Curious question

[usaflyingeagle]

Hi All
I have a curious question. How can one prove one's US citizenship if he/she ever lost passport when travelling abroad?

 

[BigJoe5]

Hi All
I have a curious question. How can one prove one's US citizenship if he/she ever lost passport when travelling abroad?

In order to travel abroad, you need a valid passport. If you lose the current valid passport or a recently expired passport, you show up at the American Citizens Services Section of the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. They can look you up and issue a brand new passport or at least a limited passport to allow you to return to the U.S. The recent passport processing upgrades have created a computer database with pictures. Hopefully you will have some alternate ID still available to make things go smooth.

SEE: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/emergencies_1197.html

 

[namecheckvictim]

Best to pay few extra bucks and make a Passport Card, and that will make the process much easier, as it is a valid proof of being a USC.

 

[sanjoseaug20]

How can one prove one's US citizenship if he/she ever lost passport when travelling abroad?

Worst case scenario is when you lose passport plus all the IDs you have. Happened to me once, and it was a nightmare for 4-5 hours until a good samaritan (or thief) decided to take the money and return the passport + DL + Credit Cards. Police (in Canada) will not even take a report without a photo ID.

It is good to have passport copy (PDF/Image) in gmail or some similar place. Of course you need to depend on someone else's security so choose your storage wisely. But having stored, it is then easy to reprint and provide at least a copy.

 

[mentosfm]

There are records of your passport information when you go the US Embassy to get a new one. It is always smart to make copies of your passport as well, and carry numerous other forms of identification. You will also have the knowledge of your social security number and further security questions when speaking with the Embassy about getting a new passport. It is an entire system of checks and validation of forms and records.

 

[baikal3]

Worst case scenario is when you lose passport plus all the IDs you have.

Yeah, this also happened last summer to a colleague of mine. He was visiting Marseille for a couple of months and rented an apartment there. A thief climbed through the window and stole both the passport and the wallet (and the thief was not kind enough to return any of the stolen documents later).

Luckily, my friend had scanned pdf files of most of his documents (passport, driver's license, birth certificate etc) and that was enough for the U.S. consulate to issue him a new passport. He did have to file a police report which the consulate also asked for.

 

[König]

In some countries like Ukraine or Russia, the US embassy requires an original proof of the US citizenship. So, the copies or PDF print-outs will not fly. The best way would be to get a passport card and keep it separately from the passport book. It is also a good idea to inform relatives or close friends of the whereabouts of naturalisation certificate, so that they can mail it to you via trusted postal company.