Do four things in order: a police report, an embassy replacement, then a new visa at the Exit-Entry Administration, and only then can you legally stay or fly.
If you lose your passport in Shanghai, do four things in this order: file a police report and collect the loss certificate, get a replacement passport or emergency travel document from your embassy, take that to the Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration to have your visa or residence permit re-issued, and only then are you legal to stay on or leave China. As of August 2026 the whole run usually takes about five to ten working days. It feels like a disaster in the first hour. It is really just a sequence.
Good to know
- The order that matters police report, then embassy, then Exit-Entry. Skip a step and the next office turns you away.
- The clock the police loss certificate is valid 30 days, and you must apply for a new passport at your embassy within that window.
- The one address to know the Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration, No. 1500 Minsheng Road, Pudong, near Science and Technology Museum on Metro Line 2.
What to do in the first hour
Breathe, then retrace and report. If it might be stolen rather than lost, that is a police matter anyway, so the first stop is the same. Before you leave home, dig out anything that proves who you are and what the passport was: a photo of the photo page, a scan, your residence-permit number, your Chinese phone number. If you keep a photo of your passport in your phone, this is the day it pays off. Then head to the nearest police station.
Step 1: File a police report and get the loss certificate
Go to the nearest neighbourhood police station 派出所 and report the passport lost or stolen. They issue a loss-report certificate 报失证明, which is the document every later office asks for. It is free and usually same-day. Note the date on it: as of 2026 the certificate is valid for 30 days, and within those 30 days you must apply for a new passport at your embassy or consulate, so do not sit on it. Keep several copies.
Step 2: Get a replacement from your embassy or consulate
Your passport is your own country's document, so only your embassy or consulate in China can replace it. Book an appointment, bring the police loss certificate, passport photos, the completed forms and the fee, and ask for either a full new passport or an emergency travel document if you are flying soon. Timelines vary a lot by country, from a couple of days for an emergency document to two weeks or more for a standard passport, so ask them directly and plan around their answer, not around a rumour.
Step 3: Re-issue your visa or residence permit at Exit-Entry
A new passport does not carry your old China visa or residence permit, so you cannot legally stay or leave until that is transferred. Take the new passport, the police certificate and your accommodation registration to the Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration at No. 1500 Minsheng Road in Pudong (near Science and Technology Museum, on Metro Line 2). They re-issue the visa or residence-permit sticker in the new book, typically over about five to seven working days, and a fee applies, so confirm the current amount and hours at the counter before you go. If you moved recently, sort your temporary residence registration first, since they will ask for it.
What if you have a flight in a few days?
Tell your embassy immediately and ask for an emergency travel document, which exists exactly for this. But leaving China legally still needs the exit paperwork sorted at the Exit-Entry Administration, so a same-week international flight is often not realistic. Assume you may need to move the ticket, talk to the airline early, and if you were mid-trip our guide to changed and cancelled flights covers your rights on the rebooking.
Common questions
What is the first thing to do if you lose your passport in Shanghai?
File a police report at the nearest station 派出所 and collect the loss certificate 报失证明. It is free, usually same-day, and every later step, embassy and Exit-Entry alike, asks for it. Nothing else can proceed until you have it, so make it your first stop.
Can you leave China without your original passport?
Not until it is replaced and the visa or residence permit is re-issued. You need a valid travel document from your embassy plus the Exit-Entry Administration transferring your permit into it. An emergency travel document speeds up the embassy side, but the exit paperwork still has to be done before you fly.
How long does replacing a passport in Shanghai take?
Plan for about five to ten working days end to end. The embassy stage drives most of it and varies by country, from a couple of days for an emergency document to two weeks or more for a full passport, and the Exit-Entry visa re-issue adds roughly five to seven working days on top.
What does it cost to replace a lost passport in Shanghai?
The police report is free. Your embassy charges its own passport or emergency-document fee, which depends on your country, and the Exit-Entry Administration charges a fee to re-issue the visa or residence permit. Confirm both amounts directly, since embassy fees and the permit fee change and are set by each authority.
