Lost passport in Korea — Singapore
Singapore's Document of Identity is cheap at S$15 and takes at least one working day. It is a one-way return to Singapore.
The thing to understand is the clock. You must report the loss within fourteen days. That deadline is what shortens your search window, not the cost.
Key facts
| Emergency document | Document of Identity (DOI) — one-way return to Singapore only |
|---|---|
| Where to get it in Korea |
|
| Processing time | At least 1 working day |
| Fee | S$15 |
| Documents required |
|
| Korean police report needed | Check with the embassy before you go. |
| Old passport invalidated when reported | Yes, on report — Cancelled when the loss is reported. The loss must be reported within 14 days, and a passport found later must be surrendered within 14 days. |
| Embassy / consulate | 28F Seoul Finance Center, 136 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul |
| Phone | 02-774-2464 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00 |
| Appointment required | Required |
| Full reissue at home — fee | S$70 online or S$80 at the counter, plus a loss fee of S$50 for a first loss or S$100 for a repeat |
| Full reissue at home — time | 1–2 weeks |
| Penalties after a reported loss | A loss fee of S$50 for a first loss, S$100 for a repeat. |
Search first, or reissue?
Fourteen days is the outer edge, and a reported loss cancels the passport. So the search window is short and it has a hard end.
Weigh it against what a loss costs you afterwards: S$70 online or S$80 at a counter for a replacement, plus a loss fee of S$50 for a first loss and S$100 for a repeat. It takes one to two weeks at home.
Search first if you are not flying home immediately, if the passport holds visas, if it went missing with a bag or a wallet, or if this would be a repeat loss and the S$100 fee is worth avoiding.
Be realistic about the window, though. Two weeks is not long for an item to travel from a taxi or a restaurant into the found-property system, and once you report, it is over.
Reissue if you are flying home soon, or if you are outside Seoul and cannot easily get back. The DOI returns you to Singapore only, so if Korea was a stop on a longer trip, replacing the passport ends the trip.
One more obligation: if the passport is found after you have reported it, you must surrender it within fourteen days.
If you are going to search, start on day one and set yourself a deadline several days short of the fourteen. Leaving the report to the last possible day means applying under time pressure at an office that needs two working days' notice for an appointment.
The arithmetic is not large either way. S$15 for the document, S$70 or S$80 for the replacement, S$50 or S$100 for the loss fee. It is the deadline that shapes this decision, not the money.
Where to apply in Korea
Seoul only. The embassy is on the 28th floor of Seoul Finance Center, 136 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu — call 02-774-2464 to confirm the floor before you travel.
It is appointment-only, and appointments need two working days' notice. There is an emergency line on 010-7204-6240.
How you apply changes what you need to bring. Online through ICA with Singpass, you need no photos and no police report. Without Singpass, you need a police report, two photos, and your NRIC.
If you have Singpass, use it. It removes both the photo trip and the police station from your day.
Before you go to the embassy
File the Korean police report first. It is free, you can do it online through 경찰민원24 or at any police station, and the receipt is issued immediately. It does not cancel your passport — it records that you lost it.
Several embassies will not issue an emergency document without that receipt, so doing it first saves a second trip.
Found property is held for six months. Worth knowing: an item handed in at a hotel, a restaurant or a taxi company does not appear in the system that day. It can take several days to get there. A search a week after the loss is not a wasted search.
If you live in Korea rather than visiting: once you have a new passport, the new number has to be reported to immigration within fifteen days. That is 출입국관리법 제35조, and the fine for missing it runs to ₩1,000,000. It does not apply to short-stay visitors.
After you get home
A replacement is S$70 online or S$80 at a counter, and takes one to two weeks.
On top of that is the loss fee: S$50 for a first loss, S$100 if you have done this before.
Questions
How long do I have to report the loss?
Fourteen days. That deadline is what limits how long you can search before reporting.
Do I need a police report?
Not if you apply online through ICA with Singpass — no police report and no photos. Without Singpass you need a police report, two photos and your NRIC.
What if my passport is found after I report it?
It is cancelled, and you must surrender it within fourteen days.
Can I apply outside Seoul?
No. Seoul only, by appointment, booked two working days ahead.
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Last verified 2026-09-22.