Lost Passport in Croatia: What to Do Step by Step

Quick Answer

If your passport is lost or stolen in Croatia:

• Report it at the nearest Croatian police station.
• Ask for written confirmation or a copy of the police report.
• Contact your country’s embassy or consulate in Croatia.
• Confirm which documents, photographs and fees are required.
• Check whether the replacement document is valid for your route and any transit countries.
• Contact your airline or other transport provider if your journey must be changed.
• Keep all receipts if you plan to make a travel insurance claim.

A police report, photograph or photocopy of your passport is not a valid travel document. Do not go to an airport, ferry terminal or international border assuming that the police report alone will allow you to travel.

1. Make Sure the Passport Is Missing

Before reporting the passport, quickly check your luggage, pockets, accommodation, vehicle and the last places you visited.

Contact the reception desk, restaurant, tour operator or transport company if you may have left it there. If the passport was clearly stolen, you cannot locate it quickly or your departure is approaching, do not delay the official report.

If your wallet or bag was stolen with the passport, also block any missing bank cards and report other identity documents, driving licences or valuables.

2. Report the Loss or Theft to Croatian Police

The Croatian Ministry of the Interior advises foreign visitors to report the loss of the travel document or identity card used to enter Croatia at the nearest police station.

Explain when and where you last saw the passport and whether you believe it was lost or stolen. Provide the passport number if you have it, together with any available copy or photograph of the document.

Ask the police for written confirmation or a copy of the report. You may need it when contacting your embassy, applying for a replacement document or making an insurance claim.

You can use the official directory of Croatian police administrations to find the appropriate police authority.

For a routine document loss, visit a police station in person. Call 192 if you need urgent police assistance. The general emergency number 112 should be used when there is an immediate emergency or threat to personal safety.

3. Contact Your Embassy or Consulate

After making the police report, contact the embassy or consulate of the country that issued your passport.

The consular office will determine whether you need:

• A full replacement passport
• An emergency passport
• An emergency travel document
• A temporary travel certificate for a specific journey

Contact the embassy before travelling to its office. Appointments may be required, opening hours may be limited and not every consulate or honorary consul can issue passports or emergency documents.

Many embassies and full consular services are located in Zagreb. If you are staying elsewhere in Croatia, including on an island, ask which office can handle your case before arranging transport.

Use the official directory of foreign embassies and consulates in Croatia to find the relevant contact details.

4. Prepare the Documents Required by Your Embassy

Requirements differ according to nationality and the type of document being issued. Ask the embassy for an exact list before attending your appointment.

You may be asked to provide:

• The Croatian police report
• Another form of identification
• A copy or photograph of the lost passport
• Recent passport photographs in the required format
• Proof of nationality or personal details
• Your flight booking or travel itinerary
• A completed application form
• Payment of a consular fee
• Additional documents or parental consent for a child

A driving licence, digital passport copy or other supporting document may help the embassy confirm your identity, but it does not automatically replace a valid passport or national identity card for international travel.

5. Check Whether You Have Another Valid Travel Document

Some travellers may still have a valid national identity card that can be used for their journey. This depends on their nationality, destination, route, transit countries and transport provider.

According to the Croatian Ministry of the Interior, visitors who do not have another valid document for crossing the border must contact their diplomatic mission or consular office to obtain the appropriate travel certificate.

If you still have a national identity card, confirm all of the following before travelling:

• It is accepted for leaving Croatia.
• It is accepted by your destination country.
• It is valid in every country through which you will transit.
• Your airline, ferry, train or bus company accepts it for identification.

A driving licence is not normally a substitute for a passport or national identity card at an international border.

For more information about documents normally required for entering Croatia, see our passport and visa information.

6. Understand the Limits of an Emergency Travel Document

An emergency travel document is not necessarily equivalent to a full passport.

