Lost Passport in Egypt, What a Foreigner Should Do Step by Step

First steps and the police report

Make sure the passport is really gone: it may still be with your landlord, at the passport office for an iqama renewal, at your university or with an agency. If it was stolen with your wallet, block your bank cards at once. Without a passport you cannot renew your iqama or leave, and in 2026 the authorities are stricter about valid documents for foreigners, so do not wait.

Go to the nearest police station (qism) and report the loss or theft, in Arabic such a report is called a mahdar. Embassies ask for the police report, and the Egyptian passport administration requires it to move your visa or iqama to a new passport.

The report is written in Arabic. Ask the officer to read out the key points: your name, passport number, date and circumstances. Bring a copy of the passport or a photo of it on your phone. The police number is 122, the tourist police 126.

The embassy, a new passport or a certificate of return

With the police report, go to the consular section of your embassy. There are usually two options:

• A certificate of return. A temporary document for one trip home. It is issued faster, but you cannot live in Egypt on it or fly to a third country.
• A new passport. You need it if you live or study in Egypt and want to stay. It usually takes longer.

Timing and rules at different embassies

Timing and documents depend on the country:

• Russia. Under foreign ministry rules, a certificate of entry (return) is issued within two calendar days, or up to ten with an additional check. Booking is on cairo.kdmid.ru.
• Kazakhstan. The certificate of return allows one entry. You need a police report, two colour photos of 3.5 by 4.5 cm and a fee receipt.
• Kyrgyzstan. The certificate is valid for no more than 30 days. You can also apply through the Electronic Consul app of the foreign ministry.
• Uzbekistan. The form for a certificate of return is filled in on consulate.mfa.uz, and it is issued after your identity is confirmed from Uzbekistan.
• Tajikistan. Check the procedure with the Embassy of Tajikistan in Cairo.

What to bring to the embassy

The more proof of identity you have, the faster it goes:

• The police report.
• A copy or photo of the lost passport, if you have one.
• Any other photo ID: an internal passport, ID card, driving licence or iqama.
• Photos of the required size, the requirements are on the embassy website.
• A ticket or booking if you are going home.
• Money for the consular fee, check the payment method in advance.

Moving your iqama and visa to the new passport

Your visa or iqama was in the old passport, so after getting a new one it has to be moved. This is done by the General Administration of Passports, Immigration and Nationality of the Egyptian Ministry of Interior: its main office in Cairo is in Abbasiya, and on the Red Sea there is a passport office in Hurghada.

The Polish Embassy in Egypt, for example, explains that on departure officers check a valid visa in a valid passport, so you need to take the police report to the passport office to have the residence visa moved. Bring the new passport, the police report and everything that proves your entry and status: copies of the old passport, the entry stamp, the iqama or residence card. Sometimes a letter from the embassy is requested. Check the exact list and the fee with the passport office.

Read more about residence in the article on the iqama in Egypt.

How to leave Egypt

At passport control officers check whether you are in the country legally. So before your flight make sure the new document carries a stamp from the passport administration with your visa or iqama. If you are leaving on a certificate of return, ask the passport administration in advance whether you need an exit stamp: according to foreigners who went through it, these formalities are often done at the main office in Cairo.

Allow extra time: the embassy and the passport administration can take several days, and you may have to change your ticket. If your visa or iqama expires in the meantime, you may be fined on departure. Read about exit rules and fines in the article on leaving Egypt.

Before buying a ticket, ask the airline whether it accepts a certificate of return, especially if the route has a connection in a third country.

If the passport turns up

A passport you reported lost is usually cancelled, and you must not travel on it: it may be seized at the border. Tell your embassy that you found it and follow its instructions.

How to protect yourself in advance

• Photograph the passport pages with your details, visa and iqama. Keep the photos in the cloud and paper copies separately from the passport.
• Write down the passport number, the date of issue and the contacts of your embassy.
• Register with your consulate, so the embassy can reach you and help in a difficult situation more easily.
• Never leave your passport as a deposit when renting a flat, a scooter or a car.
• Carry the passport in a closed pocket or bag, and be more careful at markets and in crowds.
• Watch the expiry date of your passport: the iqama is placed in it, and it must stay valid.

How Tullab can help

If you need the report translated or help with paperwork, look at the documents, visas, translations section. Do not hand original documents to unknown middlemen who promise to sort everything out in a day, such schemes are described in the article on scams in Egypt.

Rules change, so before each visit check them with your embassy and the General Administration of Passports, Immigration and Nationality of the Egyptian Ministry of Interior.