still valid, the passport loss declaration form, which you fill in at the office.
• Two colour photos taken within the last six months on a white background, meeting the notice and the Bureau of Consular Affairs' chip passport photo rules; composite or edited photos are not accepted.
• The original Philippine police report for the lost passport, plus one photocopy.
• Proof of nationality, such as a national ID card, driver's licence or National Health Insurance card, original plus one photocopy.
• For men aged 36 or under who have completed or been exempted from military service, a copy of the relevant document.
• A valid Philippine residence document, such as an ACR I-Card or an investor or retiree visa, original plus one photocopy.
• For minors, a parent's or guardian's ID, a household registration transcript, and the guardian's signed consent on the back of the form.

How it is handled. You must attend in person for an interview; TECO does not accept applications or return passports by post. The counter is window 8. TECO's notice gives a usual processing time of about 20 working days. A locally issued one-year non-chip passport is much quicker; the notice says three working days and the office's FAQ says three to five. Holidays and requests for further documents add time. Fees are as currently posted by TECO.

Three rules people miss:

1. A passport reported lost stays lost even if you find it later, and it may not be used again. Search your home, car and bags thoroughly before you report.
2. A replacement for a lost passport is limited to five years' validity. If you have lost two or more passports within ten years, validity is cut to between 18 months and three years.
3. The one-year non-chip passport is an emergency option. TECO's FAQ warns that it may not qualify for visa-free entry in some countries, so check with your destination before using it to travel onward.

Choosing between the two. If you are leaving soon, get the entry certificate. If you are staying and renewing a visa, get a replacement passport. Holders of a 9G, 13A, SRRV or other long-term visa will also need to deal with the visa transfer once the new passport arrives; see transferring a visa to a new passport. For visa-free entry and permitted stay on a Taiwan passport, see do Taiwan passport holders need a visa.

Hong Kong Residents: Replacement Documents from the Chinese Embassy, With Help from ImmD's 1868 Hotline

Hong Kong residents who lose an HKSAR passport in the Philippines should report it to the police, then contact the Chinese Embassy in Manila or a Chinese consulate. They can also call the Hong Kong Immigration Department's Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit on its 24-hour hotline, (852) 1868, to help confirm their identity.

GovHK's guidance, revised in July 2026, says that if you lose an HKSAR passport or Document of Identity for Visa Purposes while travelling, you should report it to the local police, get a copy of the police report, and contact the Chinese diplomatic and consular mission to request a replacement travel document; ImmD will advise and assist. The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines sets out three routes in its guidance for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan compatriots:

• Going home urgently: a PRC travel document. This covers Hong Kong residents whose HKSAR passport has expired, been lost or damaged, who hold a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card and need to return to Hong Kong. You can apply at the embassy during public hours without going through the China Consular app. Documents include the application form, three photos, and your Philippine residence document, such as an ACR I-Card, with a copy; minors also need a guardian's ID and proof of guardianship. You must apply in person. The guidance gives a standard processing time of four working days, but cases that require identity checks, such as a lost passport, are handled case by case, and the embassy suggests calling 1868 first to speed up verification.
• Staying in the Philippines: a replacement HKSAR passport. Hong Kong residents living in the Philippines can apply to ImmD by post, online or directly, or submit the application in person at the embassy or a consulate, which forwards it to ImmD and asks you to collect the passport once it arrives. Requirements and forms are on the ImmD website, immd.gov.hk.
• Identity card lost as well: an emergency declaration. If you must return urgently and your Hong Kong permanent identity card is also lost, the mission can issue an emergency document, the 入境身份陈述书 (a declaration of identity for entry), together with a Hong Kong entry permit. You need the declaration form from the mission, one recent colour photo, a copy of the lost passport's data page and any foreign residence document if you have them, form ID1003A, and a written account of the loss or theft. Timing depends on identity verification.

Contacts, from the Chinese Embassy's website: the consular and overseas Chinese affairs section is on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the World Center, 330 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati City; the 24-hour consular protection hotline is 0063-2-82311033; enquiries about passports, travel documents and Hong Kong entry permits go to [email protected]. There are consulates-general in Cebu and Davao and a consulate in Laoag. Besides the phone line, ImmD's unit can be reached through 1868 WhatsApp, 1868 WeChat, the ImmD mobile app and an online form.

Two groups need a different route. ImmD describes the Chinese missions' help as available to Hong Kong residents of Chinese nationality, so foreign nationals with Hong Kong residence should contact their own embassy. A BN(O) passport is a British document, so emergency travel documents follow the guidance on gov.uk; see BNO versus HKSAR passport. If your Hong Kong identity card was lost outside Hong Kong, GovHK says you must report it and apply for a replacement within 14 days of your return. For visa-free entry rules, see do Hong Kong passport holders need a visa.

