Lost Your Passport in Japan? What to Do Next
If you lose your passport in Japan, report the loss and contact your embassy or consulate as soon as possible. The exact replacement process depends on your nationality.
This guide explains who to contact first, what information to keep, and what to do if your passport is later found.
Where Should You Check First?
Start with the place most likely to have your passport.
| Where you may have lost it | Contact first |
|---|---|
| Hotel or ryokan | Hotel or ryokan — See our hotel lost item guide |
| Airport terminal | Airport Lost & Found — See our airport lost item guide |
| On an aircraft | Airline |
| Train or station | Railway operator — See our train lost item guide |
| Restaurant or store | Facility directly |
| Not sure | Police |
1. Report the Loss and Check Where You May Have Left It
If you know where you may have lost your passport, contact that location first, such as a hotel, airport, railway operator, restaurant, or other facility.
If the facility cannot find your passport, or you are not sure where it was lost, file a Lost Property Report with the police. If you are still in Japan, you can visit a nearby police station or koban. In many prefectures, online reporting is also available, although procedures vary.
Keep any report number or reference information you receive. Your embassy or consulate may ask for it, but requirements vary by country.
The National Police Agency provides links to prefectural police lost property reporting and search services.
A Lost Property Report creates a record that may help the police match your report with property that is handed in later. It does not mean the police will actively search hotels, trains, airports, or other locations for your passport.
Depending on the prefecture, online lost property search services may also let you check whether matching property has been handed in and where it is being held.
If you have tried the appropriate contacts but the passport is still missing, our Search Service may be able to help with local inquiries in Japan. Because passport replacement and cancellation rules are handled by your own government, continue following your embassy or consulate's instructions even while the search is ongoing.
2. Contact Your Embassy or Consulate
Contact your country’s embassy or consulate in Japan for instructions on replacing your passport or obtaining an emergency travel document.
Before visiting, check:
- Business hours and appointment requirements
- Required documents
- Processing time
- Fees
- Whether your travel schedule affects the type of document you can receive
Requirements differ by nationality, so use your embassy or consulate’s official instructions rather than assuming the process is the same for every traveler.
You can also use the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan’s list of foreign missions in Japan to find the appropriate embassy or consulate.
3. Replacement Passport or Emergency Travel Document
Your embassy or consulate will tell you whether you need a replacement passport, emergency passport, or another emergency travel document.
Processing time, validity, fees, and required documents vary by nationality and circumstances. If you have an upcoming flight, tell the embassy or consulate when you contact them.
4. What If Your Passport Is Found Later?
If your passport is found after you have reported it lost, do not assume that it is still valid for travel.
Once a passport is reported lost to your country’s passport authority, it may be cancelled and may no longer be valid even if you later recover it. Follow the instructions from your embassy or consulate before using a recovered passport.
If a hotel, airport, railway operator, or police office finds your passport, confirm:
- Where it is currently being held
- The lost property or reference number, if available
- The pickup or storage deadline
A passport found at a hotel, airport, station, or other facility may later be transferred to the police, so confirm the current holding location before making collection arrangements.
5. What Your Embassy May Ask For
Requirements vary by country, but your embassy or consulate may ask for items such as:
- Identification or proof of nationality
- Passport photos that meet its specifications
- Travel or flight details
- Police report or reference information, if required
- Application fees
Check the official instructions before visiting so you know what to prepare.
6. If You Need Help Locating or Collecting the Passport
If your passport is still missing after you have contacted the likely locations, our Search Service may be able to help with local inquiries in Japan.
If the passport has already been found but you cannot collect it yourself, our Pickup & Delivery Service may be able to help when proxy collection is permitted.
Whether a recovered passport can be collected or returned depends on the holding facility and the instructions from your embassy or passport authority. For passport replacement, cancellation, validity, or emergency travel documents, contact your embassy or consulate directly.
Summary
If you lose your passport in Japan:
- Contact the place where you may have lost it. If the facility cannot find the passport or the location is unclear, file a police report.
- Keep any report or reference information you receive.
- Contact your embassy or consulate for replacement or emergency travel document instructions.
- If the passport is still missing and local inquiries are difficult, consider the Search Service while continuing to follow your embassy or consulate's instructions.
- If the passport is found later, confirm whether it is still valid before using it.
- If the passport has been found but you cannot collect it yourself, confirm what collection options are available and consider the Pickup & Delivery Service if needed.
Related Articles
About the Author
Yusuke Baba — Founder, Japan Lost and Found Service
I once lost my MacBook during my honeymoon, so I know how stressful it can be to lose something important while traveling. That experience is one of the reasons I started Japan Lost and Found Service—to help travelers who are dealing with the same situation, especially when language and distance make recovery difficult.
I hope this guide helps you understand what to do next. If you need help recovering something you lost in Japan, please feel free to contact us.