Lost passport & emergency help in China
Start with the normal replacement-document path. Use the NIA exit-entry permit branch only when your home-country embassy or consulate in China cannot reissue the passport or international travel document.
Quick answer
NIA guidance says a foreigner whose passport is lost should immediately go to the local entry-exit administration authority of the local public security bureau to apply for a passport loss certificate, contact their embassy or consulate in China with that certificate, and after obtaining a new passport or temporary travel document, apply to local public security exit-entry authorities at or above county level for visa renewal or reissuance.
Choose the correct document path
| Your situation | Document path | Official next steps |
|---|---|---|
| Your home-country embassy or consulate in China can issue a new passport or temporary travel document. | Normal replacement-document path | Apply for the passport loss certificate; contact the embassy or consulate with it; obtain the new passport or temporary travel document; then apply to the local public security bureau's entry-exit administration at or above county level for visa renewal or reissuance. |
| Your passport or international travel document was lost, damaged, stolen, or robbed, and your home-country embassy or consulate within China cannot reissue it. | Limited NIA exit-entry permit branch | Prepare the service-guide materials and apply in person for an exit-entry permit at the responsible public security organ's exit-entry administration. The authority determines acceptance and issuance. |
Normal replacement-document path
Go to the local public security bureau's entry-exit administration authority and apply for a passport loss certificate.
Use the passport loss certificate when contacting your country's embassy or consulate in China.
Apply for a new passport or temporary travel document through the embassy or consulate.
After receiving the new passport or temporary travel document, apply to the local public security bureau's entry-exit administration at or above county level for visa renewal or reissuance.
Limited exit-entry permit branch
This section applies only when the passport or international travel document was lost, damaged, stolen, or robbed and cannot be reissued by the applicant's home-country embassy or consulate within China.
Application materials listed by the NIA service guide
- A completed Visa/Stay Permit/Residence Permit Application Form and a photo meeting the Guidelines for Travel Documents' Photographs.
- A Confirmation of Reporting the Loss of Passport, an official note from the home-country embassy or consulate in China, or the damaged or expired document together with the temporary identity certificate used instead for identity verification.
- Other materials related to the reason for issuing the permit.
In-person, acceptance, and receipt steps
The applicant must apply in person at a public security organ's exit-entry administration and be interviewed.
The processing authority checks whether the application is within its responsibilities and whether the materials are complete and meet the requirements. If accepted, it issues an acceptance receipt. If a procedure or material is incomplete, it gives one notification of what must be completed or added.
The authority may verify the application through face-to-face interviews, phone queries, on-site investigations, or other necessary methods. Attend scheduled interviews and provide accurate, authentic information and materials.
If the authority decides to issue the permit, the applicant must visit the responsible exit-entry administration with the receipt to collect it.
Preparation checklist
What to do next
Common mistakes
- Treating the exit-entry permit branch as the default instead of first determining whether the embassy or consulate can reissue the document.
- Delaying the passport loss certificate application when NIA guidance says to apply immediately.
- Stopping after the consular replacement and missing the visa renewal or reissuance step with the local exit-entry administration.
- Using the limited permit materials outside the branch where the document cannot be reissued in China.
- Assuming submission means acceptance, or that acceptance guarantees issuance.
- Losing the acceptance receipt needed to collect an issued exit-entry permit.
- Treating the 30-working-day decision period as a guarantee for the entire recovery process.
Useful phrase cards
FAQ
What is the normal path after losing a passport in China?
NIA guidance says to immediately apply to the local public security bureau's entry-exit administration for a passport loss certificate, contact your country's embassy or consulate in China with that certificate, and then, after obtaining a new passport or temporary travel document, apply to the local public security bureau's entry-exit administration at or above county level for visa renewal or reissuance.
When does the exit-entry permit branch apply?
The NIA service guide limits this branch to a foreign national in China whose passport or international travel document was lost, damaged, stolen, or robbed and cannot be reissued by the person's home-country embassy or consulate within China.
What materials does the NIA service guide list for that permit branch?
It lists a completed Visa/Stay Permit/Residence Permit Application Form and a compliant photo; the applicable loss confirmation, embassy or consulate note, or damaged or expired document together with the temporary identity certificate used instead for identity verification; and other materials related to the reason for issuing the permit.
Do I apply and collect the exit-entry permit in person?
Yes. For this permit service, the applicant must apply in person and be interviewed. If the application is accepted, an acceptance receipt is issued; the applicant must later visit the responsible exit-entry administration with that receipt to collect the permit.
Does the 30-working-day period cover the whole passport-loss recovery process?
No. The service guide states that the decision on issuing this exit-entry permit is made within 30 working days from the date the permit application is accepted. It does not state that the entire loss-reporting, consular, visa, or travel-document process is completed within that period.