If your passport is missing in Korea, contact the embassy or consular service of the country that issued it. Tell them your departure date and any transit countries. At the same time, ask the place or transport operator where you lost it to check its lost property.
Official routes below were checked on October 21, 2026. This guide focuses on U.S., Canadian and Australian visitors. Requirements differ by nationality, age and circumstances; use your own country’s instructions.
Start with your passport’s issuing country
| Passport | Official starting point | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|
| United States | U.S. Embassy Seoul passport services State Department: passport lost abroad | Apply in person for a replacement. If travelling soon, give consular staff the itinerary and ask about an emergency passport. |
| Canada | Canadian Embassy in Seoul +82 2 3783 6000 | Report the loss to a Canadian government office abroad. Ask which replacement or urgent-travel process applies to you. |
| Australia | Australian Embassy passport services +82 2 2003 0100 | A lost-passport replacement does not qualify for streamlined renewal. Contact the embassy about the appointment and any urgent travel. |
For U.S. citizens, the State Department’s Korea information says passport services are available in Seoul, not at the U.S. Consulate in Busan. If you are outside Seoul, contact the embassy before arranging a long trip.
U.S. visitors: reporting and replacing are separate steps
The official lost-passport report protects against misuse, but it does not create a new passport application. Once reported lost or stolen, the passport is no longer valid for travel even if recovered. Use the current State Department checklist and Seoul appointment instructions.
The national guidance says a police report is helpful but not mandatory; Seoul’s local guidance asks applicants to report the loss or theft to police. Ask the embassy how to proceed if obtaining the report would delay urgent travel assistance.
Canadian visitors: use the overseas instructions
On Canada’s lost or stolen document page, select the correct document type, whether it is expired and your location outside Canada and the United States. For a valid lost adult passport, the instructions include declaration form PPTC 203 and an additional replacement fee. The office must assess renewal eligibility and any urgent-document option.
The Seoul embassy page lists emergency consular assistance as available 24/7. This does not mean a passport counter is open 24 hours or that a new document will be issued the same day.
Australian visitors: call to report the loss
The Australian Passport Office instructs travellers overseas to contact the nearest Australian embassy or consulate by phone. Make sure the document is genuinely missing: reporting cancels it, and you cannot use it again if it turns up. For theft, report it to local police and keep the report or reference number.
The Seoul embassy excludes lost-passport replacements and emergency passports from its mail-in renewal route. Ask for the correct appointment process. Do not apply a normal renewal timetable to an urgent lost-passport case.
Search the right lost-property office
Write a short timeline: the last place you saw the passport, the time, the next journey and any receipt or booking reference. Then contact the relevant operator with a description of the passport cover or holder. Avoid posting passport photos or document numbers publicly.
| Possible loss location | Who to ask first | Useful details |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel, restaurant or shop | The property or branch you visited | Date, time, table/room or receipt reference, and where the item may have been left. |
| On an aircraft | The airline | Flight number, date, seat and arrival terminal. |
| Airport bus or airport railroad | The transport operator | Route or train, boarding time, stops and ticket details. |
| Inside Incheon Airport’s terminal | Incheon Airport Lost and Found | Terminal, floor, nearby shop/gate and approximate time. |
The airport explicitly separates items lost in the terminal from those lost on an aircraft, airport bus or airport railroad. Its current lost-property page links to the police’s found-item search. Follow that current link rather than depending on a remembered portal address.
A lost-property search does not replace reporting to your passport issuer. If an office finds the document after you reported it, ask the issuing authority what to do; do not assume recovery restores its validity.
Prepare one clear information pack
Use this as a preparation list, then follow your embassy’s exact requirements:
- Your full name and a safe way for the consular team to contact you.
- Departure date, flight details and every transit or onward country.
- Where and when the passport went missing; any police or lost-property reference.
- Any other identification and any available copy of the missing passport.
- The application forms, photos and payment method specified by your issuing authority.
- Questions about documents you cannot supply, especially if your wallet was also lost.
Photo dimensions, forms, fees and rules for children differ between countries. Do not order photos or pay a third-party service based on another nationality’s checklist. Ask what can be done if you lack one of the requested documents.
Before you go to the airport
- Confirm the document: ask the embassy what document will be issued, when collection is possible and which travel limitations apply.
- Check the itinerary: ask the airline about that exact document for all flights and transit points. Do this before buying a replacement ticket.
- Check your Korean stay: if the replacement affects your departure date, passport record or permitted stay, ask Korea Immigration rather than assuming an extension is automatic.
- Update practical bookings: ask the airline and hotel what information needs changing once you receive the replacement.
The official Immigration Contact Center lists 1345 within Korea, weekdays 09:00–22:00. After 18:00, its listed languages are Korean, English and Chinese. Immigration advice and passport issuance are different services.
Once your travel documents and itinerary are confirmed, use the Incheon departure-day guide for airport logistics. If your hotel stay must change, see the hotel identification and check-in guide and contact the property directly about your situation.
Reviewed by KLOGUE Editor · October 21, 2026. Official references are linked beside the relevant information. Recheck time-sensitive details with the service provider before travelling.