Depending on the issuing country, it may be valid only for:

• A direct journey home
• A specified destination
• A limited number of transit countries
• A short period
• The itinerary listed in the application

Do not assume that an emergency document will allow you to continue a multi-country holiday. Ask the embassy whether it covers your complete route and contact the relevant transport provider before making a new booking.

Transit rules are particularly important if your journey passes through a country outside the EU or Schengen Area. A document accepted for leaving Croatia may not automatically be accepted for entering or transiting another country.

The time and cost required to issue an emergency document vary. Same-day service cannot be guaranteed, especially outside normal working hours or when the embassy must first confirm your identity and nationality.

The official Your Europe information about lost and expired passports explains that rules for travelling without a normal valid document can differ between countries and may change.

7. Contact Your Transport Provider

Once the embassy confirms which document you will receive and when it is likely to be ready, contact your airline, ferry operator, bus company, train company or travel organiser.

Ask whether you need to:

• Change your departure date
• Update the document details on your booking
• Follow an alternative route
• Avoid a particular transit country
• Present additional documents at check-in

Transport companies cannot issue or validate an emergency travel document, but they can confirm their boarding and identification requirements.

Do not buy a replacement ticket until you understand where and how the new document can be used.

If You Lose Your Passport on a Croatian Island

Report the loss at the local police station or the police authority responsible for the island. Then contact your embassy immediately.

The nearest honorary consulate may not be authorised to issue an emergency document. You may need to travel to a full consular office on the mainland or in Zagreb.

Ask the embassy where you must go, which documents to bring and whether it can begin checking your identity before you arrive. Your accommodation provider may help you locate the police station, print documents or arrange transport, but it cannot replace the official procedure.

If the Passport Is Lost at Night or During a Weekend

Report the loss to Croatian police as soon as possible. Check your embassy’s official website for an emergency contact number and instructions for urgent cases outside normal opening hours.

Emergency telephone services are generally intended for urgent situations and imminent travel problems. The consular office may still require you to attend in person during its next available opening period.

If your departure is approaching, notify your transport provider and accommodation provider that your plans may change.

If a Child’s Passport Is Lost or Stolen

A parent or legal guardian should report the loss to Croatian police and contact the child’s embassy or consulate.

The embassy may require:

• The child to attend in person
• Proof of the parent’s or guardian’s identity
• Proof of the relationship to the child
• Consent from another parent or guardian
• Additional photographs or application forms
• Evidence of the planned journey

Requirements vary between countries, so obtain instructions directly from the embassy before travelling to the appointment.

Contact Your Travel Insurance Provider

Travel insurance may cover some expenses caused by a lost or stolen passport, but the level of cover depends on the policy.

Contact your insurer as soon as possible and ask whether the policy covers:

• Emergency document fees
• Passport photographs
• Transport to the embassy or consulate
• Additional accommodation
• Flight or transport changes
• Replacement of other stolen belongings

Keep the police report, embassy correspondence, booking confirmations and all receipts. Do not assume that every replacement or rebooking cost will be reimbursed.

What If You Find the Passport Later?

Do not automatically use a passport after it has been reported lost or stolen.

Once the issuing authority has cancelled or invalidated it, the passport may no longer be accepted even if it appears undamaged. Attempting to travel with a document recorded as lost or stolen can lead to denied boarding or additional border checks.

Contact your embassy, passport authority or police for instructions. You may be required to surrender or return the recovered passport.

How to Protect Your Passport While Travelling in Croatia

A few precautions can make the replacement process easier and reduce the risk of losing all your documents at once:

• Keep your passport in a secure, locked location when it is not required.
• Do not store every identity document and payment card in the same bag.
• Keep a paper copy separately from the original.
• Save an encrypted digital copy in secure online storage.
• Record the passport number and expiry date.
• Save the contact details of your embassy in Croatia.
• Do not publish passport photographs or personal document details online.
• Check what identification you are legally required to carry during your stay.

Copies can help confirm your identity, but they are not substitutes for valid original travel documents.