I'm stranded away from home

How long

The State Department says to report it immediately, and reporting cannot be undone: the passport is no longer valid for travel even if you find it later. Reported online, it is cancelled within 1 business day and you get a confirmation email. Reported by mail, or on a new application (Form DS-11), it can take several weeks to cancel

Starts

the moment you know your valid passport is lost or stolen. Do not report an expired passport as lost or stolen

If missed

until it is cancelled, someone holding the passport may be able to use it or your details to pretend to be you. The State Department says to report it immediately. A report by mail can leave it uncancelled for several weeks: use the online form to cancel it at once. Reporting cannot be undone: the passport is no longer valid for travel even if you find it later, and you will need to apply for a new one in person. If you have to travel soon, call the National Passport Information Center (below) about an urgent appointment

It lets you

protect yourself from identity theft. Report online with the Online Form Filler, by phone on 1-877-487-2778 (TTY 1-888-874-7793), or by mail with Form DS-64 and a photocopy of the front and back of a photo ID. Reporting does not replace the passport: to get a new one you must apply in person with Form DS-11. Say where and when it was lost or stolen and, if you filed a police report, give a copy

You are abroad, so replace it at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate: you apply in person, and if there is not enough time for a regular passport the consular section can offer an emergency passport with limited validity. Report it online with the State Department's form, which cancels it within 1 business day; once reported it is not valid for international travel, and you might not be allowed to leave the country on it, so you need the replacement before you can travel. Replacement passports generally cost the same as any other passport; if you are the victim of a serious crime or disaster and cannot pay, you may qualify for a free emergency passport with limited validity, and if you cannot pay for another reason, see the loan card below. The phone number for the National Passport Information Center in this card is for people at home: abroad, call the embassy or consulate. Most embassies and consulates cannot issue passports on weekends or holidays, but every one has an after-hours duty officer for emergencies. The State Department says that in most cases a replacement passport is issued the next business day.

Where this differs: If you are outside the United States, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate to replace it; you may be able to get a limited-validity passport. The State Department's page has separate steps if the passport was lost in the mail or in a natural disaster. This clock is for U.S. passports: for a passport from any other country, contact that country's embassy or consulate

Checked 9 October 2026 at US Department of State (travel.state.gov)

How long

2 business days from finding out, to keep your loss to $50 at most if your card, PIN or login was used. In any case, 60 days. You can tell the bank by phone, in person or in writing; a letter must reach it within the 60 days. If you phone, ask whether the bank needs it in writing. If it does, send it within 10 business days, or the bank does not have to put the money back in your account while it looks into it

Starts

the day you learn your card was lost or stolen, or that a scammer got your card number, PIN, login or a security code from you, or the day you first see a transfer you did not make, whichever is earliest. The law counts the 60 days from the day the bank sent the statement that first shows the transfer; count from the day of the transfer to be safe

If missed

you may be held responsible for more of the money. The bank must give you more time if something like a stay in hospital or long travel caused the delay, so tell it what happened and ask anyway

It lets you

have the bank or app investigate and treat the transfer as unauthorized. If a scammer tricked you into giving them a code, login or card number and then moved the money, the CFPB says that counts as unauthorized, and the bank cannot refuse because you shared it. Tell the bank within 2 business days and your loss cannot be more than $50; after that it can be up to $500. If you wait past the 60 days, you may not be protected for transfers made after that

For a lost or stolen debit or ATM card, the 2 business days count from the day you learn the card is gone, not from the day you see a payment. Report it today: if you report it before anyone uses the card, you owe nothing. Tell the bank you are abroad.

Where this differs: This covers bank and credit union accounts, debit cards and payment-app balances such as Venmo, Cash App or PayPal. If you pressed send yourself because you were tricked, the rule may not cover it, because it is about transfers someone else started. Do not decide that yourself: tell the bank in writing what happened, within the same 60 days, and ask it to investigate. Credit cards follow a different rule: see the next clock. Your state or your account agreement may give you more protection, never less

Checked 9 October 2026 at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Regulation E, 12 CFR 1005.6)

How long

No number of days is set for reporting the loss: the FTC says to report it as soon as possible. What you can lose depends on when you report. Nothing, if you report before anyone uses the card. At most $50, if someone used it first

Starts

the moment you notice the card is missing, even if you are not sure it was stolen. Write down the date and time you noticed, and the date and time you reported it

If missed

if someone uses the card before you report it, you may be asked to pay up to $50 of the charges. If you miss the 60 days for the written billing dispute, you lose that dispute process for the charge, but the federal $50 limit on charges you did not make still applies: tell the card company in writing anyway

It lets you

stop charges you did not make from becoming yours: federal law says you are not responsible for charges made after you report the loss. You can also dispute a charge you did not make that is already on a bill: send a letter to the address for billing disputes so that it reaches the card company within 60 days after the first bill that shows the charge was sent to you

Abroad, tell the card company you are abroad when you call. The State Department says to report a lost card to the card company immediately, to ask for express delivery of a replacement if it is available, and that you may need a passport or other valid ID to receive it. It also says card companies may help you get new airline tickets, check out of hotels or reach emergency services. This card is for credit cards. If it was a debit or ATM card, use the card above: its reporting time is short.

