What to Do if You Lose Your Passport in Mombasa

Traveling anywhere in the world requires a passport. Europeans can now travel from country to country within the European Union without having to rely on a passport, but everywhere else will need a passport. When you are traveling to Mombasa, Kenya, you will certainly need a passport to enter and exit the country.

From time to time people can lose their papers, have their wallet or identification stolen, and that can be extremely stressful, especially when you’re in a foreign country. How do you get back to your own country?

If you have lost your passport while vacationing in Mombasa, there are a few things you should consider doing right away.

The first thing is to stop panicking. Yes, this is a very serious situation but when you panic you’ll have a tendency to increase the risk of making mistakes. Calm down, take a deep breath, and move on to the next step.

The second thing is to go through your hotel room thoroughly to make sure it wasn’t dropped under the bed, didn’t get stuck in the sheets or comforters on the bed, isn’t in one of the nightstands or desk drawers, or wasn’t left in another bag or article of clothing. If you travel alone you probably have a pretty good idea about where you keep everything. If you still can’t find the passport, then it’s time to move to the next step.

Contact the authorities. Contact the police and other authorities in Mombasa to let them know your paperwork, including your passport is missing. It may have been turned in already and they have it waiting for you to pick it up.

Next, contact your embassy, wherever it is closest to you. That may be in a different city in Kenya or another country. Your embassy may very well be in close proximity to Mombasa, but you may need to travel to a different location. There you will need to show proof of identification and may be able to receive an emergency passport that gets you back home.

Don’t worry, even though it wouldn’t be a bad thing to spend an extra few days or weeks in a tropical paradise such as Mombasa, you will be able to return home even if you have lost your passport. Just stay calm and enjoy the rest of your vacation whenever you’re not involved with the authorities getting a replacement.