Official-source guide

Lost or stolen Chinese passport

Last checked: 19 October 2026 · By country of passport

Short answer

In China, report a lost passport to the local public security authority and apply for a replacement through an exit and entry administration office ¹. The passport fee is CNY 120, and the national guide gives seven working days for an application made in your registered residence area ¹. Abroad, apply through the Chinese Consul app. Short-term visitors who need to return to China can request a travel document from a Chinese embassy or consulate ². A passport declared invalid cannot be used if found later ³.

Report at home: Local public security authority ¹
Replacement office: Exit and entry administration office ¹
Fee in China: CNY 120 ¹
Processing in registered area: Seven working days ¹
Abroad: Apply through the Chinese Consul app ²
Urgent return: Chinese travel document from a mission ^2,4

If you are at home

Report the lost, stolen, or damaged passport at once to the local public security authority. Apply for a replacement at a county-level or higher exit and entry administration office ¹.

The national service guide asks for a compliant photo, the Chinese citizen exit and entry document application form, and a resident identity card. Applicants under 16 need a guardian, proof of guardianship, and the guardian's identity document ¹. Local offices may publish appointment and collection instructions.

If you are abroad

Apply to a Chinese embassy or consulate through the Chinese Consul app. Choose Passport or Travel Document, or Emergency Travel Document for an urgent return case. Upload the requested information, identity materials, and photo, complete identity verification, and follow the mission's directions for an interview, payment, or document delivery ².

A Chinese citizen living, studying, or working abroad should use the passport or travel-document service. The emergency travel-document service is for a short-term visitor who lost a passport during tourism or a business trip and needs to return to China quickly ⁴.

Emergency travel document

Chinese passport law directs a short-term visitor abroad whose passport is lost, stolen, or unusable to apply for a People's Republic of China travel document at a Chinese embassy, consulate, or other authorised overseas office ^2,5.

The fee and timing depend on the mission and identity checks. The Chinese Embassy in Azerbaijan lists US$18 for a travel document. It says a lost-passport travel-document case normally needs 20 to 30 days for checks with authorities in China ⁶. A traveller with a time-sensitive return should contact the responsible mission and explain the travel date in the app.

Replacement fees and forms

Inside China, the national guide lists CNY 120 for an ordinary passport. It gives seven working days for residents applying in their registered residence area, 20 days for a cross-province application, and up to 30 working days in a remote area or a special case approved for an extension ¹.

Approved urgent cases are handled within five working days. The listed grounds include a funeral abroad, visiting a critically ill person, an expiring foreign entry permission or visa, urgent official or business travel, a near study reporting date, or a document lost or damaged shortly before departure ¹.

Application route	Fee	Published time
Ordinary passport in China	CNY 120	Seven working days in registered residence area ¹
Cross-province application in China	CNY 120	20 days ¹
Approved urgent case in China	CNY 120	Within five working days ¹
Passport or travel document at Azerbaijan mission	US$18	Lost cases normally need 20 to 30 days ⁶

If you find your passport later

Do not use a passport after a mission has accepted a lost-passport replacement application and declared the old passport invalid. The declaration cannot be withdrawn. The foreign visas in that passport become invalid, and using it can stop you at airline or border checks ^3,4.

The consular service explains that invalid passport data is shared with Chinese public security authorities and can be provided to INTERPOL. A recovered passport can still be used only if you had not reported it or applied for a replacement and the document remains undamaged ³.

Common questions

How much is a replacement Chinese passport in China?

The national service guide lists CNY 120 for an ordinary passport ¹.

How do I apply after losing a Chinese passport abroad?

Use the Chinese Consul app and select the passport, travel-document, or emergency travel-document service for the Chinese mission handling your location ².

Can I get a travel document to return to China?

Yes. A short-term visitor abroad whose passport is lost, stolen, or unusable can apply to a Chinese mission for a travel document ^2,5.

Can I use my Chinese passport if I find it later?

Not after a mission accepts the lost-passport replacement and declares it invalid. That action cannot be withdrawn ^3,4.

Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.

Sources

Lost or stolen Pakistani passport
How to report and replace a lost Pakistani passport, the double fee for a first loss, and the emergency travel document for return to Pakistan.
Lost or stolen Bangladesh passport
How to make a police GD, apply for a Bangladesh e-passport, check fees, and get a one-way travel permit from a mission abroad.
Lost your passport abroad: first steps
What to do first when your passport is lost or stolen abroad, from official advice by the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Germany.
What happens to a passport once you report it lost or stolen
Why a reported passport is cancelled for good, how Interpol's Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database works, and what happens if you find it later.