Beijing's official guide sets out four stages: report the loss to the local police, obtain a passport loss certificate from the local exit/entry administration, request a new passport or temporary travel document from your embassy, and apply for a replacement visa through an exit/entry service center.[2] These are separate steps, not one application.[2] This is a Beijing-specific guide; the source displays no publication date.[2] Reviewed September 21, 2026. We have not tested the procedure in person and make no claim about its popularity. Preparation suggestions below are editorial advice, not additional legal requirements. If you entered visa-free, ask an officer which visa, stay or exit formalities apply to your circumstances rather than assuming the visa-replacement heading answers your case.
1. Start with the police report where the passport was lost
The first stage is reporting the loss to the police station closest to where the passport was lost, with proof of identity.[2] The official page describes this stage as immediate processing and free of charge.[2] That statement concerns the police report, not the time needed to obtain a replacement passport or finish immigration formalities. The following stage requires a receipt showing that the passport loss was reported.[2] Before leaving, our recommendation is to check that you have that receipt and that its personal details are correct.
As practical preparation, write down when and where you last had the passport, gather whatever identity records you can access, and keep a secure copy of every document you receive. If you cannot identify the place of loss, ask the police which station should handle the report instead of choosing an office on an assumption. Tell the officer about any approaching departure or permitted-stay deadline, and ask whom to contact immediately about that deadline. Do not interpret a loss report as confirmation that your immigration position has been resolved.
2. Obtain the separate passport loss certificate
Next, the Beijing guide directs you to the nearest local exit/entry administration of the public security sub-bureau to report the loss and obtain a passport loss certificate.[2] Its materials list includes three bareheaded color photographs measuring 3.5 cm wide by 4.9 cm high, proof of identity, the police loss-report receipt, and a completed loss report form for foreign national exit/entry certificates.[2] Examples of identity evidence include a scanned or photocopied passport, a home-country identity card, driver's license or student identity card.[2] This certificate stage is listed as free.[2]
For a child's lost passport, the guide additionally requires proof of the parent-child relationship.[2] Editorial recommendation: use the page's linked certificate-location directory, then confirm the appropriate office and its current arrangements before travelling there. Ask which identity evidence is acceptable if your available records differ from the examples. Keep the police receipt and the resulting certificate distinct in your notes: the guide asks for the receipt to obtain the certificate, and then asks for the certificate at the embassy stage.[2]
3. Ask your embassy for a new passport or temporary travel document
The third stage is contacting your home country's embassy in China to apply for a new passport or a temporary travel document.[2] The stated materials are the passport loss certificate and whatever additional materials the embassy requires.[2] Processing time and fees are explicitly left to the information released by the embassy.[2] The Beijing page therefore does not establish a universal consular turnaround or a single consular document checklist.[2]
Our recommendation is to contact the embassy early to ask about appointments, the document appropriate for your intended journey, supporting evidence, payment and collection arrangements. Explain your nationality, location, planned departure and any imminent stay deadline. If considering a temporary document, ask about your exact route, including transit countries and the transport operator's document checks, rather than assuming it works for every booking. Keep the embassy's instructions alongside the Chinese authorities' instructions; do not treat one office's response as a substitute for the other's decision.
4. Return to exit/entry authorities for Chinese immigration formalities
For the replacement-visa stage, the guide lists the original Passport Loss Certificate or a note from your home country's embassy or consulate in China, the new passport or other international travel document, valid registration of accommodation in Beijing, and one recent bareheaded color photograph with a white background measuring 3.5 cm by 4.9 cm.[2] It directs applicants to book ahead through the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau website, selecting 'Start Application', 'Exit & Entry Business', then '3. Visa, Stay Permit, and Residence Permit for Foreign Nationals' in the Government Service section.[2] The source links to https://zwfw.gaj.beijing.gov.cn/rp/index2 and lists Beijing's 21 foreign-national exit/entry service centers as application locations.[2]
Editorial recommendation: confirm the current appointment route and suitable center before setting off. Describe how you entered China: with a visa, under a visa-free arrangement, or under another permission. Ask the officer exactly which replacement visa, stay documentation or departure procedure is required for your circumstances and how your original permitted-stay deadline is handled. The source's generic replacement-visa instructions do not separately resolve visa-free cases.[2] Do not infer a new stay entitlement merely from receiving a new passport or submitting paperwork.
5. Read the seven-working-day statement narrowly
The official page gives the replacement-visa processing time as 'Within seven working days from the date of acceptance'.[2] This is not a promise that police reporting, certificate issuance, embassy document production and visa formalities will all finish within seven days. Embassy processing time is separately determined by the embassy, and the source does not state a processing period for the passport loss certificate.[2] For the final stage, it lists the fee as the application fee for a Chinese visa without supplying a numerical amount.[2]
Our recommendation is to ask the receiving officer when your application counts as accepted, what the collection instructions are, what fees apply in your case, and what to do if your existing permission expires before collection. Seek guidance promptly rather than waiting for a scheduled flight. Avoid non-refundable replacement travel plans based solely on the seven-working-day wording. Record the answers, office contact details and any deadline you are given so that the embassy and exit/entry enquiries remain coordinated.
6. Check the final documents before rebuilding the itinerary
As an editorial safeguard, compare the name, date of birth and document number across the replacement travel document and any Chinese paperwork you receive. Ask the issuing authority to explain any discrepancy before using the documents. Confirm your permitted departure arrangements with exit/entry officials and separately confirm the carrier's requirements for your actual route. Keep accessible copies of the report, certificate, appointments and official responses, but do not assume a digital copy substitutes for an original where an original is requested.
This article follows the Beijing municipal guide, not a nationwide promise about where or how every city processes passport loss.[2] The source shows no publication date, and its related visa-free links should not be treated as a complete statement of current visa-free eligibility.[2] Our review date, September 21, 2026, records when we consulted the page; it is not a policy effective date. There is no firsthand service test or measured completion-time claim here. Use the official sequence to organize your questions, and obtain case-specific instructions from the relevant officers and embassy.
Before you go
- Report the loss at the police station closest to the place of loss; retain the receipt.[2]
- Prepare three specified photographs, identity evidence, the receipt and the loss form for the certificate stage.[2]
- For a child's passport, prepare proof of the parent-child relationship as well.[2]
- Ask the embassy about its additional documents, appointments, fees and production time.
- Prepare the new travel document, certificate or embassy/consulate note, valid Beijing accommodation registration and required photo for the visa stage.[2]
- Ask exit/entry officials which formalities apply to your visa or visa-free situation and approaching deadlines.
- Treat seven working days as the stated post-acceptance visa-processing period, not an end-to-end guarantee.[2]
- Confirm collection, departure and carrier requirements before committing to replacement travel.
Sources & freshness
Independent desk research, not a field test. No bookings or affiliate links. Numbered statements cite sources; unnumbered planning steps are editorial advice.
- [2] Reissuance of Lost Passports and Visas for Expats in Beijing
Beijing Municipal Government · Source date: Not stated · Accessed: 2026-09-21
Scope: Beijing lost foreign passport procedure; embassy requirements depend on nationality