WE all know to take good care of your passport, but what happens if someone steals it?

One couple missed out on their holiday and lost thousands of pounds when their at a busy train station.

Two hands exchanging a blue British passport, with a blurred red passport on a wooden table in the background.Having a passport stolen can be very costly for Brits A Eurostar train speeds towards the Channel Tunnel in France.One couple missed out on their holiday on the Eurostar after having their documents stolen Credit: AFP

Talking to The Telegraph , Reverend Bruce Johnson and Sarah Johnson said they had their passports stolen in .

The couple were heading to when they discovered their travel bag with their documents had been nabbed.

Usually, Brits can opt for a premium one-day service for renewals if there is a problem with their documents, for example if it is damaged.

But, this service cannot be used when a passport is lost or stolen.

In this case, it requires extra checks from the “Lost, Stolen and Recovered” team at .

The quickest option for anyone with a stolen passport is the one-week Fast Track service.

As the couple were heading on their holiday on the same day, their plans were completely ruined.

Rev Bruce Johnson told the publication : “After speaking to the Home Office plus the Dutch embassy, they wouldn’t accept our other forms of ID, such as driving licences.

“So we had to go home – and lost the whole holiday.”

refunded the couple’s tickets, but the loss of everything else from accommodation to train and taxi fares and replacement passports has cost them £2,219.

British passport with an airline boarding pass.You cannot use the one-day premium service for stolen or lost passports Credit: Getty Collage of travel items including a plane, sunscreen, passport, suitcase, and plane tickets, advertising The Sun's travel Instagram account.

The couple’s policy did not cover passport theft either.

Having a passport stolen is not uncommon – the Passport Office reported that almost 370,000 passports were reported as lost or stolen in the UK in 2025 by November.

This is 62 per cent more than all of 2024.

Advice on the GOV.UK website reads: “You must cancel a lost or stolen passport as soon as possible.

“This will reduce the risk of anyone else using your passport or your identity. You can report a lost or stolen passport for someone else if they cannot do it themselves.”

Advice from the Post Office reveals that if your passport has been stolen, you won’t be able to get a replacement quickly.

It says: “You usually can’t use the one-day Premium Service to replace a lost or stolen passport. This is only for renewing an existing adult passport, where you still have your old one.

“In rare cases, such as a serious illness or bereavement, you may be able to get urgent help. If this applies to you, you’ll need to contact HM Passport Office directly to discuss your situation.

“If you need a replacement quickly, the 1 week Fast Track service is usually the fastest option.”

For the one-week fast track, the earliest time you can get an appointment is the day after you apply.

The new passport is delivered by courier a week afterwards.

This costs £192 for an adult passport and £156.50 for a child passport.

If you want to find out more about other passport rules, head .