Last verified: September 20, 2026 · Residence Card loss reporting, 1345 and police routes rechecked
Start the recovery with the authority that owns the missing document. If a passport and Residence Card disappeared together, start the embassy, HiKorea and account-security steps in parallel.
Passport: contact your issuing embassy/consulate.
Residence Card: file the HiKorea loss report if available to you and confirm reissuance with immigration.
Wallet/phone: lock payment cards, SIM and exposed accounts now.
Theft or immediate danger: call Korean police on 112.
1. Identify What Is Missing
| Missing item | First authority/action |
|---|---|
| Passport | Issuing country's embassy or consulate in Korea |
| Residence Card | HiKorea / Korea Immigration loss and reissuance route |
| Both | Start embassy and HiKorea steps at the same time; update immigration after the replacement passport is issued |
| Wallet or phone too | Lock cards, SIM and exposed email/cloud accounts without waiting for document replacement |
A police report can be useful after theft or when an embassy, insurer or other authority requires one. It is not a replacement passport or Residence Card.
2. Use 112 for Theft or Immediate Danger
If a document was stolen or personal safety is at risk, move to safety and call Korean police on 112. For a routine loss, ask the embassy, insurer or immigration authority whether a police report is required for the next step.
Before declaring a simple loss final, check controlled places quickly: hotel safe/front desk, taxi record, venue lost-and-found and bag compartments. Do not spend the whole day retracing a city route when an international flight is approaching.
3. Passport: Start With the Embassy or Consulate
Use the issuing country's official embassy/consulate website. Ask what replacement or emergency travel document can be issued, whether an appointment and police report are required, what proof of citizenship and photos are needed, and how long issuance normally takes.
A photocopy or phone image can help identify the lost document, but it is not a travel document.
4. Residence Card: File the Loss and Then Confirm Reissuance
HiKorea currently provides a loss-report service for foreign registration/residence documents. The notice explains that the report records the loss to reduce misuse; it does not by itself suspend or restore the card's legal validity.
If online verification works, file the loss report and save the confirmation. HiKorea currently allows the report to be withdrawn within 24 hours if the card is found. If you cannot use the online route, follow the responsible immigration-office instruction.
Then confirm the separate reissuance procedure: office, appointment, photo/identity documents and any issue created by imminent overseas travel.
5. If Both Documents Are Gone, Recover in Parallel
Passport details are reportable registration information for registered foreigners. The Immigration Act uses a 15-day rule for listed changes, while Korea Immigration's passport-specific guidance also uses a practical window tied to passport issue/actual receipt dates. Ask HiKorea or 1345 which timing applies to the replacement in your case.
6. If You Must Fly Soon, Check the Document and the Route
An emergency passport or travel document can have limits on destination or transit. Ask the embassy what the document supports, then tell the operating airline exactly what document you will carry.
If the itinerary transits another country, check that country's entry/transit rule for the emergency document before buying a complicated replacement ticket.
7. Keep an Incident Log and a Small Recovery File
Time the loss was noticed · last controlled location · police report number if any · embassy contact/appointment · HiKorea confirmation · 1345 instructions · airline response
After replacement, update the systems that still hold the old passport or Residence Card data: immigration first where required, then airline profiles, carrier, bank, school, employer or insurer as relevant.
Before anything is lost, keep secure copies of the passport identity page, current status approval, Residence Card and insurance/embassy contact information. Store them in protected personal storage rather than a shared chat thread.
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