Where this differs: This is for credit cards. Debit and ATM cards follow different rules: see the debit card clock. If only your account number was used and the card itself is not lost, the FTC says you are not responsible for charges you did not authorize. The $50 is the most a card company can ask, and only if it has met the conditions in the law; your card agreement may give you more protection, never less. Check your bills for charges you do not recognize and call the card company about each one

Checked 9 October 2026 at US Federal Trade Commission

How long

Ask family, friends or your employer for money first: the State Department's page lists them before any loan, and the embassy or consulate can help you reach them. Your passport will be restricted until you pay a State Department loan back. The page gives no deadline for any of this

Starts

the day you ask the U.S. embassy or consulate for money to get home. The State Department's page puts family, friends and your employer first, and says the embassy or consulate can help you get in touch with them

If missed

There is no date to miss. The cost comes if you take a loan: your passport stays restricted until the loan is paid back. The State Department's lost-passport page adds that you might get a limited-validity passport if you borrowed money from the State Department for your trip home. Before you accept a loan, ask the embassy or consulate what 'restricted' means for you and how you would pay it back

It lets you

ask for a repatriation loan (money to get back to the United States) if you are destitute, meaning without the means to get home yourself. The page says it may cover transportation, temporary food, lodging and fees, and medical care needed to stabilize you for the trip home. A different loan, an EMDA II loan, may be available if you are destitute and not returning to the United States: it may cover emergency medical attention and other emergency assistance. The page says both loans 'may be available in specific cases' and that the embassy or consulate explains who qualifies when you apply. Family, friends or your employer can also send you money by Western Union or MoneyGram (you need a passport or valid ID to collect it), or deposit it into your existing bank account, or send it through the embassy or consulate (called 'OCS Trust'; the State Department charges an annual $30.00 fee, and its fastest route is Western Union, processed Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time)

Where this differs: This is for U.S. citizens. If you are not a U.S. citizen, contact the embassy or consulate of your own country. The State Department says: be cautious with international financial scams. It does not recommend sending money to the State Department by express courier (3 to 4 days) or by U.S. mail (3 to 4 weeks) in an emergency. The page does not say how much a loan is, whether it carries interest or how long you have to repay it: ask the embassy or consulate

Checked 10 October 2026 at US Department of State (Overseas Citizens Services)

How long

Your choice: to fly, accept the new flight before any date the airline sets, because DOT says the airline does not have to keep an offer open for ever; for your money back, turn the offer down, in writing if you can. The refund is then due to you automatically, without you asking. You do not have to answer at all, but the refund can then come later. The federal regulation says a prompt refund is made within 7 business days if you paid by credit card, and within 20 calendar days if you paid by cash, check, debit card or another way. If the money has not come by then, ask the airline in writing

Starts

the day it is clear you are not flying on a flight to, from or within the United States that the airline cancelled, delayed a lot or changed a lot. The federal rule counts from the earliest of these days: the day the airline cancels your flight and offers nothing else; the day you reject the new flight or a voucher; or, if you do not answer, the day the cancelled flight was due to leave, or the changed flight leaves without you. Count from the first of them

If missed

If you take the changed flight, the new flight or a voucher, the federal refund rule does not give you a refund of the ticket. The regulation says the airline cannot treat you as having accepted a voucher unless you agree to it. If the refund does not come, complain to the airline in writing first, then use the DOT complaint form (Office of Aviation Consumer Protection). If you paid by credit card, ask your card company about disputing the charge too, in writing: the FTC says the letter must reach the card company within 60 days after the first bill showing the charge was sent to you. For a ticket bought months ago that date may be close or past, so write early and ask anyway

