Lost or Stolen Passport, Residence Permit or Phone in Türkiye: What to Do

Losing your passport or residence permit abroad is stressful, but it's a well-worn process. The key is knowing which office handles what.

This guide is practical information, not legal advice. If you are in danger or a crime is in progress, call 112.

Before anything goes missing

• Keep photos or scans of your passport's photo page, your residence permit card (both sides) and any visa, stored somewhere you can reach from any device.

• Save your embassy's or consulate's emergency number in your phone.

• Keep a note of your foreign ID number (YKN) and your e-Devlet access — see our e-Devlet guide.

• Note your phone's 15-digit IMEI number (dial *#06# to see it) — you'll need it to report the phone lost or stolen.

1. The police loss report

Report the loss or theft at the nearest police station (karakol) — or to the gendarmerie (jandarma) outside city areas — and ask for the written loss report (kayıp tutanağı). It is required to replace a residence permit card, and your bank or insurer may ask for it too. Whether your embassy needs one to replace your passport depends on your country — ask them.

2. Lost passport: contact your embassy or consulate

Only your own country can replace your passport. Contact your embassy or consulate promptly and check what they need — some require a police report, others don't. Depending on your country and plans, they can issue a full replacement passport or an emergency travel document to get you home.

Ask them what you'll need to leave Türkiye on the new document — consulates deal with this regularly and know the current requirements.

If you have a residence permit, you must notify the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management of your new passport within 20 working days.

3. Lost residence permit card: apply for a reissue

A lost, stolen, damaged or incorrect residence permit card is reissued. According to the Presidency of Migration Management:

• Get a loss report from the police (see step 1).

• Take it to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management in the province where you live, with a biometric photo and a document showing you're registered in the address system.

• You pay the card fee in full and half of the permit fee. The Istanbul directorate says under-18s pay a quarter of the permit fee — confirm with your own provincial directorate.

Check the current document list and fees with your provincial directorate or the Foreigners Communication Centre, YİMER 157 — its information line runs on weekdays 08:00–18:00 in Turkish, English, Russian, Arabic and Persian, and its emergency and reporting line is open 24/7.

4. Lost or stolen phone

• Call your mobile operator to suspend your line, so no one can use your number.

• Report the phone lost or stolen through e-Devlet or by calling BTK on 120, so it can no longer be used on Turkish mobile networks. You'll need its 15-digit IMEI, and the report must be made by the line's legal owner. BTK only blocks the phone — it doesn't locate or return it; that's a matter for the police.

• If you can, lock or erase the phone remotely (through Find My or Find My Device).

• From another device, change the passwords for your email, banking and messaging apps, and sign out of sessions on the lost phone.

5. Bank cards and money

Call your bank immediately to block lost or stolen cards — the sooner, the better the chance of stopping unauthorised payments. Keep your bank's card-loss number somewhere other than your wallet.

Other things to check

• Travel insurance: tell your insurer promptly if you plan to claim, and keep the police report and receipts.

• Lost property: if you left something in a taxi or on public transport, contact the operator or the app you booked through as soon as possible.