.png){kind=small}
A lost passport in Saudi Arabia can quickly disrupt flights, hotel arrangements and immigration procedures, especially when your departure date is approaching. A photograph or photocopy may help confirm your identity, but it does not replace a valid passport or an approved emergency travel document.
The correct process depends on the country that issued your passport. Foreign visitors and residents should document the loss and contact their embassy or consulate, while Saudi citizens can report a missing Saudi passport through official Saudi government services.
You can continue searching the airport, hotel, mall or transport service where the passport may have been left. Where ريتيرنلي | RETURN-LY is activated at a partner location, the platform can support the search process, but it does not replace police, embassy, immigration or passport-authority procedures.
Begin with a quick and focused search. Check your luggage, jacket pockets, hotel safe and the last counter where you presented the passport. Contact the relevant venue immediately when you believe it may have been left at reception, airport security, a shop or inside a vehicle.
Do not allow the physical search to delay the official process. Once you are reasonably sure the passport is missing:
A passport copy can support your identity check and replacement application, but it is not normally accepted as an international travel document. Travellers generally need a valid passport or an emergency document approved for their journey.
Foreign nationals normally need to deal with two separate processes: documenting the incident in Saudi Arabia and applying to their own government for a replacement document.
Contact the nearest police station, particularly if the passport may have been stolen. Ask for written confirmation or a report reference and make sure the location, date and circumstances are recorded accurately.
Requirements vary by nationality, so follow your embassy’s specific instructions. Several embassies advise their citizens to obtain a police report before applying for a replacement passport or an emergency travel document in Saudi Arabia.
Only the government that issued your passport can determine which replacement document you need. Depending on your nationality and travel plans, the embassy may offer:
Some applications begin online, while others require an appointment and personal attendance. Official consular guidance also commonly asks applicants to provide identity evidence, a passport photograph, travel details and information explaining where and when the document was lost.
Residents should ask their embassy and the relevant Saudi authority whether the new passport details must be added to their residency or immigration records.
Receiving a replacement document from an embassy may not complete every Saudi-side requirement. Confirm the procedure before booking a new flight or arriving at the airport.
Saudi citizens can report a Saudi passport that is lost, stolen or damaged electronically through Absher. The service allows the citizen to submit the report and complete the necessary reporting procedure without first visiting a passport office.
The official steps are:
The Saudi Travel Documents Law requires a lost or damaged Saudi passport or laissez-passer to be reported within one week from the date the holder becomes aware of the incident. The document stops being valid as a result of that report.
Although the law provides a maximum reporting period, travellers should not treat that period as time for waiting. Prompt reporting reduces the risk of misuse and allows the replacement process to begin earlier.
Submitting the loss report does not automatically issue a new passport. Reporting the document and requesting its replacement are connected but separate procedures.
Saudi citizens can request a lost-passport replacement online through Absher. The official process includes:
The service includes delivery to the beneficiary’s registered address without requiring a passport-office visit for the standard online process.
If the missing passport belongs to a family member, Absher also provides a service through which a Saudi head of household can report the lost, stolen or damaged Saudi passport of an eligible family member.
A Saudi citizen outside the Kingdom should report the incident to the local police and contact the Saudi embassy or consulate responsible for the area.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides a service for issuing passports to Saudi citizens abroad whose passports have been lost, stolen or damaged. Official requirements include a valid national ID, a recent photograph, loss-report forms and a police report confirming that the incident was reported. Additional documents may be required according to the applicant’s circumstances.
Do not wait until the airline’s check-in desk opens. Give the Saudi mission your travel date and follow its instructions regarding the replacement passport or other document appropriate to your case.
A passport photograph or photocopy may help the police, embassy or passport authority verify your identity, but it is not a replacement travel document.
Do not assume that an airline can allow boarding because your identity is clear. Airlines and border authorities require a valid document accepted for the route, destination and any transit country.
When your flight is approaching:
Contact the issuing authority first. Ask whether you will receive a full passport or an emergency travel document.
Inform the airline. Explain that the passport is missing and ask about rebooking deadlines or document requirements.