It lets you

get your money back, including taxes and extra fees, if the airline cancelled your flight for any reason, or significantly changed or delayed it, and you choose not to fly the new flight and not to take a voucher, credit or other compensation. The DOT (US Department of Transportation) says a significant delay or change is a flight that leaves or arrives 3 hours or more earlier or later on a domestic trip, or 6 hours or more on an international one, or one with a different airport or more connections, or a lower class of service. The airline must tell you about your right to a refund, and a voucher it offers instead must be valid for at least 5 years. The refund goes back to the way you paid. DOT says airlines often offer to rebook you, but do not have to. If your ticket was bought through a travel agent that is the merchant of record (the business named on your card statement), ask the agent for the refund

Where this differs: This is the federal refund rule for a ticket the airline sold as the merchant of record, for flights to, from or within the United States. For a flight that does not touch the United States, the airline's own rules and the law of the countries involved apply. One DOT consumer page also says 20 business days for cash in one place; the regulation itself says 20 calendar days, so count 20 calendar days. DOT's dashboard page says each airline has its own policy on what it does for delayed or cancelled passengers: ask airline staff if it will pay for meals or a hotel room, because some airlines offer these and others may not. The same dashboard lists what each large U.S. airline promises when it causes a cancellation or delay. A passenger who takes a significantly delayed flight may still be owed some expenses if the delay was in the airline's control, under the airline's customer service plan. DOT says it will not enforce the refund rule where a flight is only given a new number and you are rebooked on it with no significant change or delay, until 7 July 2027. DOT is also working on a rule that may change what counts as a cancelled flight or a significant change: check the date this was checked.

Checked 10 October 2026 at eCFR (14 CFR part 260, Refunds for airline fare and ancillary service fees)

How long

GOV.UK says to cancel it as soon as possible, and a cancelled passport can never be used again, even if you find it. It gives no number of days

Starts

the moment you know the passport is gone. You must cancel it before you can apply for a replacement

If missed

GOV.UK says cancelling reduces the risk of anyone else using your passport or your identity, and you cannot apply for a replacement until you cancel. HM Passport Office's own form says a cancelled passport must never be used again and, if found, should be returned to HM Passport Office. For help, call the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000

It lets you

cancel it online: you need a phone number, and a photocopy or photo of the passport helps you answer the questions. You can report it for someone else if they cannot do it themselves. After you cancel, you can apply to replace it, online or on paper, and you will need someone to confirm your identity. The new passport will not have the same number, so do not book travel until you have a valid passport

You are abroad: cancel it now, online, or let the emergency travel document application do it. GOV.UK says your old passport will usually be cancelled automatically once you have paid for the emergency travel document. If you will not apply for one, cancel it yourself the same day. The Adviceline number on this card, 0300 222 0000, is for calls from the UK: from abroad call +44 300 222 0000.

Where this differs: This is for British passports and covers the whole UK. If you are abroad and need to travel urgently, you may be able to apply for an emergency travel document and pay a fee; you then cancel the passport as part of that application. If the passport was stolen, also report it to the police and ask for a crime reference number. The fee for a replacement is on GOV.UK's replace page. For a passport from any other country, contact that country's embassy or consulate

Checked 9 October 2026 at GOV.UK (HM Passport Office)

How long

Tell your bank the same day. The law says you must tell it without undue delay on becoming aware of the loss or theft, and gives no number of days

Starts

the moment you notice the card is missing, even if you are not sure it was stolen. Note the time you noticed and the time you told your bank

If missed

payments made before you tell your bank can be partly or wholly your loss, and nothing protects you from the next one until you report. From the moment you tell your bank you are not liable for any payment made after that, unless you acted fraudulently, so report it now even if you think you were careless. The law makes you liable for all the losses only where you 'acted fraudulently' or 'with intent or gross negligence failed to comply' with your duty to report the loss without undue delay and keep your security details safe. Citizens Advice gives sharing your PIN or password with someone as an example of gross negligence

It lets you

stop anyone using the card from then on: you are not liable for payments made after you tell your bank, unless you acted fraudulently. For payments made before you tell it, your bank can ask you to pay up to £35 of the losses from a lost or stolen card, but not for most online and phone payments, and not if it did not give you a way to report a loss. Citizens Advice says your bank should refund money stolen by fraud, ideally by the end of the next working day after you report it

Abroad, tell your bank the same day and ask what it can do while you are away. The FCDO says your bank may provide an emergency cash facility, which lets you reach your account using an emergency code.

