Losing a passport in Korea can affect hotel check-in, identity checks, embassy services, immigration records, and departure procedures. This guide explains the practical order of action for foreign travelers: secure yourself, report the loss or theft, contact your embassy or consulate, and use official Korea helplines when language or immigration questions arise.
The steps below are based on official visitor, police, immigration, and tourism helpline sources. Embassy rules differ by nationality, so travelers should always follow the instructions of their own embassy or consulate when applying for a replacement passport or emergency travel document.
1. Lost Passport in Korea: The Problem
A passport is the main identity document for most foreign visitors in Korea. If it is lost, stolen, or damaged, the problem is not only the missing booklet. It can affect accommodation, transport, flight check-in, bank or card verification, and communication with immigration or airline staff.
The first priority is safety. If the passport was stolen, if a bag was taken, or if you feel unsafe, contact the police. Visit Korea lists the Police Department emergency number as 112, and it lists 119 for fire and medical emergencies.
If the passport was misplaced rather than stolen, still act quickly. Retrace the last places where identity checks or payments happened, such as the hotel front desk, airport counter, taxi, train station, café, restaurant, or convenience store. Ask staff whether a passport was turned in before leaving the area.
Do not wait until the departure day. Replacement travel documents usually require embassy or consulate processing, identity verification, and sometimes a police report or loss confirmation. Airline and immigration procedures can also take time, especially during weekends, public holidays, or late-night departures.
2. The Solution: Use the Official Help Chain
The safest order is simple: confirm personal safety, check nearby lost-property points, report theft or loss where appropriate, contact your embassy or consulate, and then confirm any immigration or departure questions with official Korean channels.
Visit Korea lists LOST112 as Korea’s Lost and Found Center, with telephone support at +82-2-182 and the website www.lost112.go.kr. LOST112 can be useful when an item may have been turned in, but it is not a replacement for embassy instructions.
For official identity-document replacement, contact your country’s embassy or consulate in Korea. Visit Korea points travelers to diplomatic missions in Korea through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. The embassy or consulate decides what it can issue, which documents are required, and whether the document is valid for onward travel or only for direct return.
For immigration-related questions, the Ministry of Justice Korea Immigration Service operates the Immigration Contact Center at 1345. The official immigration page states that counseling is available for immigration affairs and living in Korea for foreigners, and that calls can be made by dialing 1345 in Korea or +82-2-1345 from abroad.
🚨 Important Warning: Do not rely on social media comments or unofficial visa advice after losing a passport. Passport replacement rules are set by your own government, while Korean entry, stay, and departure records are handled by Korean immigration authorities. Use embassy, consulate, police, and immigration channels.
3. Step-by-Step Guide After Losing a Passport
Step 1: Secure yourself and your remaining documents
Move to a safe public place before making calls or searching bags. If your phone, wallet, cards, or accommodation key were also lost, contact your hotel and card issuer as soon as possible. Keep any remaining photo ID, passport copy, visa notice, K-ETA approval, travel insurance document, or airline booking accessible.
If the passport was lost during a theft, assault, or other crime situation, call 112 for police help. If medical help is needed, call 119. For language support related to travel, Visit Korea lists the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline at +82-2-1330, with support in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, and Indonesian.
Step 2: Check the likely location and lost-property channels
If you remember the last place where the passport was used, contact that place directly. Hotels, airport counters, train stations, department stores, museums, and cafés may have their own lost-and-found desk. Ask staff to check under the exact name shown in the passport.
Use LOST112 when the item may have been turned in to police or a lost-property center. The service is useful for checking returned items, but foreign travelers should still contact their embassy or consulate early because passport reissue procedures can take time.
🗣️ Korean Phrase: “I lost my passport” is “여권을 잃어버렸어요” (yeogwoneul ireobeoryeosseoyo). “Where is the police station?” is “경찰서가 어디예요?” (gyeongchalseoga eodiyeyo?). Show the Korean sentence on your phone if pronunciation is difficult.
Step 3: Visit or contact the police when a report is needed
Many embassies ask travelers to provide a police report or a loss report before issuing an emergency travel document, but the exact requirement depends on nationality and embassy procedure. Contact your embassy first if possible, then follow its instruction on whether to report at a police station and what document to request.
When speaking with police, give facts only: where and when the passport was last seen, whether a bag or wallet was stolen, what other items were missing, and where you are staying. Do not guess the cause if you are unsure. A clear timeline is more useful than assumptions.
Step 4: Contact your embassy or consulate
Your embassy or consulate is the authority that can explain replacement passport or emergency travel document options. Prepare your full name, nationality, date of birth, passport number if known, travel dates, airline booking, local phone number, email, and current address in Korea.