Check immigration requirements. Residents and visa holders should confirm whether the new passport information must be updated before departure.
Avoid purchasing a replacement ticket until you know which document will be issued and whether it is valid for your intended route.
Requirements differ by nationality and individual circumstances, but preparing the available evidence can reduce avoidable delays.
Collect:
Do not share full passport details with unofficial social-media accounts or people claiming they can speed up an embassy appointment. Use only recognised government, police and diplomatic channels.
The official replacement process and the physical search can continue at the same time. The correct lost-and-found route depends on where the passport was last seen.
Determine whether the passport was left inside the aircraft or somewhere in the terminal.
Contact the airline when it may be in a seat pocket, overhead compartment or another part of the aircraft. Contact airport lost and found when it was last used near check-in, security, immigration, a lounge or a shop.
Provide the flight number, terminal, gate and approximate time. Do not assume that the airline manages every item lost inside the airport building.
Check the room safe, luggage and reception desk. Give the hotel your room number, dates of stay, departure time and the last place where you used the passport.
The RETURN-LY hotel workflow is different from the general partner-location process. Where the system is activated in a hotel, the employee records the found item, the system identifies the guest through room information and the guest receives an automatic notification. The guest does not submit a lost-item report, and the general matching process is not used.
Contact customer service or security and provide a clear description of the passport cover, wallet or pouch without publishing the complete passport number.
Where RETURN-LY is activated at a partner location, the owner can submit contact details and a description of the lost item. An employee separately records an item found at that location. If the information matches, RETURN-LY contacts the owner and explains the available collection or shipping options.
There is no direct communication between the owner and the employee who recorded the item. This workflow is conditional on activation at the specific partner location and must not be understood as current coverage across all malls, airports or transport networks.
Record the route, vehicle or trip number, boarding point, destination and travel time. Contact the transport operator and request a reference number for your report.
The operator may search within its own network, but it cannot cancel your passport or issue a replacement.
Official reporting protects the legal status of the passport and begins the replacement procedure. For foreign nationals, this generally involves their embassy or consulate and any required police or immigration process. For Saudi citizens, the official route is handled through the relevant Saudi authorities.
RETURN-LY serves a narrower purpose. Where it is activated at a partner location, it organises information about items reported lost and items recorded as found, then contacts the owner when the correct item is identified.
RETURN-LY is not a police authority, embassy, immigration service or passport issuer. It cannot:
The platform should therefore be used as a search channel only, while official legal and travel procedures continue separately. The service must not be described as active everywhere or as replacing the role of government authorities.
Do not assume that the passport remains valid after it is recovered.
A Saudi passport stops being valid when its loss is officially reported under the Saudi Travel Documents Law. If you later find it, contact the General Directorate of Passports and follow its instructions instead of attempting to travel with the document.
Foreign passport holders should contact their issuing embassy. Many passport authorities cancel a document after a loss report, so the recovered passport may no longer be usable.
Do not alter the original account of the incident or attempt to withdraw the report without guidance from the authority handling your case.
Waiting until the day of departure is one of the most serious mistakes. Police reports, embassy appointments, document checks and immigration updates may take time, and an airline cannot override passport requirements.
Avoid:
When handling a lost passport in Saudi Arabia, report the incident promptly, contact the passport-issuing authority and continue searching through the responsible venue without treating either process as a substitute for the other.
To ensure your request is processed instantly, you can successfully register your report by Submit Claim via this direct link: https://claims.return-ly.com/new-claim
No. A copy may help prove your identity, but international travel generally requires a valid passport or an approved emergency travel document.
Report the incident as required, contact your embassy or consulate and follow its instructions for obtaining a replacement passport or emergency travel document.
Saudi law requires the loss to be reported within one week from the date the citizen becomes aware of it, although reporting immediately is safer.
No. The Saudi Travel Documents Law states that the document stops being valid as a result of the report.
No. RETURN-LY can only support the search for an item within a location where the service is activated. Passport cancellation and replacement remain the responsibility of government authorities and embassies.