More than 20,000 Britons reported lost or stolen passports while abroad in just one year, according to the latest set of government figures.
The highest number of thefts and losses were reported in Spain, with figures for the year to last March showing 5,132 burgundy books gone missing.
A new Foreign Office report showed that a total of 20,663 British passports were reported lost or stolen between April 2014 and March last year, with numbers of thefts in Spain followed by those in the USA (1,880), France (1,487), Italy (1,268) and Australia (1,043) .
Spain, which has seen a recent surge in holiday bookings, was also where the highest number of Emergency Travel Documents (ETD) were provided to British nationals, with 6,329 issued there of the total 37,890 ETDs provided in the 2014-1015 period.
The USA, Australia, France and China (including Hong Kong) rounded out the top five countries where the most number of ETDs were issued.
Emergency travel documents - sometimes known as "emergency passports" - allow British nationals abroad to travel if his or her passport has been lost, stolen or damaged, or has recently expired.
The British passport was named the fourth most powerful passport in the world in a global ranking last year, tied with four other countries for allowing visa-free entry to 174 other states.
But it also came out as fourth most expensive when it came to the cost of renewal. Britons can expect to pay £73 for a new passport.
"Losing a passport can be more serious than just the cost and inconvenience of a replacement", HM Passport Office says. "A passport is a valuable document and criminals can use it to commit crimes like identity and financial fraud, which is why it’s so important to report any loss or theft to Her Majesty’s Passport Office so we can log the details and cancel the passport."
Detailed information about replacing a lost or stolen passport and obtaining an ETD from the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate can be found at gov.uk/emergency-travel-document.
FCO PASSPORT ADVICE FOR TRAVELLERS
Before you travel
Be aware of your surroundings and be wary of strangers who take an unusual amount of interest in you
Keep your passport in a safe place, and if you are required to keep it with you ensure its location is not visible
A damaged passport cannot be used for travel, so value it and keep it safe
Make two photocopies of your passport – leave one with friends or
family and take the second with you, or store an electronic copy securely. Where permitted, use your photocopy as alternative ID, for example when going out at night
For certain countries your passport must be valid for six months after the date you travel – check the entry requirements before you go
Ensure you fill in the emergency details next of kin page before you go
If you do need to get an emergency travel document to enable you to
travel, further information is available at gov.uk/emergency-traveldocument
A total of 17,058 British nationals, a three per cent drop compared to 2013-2014, were reported to have required consular assistance abroad, while British high commissions and consulates handled more than 470,000 enquiries and assisted Britons in 15 crisis situations across the globe in the 2014-2015 period of the report.
The most help was provided in Spain to 3,137 Britons, followed by 1,482 in the USA. Some 1,130 individuals asked for assistance in Thailand, a destination that receives around 900,000 visits from Britons each year.
The south-east Asian country saw a series of incidents last year, including bomb attacks in central Bangkok and in a car park in Koh Samui.
See the full findings of the FCO report here.
Copy from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
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