If you have a passport photo, scanned passport copy, national ID, driver’s license, or digital copy stored in secure cloud storage, keep it ready. Do not send identity documents to unofficial accounts. Use only embassy or consulate contact details from the official government website of your country or from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs diplomatic missions page.
Step 5: Confirm immigration and departure questions
Travelers who entered Korea visa-free, with K-ETA, with a visa, or with a residence status may have different practical issues after passport replacement. If you are unsure whether the new document affects departure, re-entry, stay records, or immigration paperwork, contact the Immigration Contact Center at 1345.
The official Korea Immigration Service page states that 1345 provides counseling on immigration affairs and living in Korea for foreigners, plus three-way interpretation services for foreigner-related work with public institutions. It lists counseling service hours as 09:00 to 22:00 on weekdays, with Korean, English, and Chinese available after 18:00.
4. Pro Tips and Warnings
💡 Local Hack: Keep your hotel address in Korean and English. Police, taxi drivers, embassy staff, and interpretation services may ask where you are staying. A hotel business card or booking screen can reduce confusion.
🚨 Important Warning: Do not go to the airport assuming an airline can solve a missing passport problem at check-in. Airlines check identity and travel-document validity before boarding. If your passport is lost, contact your embassy or consulate before your flight time.
📞 Emergency Box: Police 112 / Fire and medical emergency 119 / Tourist interpretation 1330 or +82-2-1330 / Immigration Contact Center 1345 or +82-2-1345 / LOST112 +82-2-182 / BBB Korea interpretation 1588-5644.
Save digital copies before travel, but protect them carefully. A secure cloud folder, encrypted password manager, or locked phone note can help you access passport details without carrying multiple paper copies. Avoid storing identity documents in an unlocked photo gallery if your phone may be lost with the passport.
If the passport was lost with bank cards, block the cards quickly. Keep one backup card or emergency cash separate from the passport when moving around Korea. This is especially important on airport transfers, intercity trains, and late-night routes when embassy or bank offices may be closed.
📍 TripKorea's Pro Tip: If the issue is stabilized and you need to adjust your route, choose accommodation near transport and embassy access rather than moving far across the city. For practical planning after the urgent steps, compare hotels in Seoul, hotels in Busan, or check Seoul transport options.
5. FAQ
What should I do first if I lose my passport in Korea?
First, move to a safe place and check whether the passport was left at a hotel, airport counter, taxi, restaurant, or station. If theft or danger is involved, call police at 112. Then contact your embassy or consulate for replacement-document instructions.
Can LOST112 replace my passport?
No. LOST112 is Korea’s lost-and-found service, listed by Visit Korea as the Lost and Found Center. It can help when an item may have been turned in, but only your embassy or consulate can advise on passport replacement or emergency travel documents.
Do I need a police report for a lost passport in Korea?
It depends on your embassy or consulate’s rules and whether the passport was lost or stolen. Many travelers are asked for a police or loss report, but requirements vary by nationality. Contact your embassy first, then follow its exact instructions.
Who can help with language interpretation?
Visit Korea lists the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline at +82-2-1330 for tourist interpretation and travel help in multiple languages. BBB Korea also provides 24-hour interpretation service by calling 1588-5644. For immigration matters, contact 1345.
Can I leave Korea with an emergency travel document?
That depends on the document issued by your embassy or consulate and on airline and immigration checks. Ask the embassy whether the document is valid for your route, and contact 1345 if you have Korea immigration questions. Confirm with the airline before going to the airport.
🎒 After the Passport Issue Is Under Control
A lost-passport situation in Korea should be handled through police, embassy, consulate, and immigration channels first. Once the urgent steps are complete, adjust the rest of the trip around confirmed documents, transport timing, and accommodation location.
Sources and References
Official Tourism, Police, and Immigration Sources:
Helplines: Police 112 / Fire and medical emergency 119 / Tourist interpretation 1330 / Immigration Contact Center 1345 / LOST112 +82-2-182 / BBB Korea 1588-5644
Last verified: 2026-06-19
Important note: Passport replacement rules, embassy hours, airline requirements, and immigration procedures can change. Always verify current instructions with your embassy or consulate, Korean police, Korea Immigration Service, and your airline before travel.
Image Credits
Passport booklet: Nicole Geri / Unsplash
Passport in hand: Global Residence Index / Unsplash
Passport control sign: Daniel Schludi / Unsplash
Police station building: Bruno Martins / Unsplash
Police sign on building: Abai K / Unsplash
Airport waiting area: Phil Mosley / Unsplash
Travel guide pages: Daniel Lim / Unsplash