Where this differs: These are the Payment Services Regulations 2017, which apply across the UK. Many banks refund more than the minimum: ask yours. For payments you notice later that you did not make, tell your bank at once and see the 13-month clock. Citizens Advice's England page was read; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own Citizens Advice pages, and Advice NI covers Northern Ireland

Checked 9 October 2026 at legislation.gov.uk (Payment Services Regulations 2017, regulation 77)

How long

Apply online as soon as you know you cannot use your passport, if you have had a UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006. GOV.UK says the document will usually be ready to collect 2 working days after you apply, and it may take several weeks if your passport has expired, the application is for a child under 16, you have not yet paid the fee, you need to give more documents or information, or you need to attend an appointment

Starts

the day you find you cannot use your UK passport and need to travel. GOV.UK says you must need to travel within 6 weeks to apply, and that your UK passport must be lost, stolen, damaged, full or recently expired, or with HM Passport Office or a foreign embassy, and that you cannot renew or replace it from abroad before you travel

If missed

Your old passport will usually be cancelled automatically once you have paid for the emergency travel document, so if you think you may still find it, look first: once cancelled it cannot be used, even if it turns up. Do not book your travel until you get an email telling you how and when to collect the document: your travel plans (countries and dates) may be printed on it, and if your plans change you must reapply and pay £125 again. If your destination is the UK, border control keeps the document when you arrive, and other countries may keep it too. Before you apply, check that every country you will leave, enter or pass through accepts an emergency travel document, including whether you need a visa

It lets you

travel from abroad when you cannot use your UK passport. It is usually valid for only one single or return journey, through a maximum of 5 countries. The fee is £125 and you cannot get a refund. A relative or friend can pay for you if you cannot (for example, because you have lost your wallet). You need a digital passport photo that meets GOV.UK's rules and has not been used in a previous passport, a contact phone number, an email address and a debit or credit card for the fee. If you have not had a UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006, you apply by contact form and must show exceptional circumstances, such as a child born unexpectedly, urgent medical treatment you cannot get without travelling, or a close relative's funeral: GOV.UK says you cannot get one for a holiday, wedding, family event or job interview

Where this differs: This is for British nationals and covers the whole UK. An emergency travel document is not a new passport: GOV.UK says the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) issues only emergency travel documents, and new passports come from HM Passport Office in the UK. You can apply for someone else who is a British national, and they may have to attend an appointment and collect the document in person; a child under 16 goes to an appointment with both parents or legal guardians, or with a signed consent letter if one cannot attend

Checked 10 October 2026 at GOV.UK (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

How long

Ask your insurer, bank, family, friends or employer for money first: the FCDO says it cannot pay your bills. Your credit card company and your airline or travel provider may also help. In very exceptional circumstances, and as a last resort, it may lend you money for basic costs, such as the cheapest one-way ticket to the UK or your usual place of residence, and you must repay the loan within 6 months

Starts

the day you tell the British embassy, high commission or consulate that you cannot pay to get home. The FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) says it works with you to use up every other option before it considers a loan

If missed

There is no date to miss. The cost comes if you are given a loan. You sign an 'undertaking to repay' (an agreement to repay within 6 months). You give your passport to the FCDO, which sends it to HM Passport Office, and you get an emergency travel document valid for a single journey to your country of residence. The cost of that document is added to your loan. When the loan is repaid in full, HM Passport Office returns your passport if it is still valid; if it has expired you apply for a replacement in the usual way

It lets you

ask for an emergency loan to get back to the UK. GOV.UK says it can only cover basic costs, such as the cheapest one-way ticket to the UK or your usual place of residence, and that a loan is not guaranteed even if you have no other way of returning home. It cannot cover medical or legal bills, or any other debt, such as visa fines and unpaid accommodation costs. It cannot cover medical repatriations (being flown home for medical care). In exceptional circumstances, and only if no other transfer service is available, family or friends can also deposit money with the FCDO: you visit the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate in person, it usually takes longer than other options, and the FCDO charges a fee

Where this differs: This is for British nationals. The FCDO cannot usually help nationals of other countries, or a dual national in the country of their other nationality, and gives no consular help in the British overseas territories: contact the local authorities there. If you are under 18 you may be eligible for extra support if there are no adults to sign the agreement for you. The FCDO page says some UK organisations that help with money can only be called from the UK

Checked 10 October 2026 at GOV.UK (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

How long

Ask the airline's staff at the airport now for food, a way to make calls, a bed and a new flight or a refund, and keep every receipt. GOV.UK says the airline looks after you with food and drink, a way to make calls, and a hotel and transport to it if you must stay overnight. GOV.UK says that if the airline cancels your flight, whatever the reason, you can choose between a refund paid within 7 days plus a return flight to where you started, if that applies, or a new flight on comparable terms, which can be on another airline or another form of transport. If a delay passes 5 hours, GOV.UK says the airline must offer you a refund within 7 days and a return flight to where you started, if that applies

