Your passport was stolen: reporting it and getting a replacement

Key rules

• Denuncia: File a police report first and keep your copy, because the consulate and immigration office will both ask for it.
• Replacement: Your consulate issues the new passport, and its requirements and fees vary by country.
• Residence permit: A new passport number does not cancel your residence permit, but your records must be updated.
• Appointments: Rebook or amend any appointment made with the old passport number.

What to do first

Report the theft, then contact your country's embassy or consulate. Do it in this order:

1. File a denuncia at the police. Keep your copy, because every later step needs it.
2. Contact your embassy or consulate. Report the theft so the stolen passport is cancelled.
3. Apply for an emergency or replacement passport.
4. Update your Spanish records once you have the new passport.

If you have a copy of your passport data page, keep it with the denuncia. The checklist below covers the steps in short.

Getting the replacement passport

Your consulate issues the new passport, not the Spanish authorities. Requirements and fees differ by country, so ask your own consulate what it needs. Expect to bring the denuncia, a completed application form, passport photos and some proof of your identity or nationality. This can be copies, old passport details or a national ID card. For an emergency document, you may also need proof of your travel plans.

Emergency documents can often be issued within days, sometimes the same day. A full replacement takes longer. It may be biometric and need an appointment.

What to use as ID while you wait

If you have a TIE (residence card) and it was not stolen too, carry it as your main ID. Your residence permit stays valid.

The denuncia plus a photocopy of your passport is often used as temporary proof. It is not a formal identity document, and each office or business decides whether to accept it. Banks and hotels may refuse a denuncia alone. An emergency travel document from your consulate is accepted for travel and for most official purposes.

Keeping your Spanish status in order

A new passport number does not cancel your residence permit or TIE. But the number in your immigration records should be updated. Show the new passport, the old number details and the denuncia to the Oficina de Extranjería or the police. In practice this is often done when you next renew your TIE, but you can ask your office to update it sooner. Procedures vary by province, so ask the office that issued your card.

Use the new passport number for any new application.

Check your appointments. Any appointment (cita) booked with the old number may need rebooking or amending to show the new number. Do this before the date, or you may be turned away.

If your visa sticker was in the stolen passport, ask the authorities whether you need a new sticker or a confirmation.

If your TIE was stolen too

You will also need a duplicate TIE. The documents list below shows what it takes. Read the "What if your TIE is stolen" section below if this happens during a renewal or before a trip.

Documents you need to replace a stolen passport or residence card

Documents for each replacement

• For a duplicate TIE: the denuncia (police report) for the theft, filed at a Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil station.

• For a duplicate TIE: the application form EX-17, completed.

• For a duplicate TIE: the fee form Modelo 790 código 012, paid at a bank (the card fee is a few euros), with your proof of payment.

• For a duplicate TIE: your original passport and a photocopy.

• For a duplicate TIE: one recent colour passport-size photo, 32x26 mm, white background, face uncovered.

• For a duplicate TIE: some offices also ask for proof of address (empadronamiento, your town hall registration) or a copy of your old TIE if you have one.

• For an emergency or new passport: the denuncia, the application form from your consulate, and passport photos.

• For an emergency or new passport: proof of identity or nationality, such as copies, old passport details or your national ID.

• For an emergency passport: proof of your travel plans, plus the fee your consulate charges.

Checklist

• File a denuncia (police report) for the theft at the police.

• Contact your country's embassy or consulate to report the theft and cancel the stolen passport.

• Apply for an emergency or replacement passport, and ask your consulate about its fee and whether you need an appointment.

• Keep the denuncia copy and any copy of your passport data page with you as temporary back-up proof.

• Rebook or amend any appointment made with the old passport number so it shows the new number.

What if your TIE is stolen mid-renewal or before a trip?

If your TIE is stolen, file a denuncia first. Then use the receipts to prove your status in Spain, but do not count on them for travel.

File the denuncia

Report the theft as soon as you can. Go in person to a Policía Nacional station or a Guardia Civil post. In Catalonia you can go to the Mossos d'Esquadra, and in the Basque Country to the Ertzaintza.

For a theft without violence, Policía Nacional also has an online pre-denuncia. You must still sign it at a station afterwards, so do not treat it as finished until you have. In larger cities, SATE offices for foreign visitors can help you file with an interpreter. In an emergency, call 091 or 112.

If a renewal is pending

Your proof of status is normally the receipt (resguardo) from your renewal application, filed on time. Keep it with your passport and the new denuncia. Together they are the usual set of papers to show.

How your pending renewal's extended validity applies in practice is decided by the foreigners' office. Ask them at your next contact, and tell them the card was stolen.

Request the duplicate

1. Book a cita previa online at the foreigners' office or police station in your province.
2. Go in person with your passport, the denuncia, and the paid fee.
3. Have your fingerprints taken. You are given a resguardo at the appointment.
4. Collect the new card in person, normally about a month later.

The office that handles duplicates and the booking system differ by province, so check yours before you book.

If you have a trip booked

The denuncia and the duplicate resguardo are not travel documents. Travel in the Schengen area normally needs a valid passport and a valid TIE. Without the TIE, you can be refused or delayed when you re-enter Spain.

The safest choice is to postpone the trip until the duplicate is in your hands, or to get a visa. Some offices issue a letter or receipt that can help, so ask when you book your appointment. The border police make the final decision at the border.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an emergency passport take to issue in Spain?

Emergency travel documents can often be issued within days, sometimes the same day. A full replacement passport takes longer, and may be biometric and need an appointment. Fees and requirements vary by country, so ask your consulate.

What can I use as ID while I wait for a new passport?

If you live in Spain, you can use your TIE or residence card, as long as it was not stolen too. An emergency travel document from your consulate is accepted for travel and most official purposes. A copy of the denuncia with a photocopy of your passport is often used, but it is not a formal ID, and banks or hotels may refuse the denuncia alone.

Does my residence card stop being valid when my passport number changes?

No, a new passport number does not cancel your residence permit or TIE, which stays valid. The number in your extranjería records should still be updated.

What happens to appointments booked with my old passport number?

Appointments (citas) made with the old number may need rebooking or amending with the new number. Check each one with the office that gave it.