Official-source guide
Lost Japanese passport in South Korea
- Korea report
- South Korean police
- Japanese report
- Japanese embassy or consular office
- Loss notification
- Invalidates the Japanese passport 1
- Return option
- Travel document for return to Japan may be assessed 1
- Recovered passport
- Cannot be used after notification 1
Report in South Korea
Make the South Korean police report and keep the record. Contact the Embassy of Japan or Japanese consular office responsible for your location.
Give the mission the police report, passport details, another identity document if held, photos, and travel itinerary.
File the Japanese loss notification
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs requires the passport loss notification. Filing it invalidates the missing passport 1.
The mission can take the loss notification and a new passport application together when its requirements are met.
Return document or new passport
For urgent direct return, the mission can assess a travel document for return to Japan after proof of Japanese nationality and the return itinerary 1.
A full passport uses the applicable consular process and fee. Confirm timing and document choice with the mission.
Before departure
Confirm airline and transit acceptance. A return document is for the approved return route, not later general travel.
Do not use the old passport if recovered. Give it to the Japanese mission 1. South Korean residence or visa records may require a separate official update 2.
Common questions
What does the loss notification do?
It invalidates the Japanese passport 1.
Can the mission issue a return document?
It can assess one for return to Japan 1.
Can I use the passport if found?
No, not after the notification 1.
What about Korean residence status?
Ask the responsible South Korean authority whether the new passport number must be updated 2.
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
- Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs: passport loss and application documents
- Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Japan: passport and consular information
Related
- Lost or stolen Japanese passport
How to file Japan's lost-passport notification, apply for a new passport, use a return travel document abroad, and check 2026 fees and timing.
- Lost or stolen South Korean passport
How to report a lost South Korean passport, apply through a passport office or mission, and check current passport and travel-certificate fees abroad.
- Emergency travel documents and emergency passports
What an emergency travel document is, how it differs from an emergency passport, and the rules in the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the EU.
- What to do when a lost passport held your residence status
Replace the passport first, report any missing residence card or visa separately, update the new passport number, and confirm return permission.