The British Foreign Office has unveiled a new study which shows the countries in which British travellers are most likely to misplace their passport. The study revealed that the highest number of thefts and losses were reported in Spain, where over 5000 passports went missing in one year alone.
Between April 2014 and March 2015, over 20,000 British passports were reported as either lost or stolen. After Spain, the areas with the highest number of thefts were the USA (1880), France (1487), Italy (1268) and Australia (1043). However, the results don’t necessarily mean that there are more crimes happening, just that these are the areas where British tourists travel to the most.
In Spain, emergency travel documents are issued the most, with over 6,000 being provided to British citizens in a year. The documents allow British travellers to travel without their passport for a short period of time.
According to the citizen planning firm Henley and Partners, the British passport is the third most important passport in the world. The firm produced a ranking which showed how passports around the world compare in terms of how many countries you can visit without needing a visa to enter. Surprisingly, Germany now has the world’s most powerful passport with 177 countries, followed by Sweden which overtook the UK. The UK now sits in third place alongside Italy, France, Spain and Finland. However, as well as being one of the most powerful passports, the British passport is also one of the most expensive to replace, costing £73.
If you lose your passport abroad, you will have to contact the British Embassy in that country.
In Spain, the British Embassy is located in Madrid.
In France, the British Embassy is located in Paris.
In Italy, the British Embassy is located in Rome.
In Australia, the British Embassy is located in Canberra.
In the USA, the British Embassy can be found in Washington D.C.
To find out more information about passport applications and renewals, call the UK Passport contact number.
