Don’t Panic if You Lose Your Passport: Contact Your Embassy
The vast majority of individuals in England these days have a passport, as foreign holidays have become ever cheaper over the last 30 years. But why have a passport? So what happens on the occasion when I hand my passport book to a foriegn hospital, for example?
Your passport primarily places you as a particular citizen of a specific country. This instantly tells local bureaus (in whatever country you are in) of your particular set of rights in their country. Your passport is the location to keep various visas and stamps which also inform local agencies as to how many weeks you’ve stayed in their country, and how long you’re allowed to reside for.
It’s a routine misconception to trust a passport entitles you to the same rights as the residents of the country you hold a passport for. That is not case. For instance, if you’re an Australian and have resided in Britain for the last 20 years, then go back to Australia using your Australian passport, you will almost certainly not have the same rights as a resident of Australia (e.g. be able to claim unemployment benefits immediately or get help with government grants). Being a resident and holding a passport for a particular country are two different things. It’s fundamental to understand this as more and more people are dual passport holders these days.
You should always keep your passport in a safe location, and make a copy of the page with your photo on it and your stamped pages in case it gets lost. If you do lose your passport when in a foreign country, get in touch with your embassy who will be able to supply you an emergency passport. Your embassy has the power to give you a new passport if you lose your previous one.
