What if I lose my passport in Morocco?

Losing a passport feels like the floor dropping away, but I have walked several travellers through it and it is a solvable problem on a predictable timeline. The first step is a police report. Go to the nearest police station (in cities, dial 19) or the Royal Gendarmerie (177 in rural areas) and report the loss or theft. They will issue a written report (un récépissé de déclaration de perte) — your embassy will ask for this, so keep it safe. Your riad or hotel staff can point you to the right station and often come along to help translate.

Next, contact your embassy or consulate. Most embassies are in Rabat — the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and many European countries all have missions there — and several countries also run consulates in Casablanca and sometimes Marrakech for emergencies. Call them or check their website; they issue an emergency travel document (ETD) that gets you home. Processing is usually a day or two. If your flight is imminent, tell them — embassies prioritise genuine travel emergencies and can sometimes expedite.

This is where preparation pays off enormously. Before you travel, photograph the photo page of your passport and email it to yourself, save it in your phone and the cloud, and carry one paper photocopy separately from the original. Bring two spare passport-sized photos. With a copy and a police report in hand, an ETD takes far less back-and-forth. It is also why, day to day in Morocco, I suggest leaving the actual passport in your riad's safe and carrying only a photocopy plus one other ID.

While you sort the document, keep calm and keep moving on the admin: tell your travel insurer (loss of documents is usually covered, and they may help with costs), and let your airline know you may need to rebook. If you are travelling with us, call your designer immediately — we will coordinate with your riad, find the right police station and consulate, rearrange any onward transfers, and make sure you are never doing this alone in a language you do not speak. It is stressful, but it is routine, and you will get home.