What is an emergency travel document?
An emergency travel document (ETD) is a one-way temporary passport issued by your consulate when your passport is lost, stolen, or destroyed abroad.
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What an emergency travel document is
Losing your passport abroad is stressful - but there is a clear path forward. An emergency travel document (ETD) is a single-use travel document issued by your consulate that lets you fly home or to a specific approved destination.
ETDs go by different names depending on the country: emergency passport (US, UK, Australia), passeport d'urgence (France), Reiseausweis als Passersatz (Germany). The purpose is the same.
When you need an ETD
- Your passport has been lost or stolen abroad.
- Your passport is damaged beyond recognition or use.
- Your passport has expired during your trip and you need to return home urgently.
- Your child was born abroad and needs travel documents to come home.
How to get an emergency travel document
First, report your lost or stolen passport to local police and get a written police report. Then contact the nearest embassy or consulate of your country - many have 24-hour emergency lines.
You will typically need to provide a police report (for lost or stolen), passport photos (the UK's online application needs one digital photo), proof of identity (driver's license, ID card, or photocopy of your old passport), and proof of travel plans (flight booking).
Cost and processing time
Most ETDs are issued within 24-72 hours, though emergency cases (like a flight in a few hours) can sometimes be expedited. Fees vary by country: a UK emergency travel document costs GBP 125, and a US emergency passport costs the normal passport fee of USD 165 for adults and USD 135 for children under 16.
Using your ETD
An ETD is usually valid for a single journey - one trip back to your home country or one trip to a pre-approved destination, though the UK version can also cover a return journey. Once you arrive home, you must apply for a regular passport before traveling internationally again.
What is an emergency travel document - FAQ
It is usually ready to collect 2 working days after you apply. It can take several weeks if your passport has expired, the application is for a child under 16, more documents are needed or you have to attend an appointment. Do not book travel until you get the email saying how and when to collect it.
It costs 125 pounds and the fee is not refundable. If your travel plans change after it is issued, you have to reapply and pay again, because your countries and dates may be printed on the document. A relative or friend can pay online for you if you have lost your wallet.
British nationals outside the UK who need to travel within 6 weeks and cannot use or replace their passport in time, because it is lost, stolen, damaged, full, recently expired or held by officials. You normally need to have had a UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006.
If your passport was lost or stolen, report it to the local police first. Then apply online on gov.uk with a digital passport photo, a phone number, an email address and a debit or credit card. You may be asked to attend an appointment at the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate.
Usually not. A UK emergency travel document is normally valid for one single or return journey through up to 5 countries, and your route may be printed on it. Other countries' documents are often for a single trip home. Once home, you need a full passport before travelling abroad again.
Report it to the local police and get a written report, then contact your country's nearest embassy or consulate, many of which have 24-hour emergency lines. For British nationals, the old passport is usually cancelled automatically once you pay for an emergency travel document, so you cannot use it again even if it turns up.