Before You Fly: Restoring Your Entry and Visa Records at the Bureau of Immigration Main Office

A new passport, entry certificate or emergency document does not let you leave straight away. BI first checks your original entry and visa records and adds them to the new document, and this is done at the BI main office in Intramuros, Manila.

TECO summarises BI's rule this way: a foreign national who loses a passport in the Philippines and wants to leave must first obtain a travel document, then take it to the BI main office to have the relevant stamps added. BI checks the original visa and arrival date, confirms there is no violation and collects the processing fee before the person may depart. TECO suggests bringing copies of your passport and visa, your boarding pass or e-ticket, and the police report.

The two matching services on BI's website:

• Transfer of Admission Status: for foreign nationals who have new passports; the admission status from the latest arrival stamp in the lost or cancelled passport is transferred to the new one. It is filed at the BI Main Office using checklist IRD01.QF.002 Rev 3.
• Re-Stamping of Visa: open to foreign nationals whose visas need re-stamping because a passport was lost or damaged, also at the BI Main Office. Checklist BOC03.QF.003, effective 4 September 2026, asks for a letter to the head of the Board of Commissioners Implementation Unit (BOC-IU) bearing a No Derogatory Records stamp from the Certification and Clearance Section; a certified true copy of the Board of Commissioners order granting the visa, or a certification from the Records Section; copies of the old and new passport data pages, the latest visa stamp in the old passport and the latest arrival in the new passport, or a summary of arrivals; and, for a lost or stolen passport, a police report and/or Affidavit of Loss. The steps are: submit the documents, get an Order of Payment Slip, pay, claim the approved order, submit it with the passport for implementation, and collect the passport.

Which service applies, and whether you need both, depends on your status and is decided at the BI counter; a visa-free or tourist visitor is not in the same position as a 9G or 13A holder. The checklist also states that foreign documents must be authenticated or apostilled, and that a representative must show a BI accreditation ID or a special power of attorney for each application.

Related steps. If you need an official record of your travel, the BI main office offers a Travel Records Certification. If your ACR I-Card went missing too, see replacing a lost ACR I-Card. Whether you also need an ECC before departure is covered in the ECC guide. Both services above list the main office as the place to file, so if you are in Cebu or Davao, build a trip to Manila into your plans; for what offices outside Manila handle, see filing BI transactions outside Manila.

The BI main office is on Magallanes Drive, Intramuros, Manila, with the trunk line (+632) 8-465-2400; fees are as currently published by BI. Yixing holds BI Accreditation No. CA-202624381-1, valid until 30 June 2027, and can help check the checklist, prepare the request letter and handle filing through our visa and immigration service. Approval and timing remain BI's decision.

The Right Order, Four Common Mistakes, and What to Photograph Before You Travel

There is only one safe order: police report, then TECO or the Chinese mission, then the BI main office for re-stamping or transfer of status, then an ACR I-Card replacement or ECC if needed, and only then your flight. Booking before these steps are finished usually ends in a rebooking.

Four common mistakes:

1. Buying the ticket first. An entry certificate can be issued the same day, but BI re-stamping goes through review, and Hong Kong emergency documents that need identity checks take as long as the case requires.
2. Using the old passport after finding it. A Taiwan passport reported lost stays lost. For other documents, ask the issuing authority rather than assuming a found passport is still valid.
3. Mixing two documents. Hong Kong residents who enter on one passport and try to leave on another create entry and exit records that do not match, which causes problems at BI; see Hong Kong residents in the Philippines.
4. A vague police report. Recording a robbery as a simple loss, or getting the date or place wrong, leads to questions at every counter. For what to do after a robbery, see robbed in the Philippines.

Prevention before you travel:

• Photograph the passport data page, your latest Philippine arrival stamp, the visa page and both sides of your ACR I-Card, and store the images in the cloud and in your email, not only on your phone, because phones and passports often go missing together.
• Save TECO's consular and emergency numbers, or the Chinese Embassy's 24-hour hotline and (852) 1868, in your contacts.
• You do not always need to carry the original passport; see whether to carry your passport or a copy.
• Keep old passports after renewal, because they prove your entry history; see keeping your old passport.

Documents most often go missing on inter-island trips, while re-stamping is handled in Manila. Before heading to Cebu, Davao or Bacolod, check which region you will be in and which immigration office is nearest; see the Philippine regions, islands and cities guide. For a wider list of who to call when something goes wrong, see getting help when you are here alone.

A final practical point: from the moment you report the loss, keep a dated record of what happened, when you reported it and which offices you have visited, together with every receipt and claim stub. Each office in this chain asks similar questions, and a consistent record makes the next interview shorter.