Starts

the moment the airline cancels your flight, or your wait for the flight passes 2 hours on a short flight, 3 hours on a medium one or 4 hours on a long one (GOV.UK sorts flights by distance: under 1500km, 1500km to 3500km, over 3500km). Your right to be looked after starts while you wait at the airport

If missed

If you do not ask, the airline may not offer. If it will not pay, complain to it in writing with your receipts. GOV.UK says airlines must tell you how to contact the alternative dispute resolution body they belong to (an independent scheme that looks at the dispute) if you cannot agree. If you missed a connection and your flights were on separate bookings, GOV.UK says the airline may not be able to help you get an onward flight

It lets you

be looked after by the airline until you can fly: GOV.UK lists meals and refreshments, a way to communicate (often the cost of your calls refunded), a hotel if you need one overnight, and transport to and from it. For a cancelled flight, GOV.UK ties this care to choosing a new flight and waiting at the airport: ask what the airline will still pay for before you choose a refund. If the airline cannot arrange this because of a major disruption, you may make your own reasonable arrangements and claim the cost back: only reasonable costs, and GOV.UK says airlines are unlikely to refund a luxury hotel or alcohol. The airline may only pay a refund in vouchers if you agree. GOV.UK says you may also be owed compensation if you arrive more than 3 hours late, or the flight was cancelled within 14 days of departure, and the cause was not an 'extraordinary circumstance' (something outside the airline's control, such as bad weather or an air traffic control decision)

Where this differs: This is GOV.UK's guide for flights covered by UK law. GOV.UK says a flight is covered if it leaves an airport in the UK on any airline, arrives at an airport in the UK on an EU or UK airline, or arrives at an airport in the EU on a UK airline. Citizens Advice also says a flight leaving the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland may give you compensation whatever the airline. If your flight is not covered, your airline's own rules and the law of the countries involved apply. If your flight was part of a package holiday, tell your package organiser at once: GOV.UK says they are responsible for your whole holiday. GOV.UK does not give a time limit for a compensation claim: ask in writing as soon as you can. Citizens Advice has a separate page for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Checked 10 October 2026 at GOV.UK (Department for Transport)

How long

Tell the airline's baggage desk before you leave the airport, and ask for a written report (a Property Irregularity Report). Then complain to the airline in writing. For damage, or anything missing from the bag: at once, and at the latest within 7 days of getting the bag. For a delayed bag: within 21 days of your flight if you can, and at the latest within 21 days of the day it is given back to you. If the bag has still not come back, send a written claim within 7 days of your flight anyway, listing what was in it: the UK Civil Aviation Authority gives 7 days for lost items. Citizens Advice says the airline has 21 days to find a bag; after that, claim for it as lost as soon as you can

Starts

the day your flight lands. For a damaged bag, or things missing from it, the treaty counts from the day you received the bag; for a delayed bag, from the day it was given back to you. Citizens Advice counts a delayed-bag claim from the day of the flight, so the safest start is the day you land

If missed

The treaty says that if no written complaint is made within these times, no action lies against the airline, except where the airline acted fraudulently. A court claim also has an outer limit of 2 years from your arrival, or from when the plane should have arrived. If you have travel insurance or home contents insurance that covers luggage, Citizens Advice says claiming on it is likely to pay more and be easier, so ask your insurer too

It lets you

claim from the airline for what you lost or had to buy. While your bag is delayed, GOV.UK says many airlines will repay essential purchases if you are away from home, such as toiletries, underwear and laundry costs: keep receipts. For a lost or damaged bag you must show what the bag and its contents were worth, and GOV.UK says the airline may deduct for wear. A treaty sets the most the airline must pay: GOV.UK gives it as around £1,300, and the US Department of Transportation as about $2,175 for most international flights. Take the end of the baggage tag you got at check-in, which has the bag's international identification code, and a photo of the bag if you have one

U.S. travellers: the same treaty dates apply to most international flights, including flights to and from the United States.

Where this differs: These limits come from the Montreal Convention, an international treaty that is part of UK law. The US Department of Transportation says it applies to most international flights, including flights to and from the United States, so a U.S. traveller on an international flight should use these dates too. For a flight within the United States, US rules apply instead: file a mishandled baggage report with the airline as soon as you learn your bag did not arrive. If you flew with more than one airline, Citizens Advice says you can claim from any of them, but most airlines expect you to claim with the last one you boarded

Checked 10 October 2026 at legislation.gov.uk (Carriage by Air Act 1961, Schedule 1B: Montreal Convention, Article 31)