Lost my British Passport

I appear to have misplaced my passport. I have one more place to look (may have left it at the bank when sending money home) but just in case I HAVE lost it, what do I do.

I checked the British cultural office, and it seems that I don’t have to leave Taiwan, but my friend seems to think that I do and say he knows someone that DID.

I have 4 months left on my ARC (which is still safe and sound), but the time for health checks etc is approaching and I have to get a new apartment soon. Any advice? Do I have to leave Taiwan? Ease my mind please, even though I will make the needed phone calls in the morning… its stressing me out!

Don’t worry. You can’t leave the country without a passport anyway.

What you do is probably go to the police station and file a missing passport report. Most likely at the foreign police station.

台北市政府警察局外事科 台北市中正區延平南路96號 (02)23817494
Taipei City government Foreign affairs division
96 Yen pin south road
Chung Chen District, Taipei

Then after you have the report, go to the british pseudo-embassy and fill out some paper work, and give them money and some passport photos.

I imagine you would be able to do your health check and rent a new apartment with your ARC, which is the equivalent of a Taiwanese I.D. card.

So don’t worry too much. Just a bit of running around to do.

You need a police report first.

Then you go to see Sandy Fan at the BTCO:

British Trade and Cultural Office
8-10 Floor
Fu Key Building
99 Jen Ai Road, Section 2
Taipei, 100, Taiwan
(02) 2192 7000

In order to get a new passport you will need to go through the whole process of applying again, which means producing your birth certificate and getting a Brit who has known you for two years or more to countersign.

Your new passport will probably only be valid for 12 months, and will be extended at the end of that time if you haven’t lost it. If that impacts your ability to get an ARC there is presumably some workaround but you’ll have to talk to the BTCO directly.

The BTCO does not issue passports but will forward your paperwork to Hong Kong, where there is a real embassy.

Currently it’s NT$2100 for an emergency passport if you need one, NT$3400 for 32 pages, and NT$4000 for 48 pages.

The fees are going up on 1 July:
Adult 32 page:

There is some information about filing for lost passport here. You then take the report receipt to your representative office and apply for a replacement passport.

I agree with the others. You won’t need to leave Taiwan. Everything can be arranged here.

It is a good reminder that photocopying your passport may be a good idea.