Statutory Declaration for a Lost Passport: What You Need

Some organisations, including HM Passport Office, travel insurers and foreign embassies, may ask for a statutory declaration confirming that your passport has been lost before they will issue a replacement or process a claim. The declaration must be witnessed by a solicitor, commissioner for oaths or notary public.

Why is a statutory declaration needed?

A statutory declaration is a formal legal statement made under the Statutory Declarations Act 1835 in front of an authorised witness. When a passport is lost, the organisation dealing with it wants written confirmation that the document really is lost and is not being misused.

You may be asked for one when:

• Applying to HM Passport Office for a replacement UK passport
• Making a travel insurance claim for a lost passport
• Notifying a foreign embassy or consulate
• Confirming the loss to an employer that held your passport for work purposes

What must the declaration say?

• Your full name, date of birth and address
• The passport number (if known) and country of issue
• When and where you last had the passport
• How it was lost
• That you have not knowingly given it to anyone else
• That you will surrender the passport if it is found

Who can witness it?

• A solicitor
• A commissioner for oaths
• A notary public

Do not sign the declaration before the appointment. It must be signed in front of the witness.

How does video call witnessing work?

1. Book a video appointment. The fee is £100 per document.
2. Join the call with your unsigned declaration and your driving licence or, if you have one, another passport.
3. The solicitor confirms your identity and watches you sign the declaration live.
4. You email the signed declaration to the solicitor, who countersigns it and emails it back to you, usually the same day. Nothing is posted.

Book a video appointment