What to Do If You Lose Your Passport, Phone or Wallet in Korea

Losing a passport, phone or wallet is stressful, but acting in the right order can protect your money and improve the chance of recovery. Use this checklist and contact the responsible organization for the exact place where the item was lost.


Immediate Checklist


Return to the last confirmed location and ask staff.

Use another device to lock or locate your phone.

Freeze lost bank cards through the card issuer.

Write down the time, place, item description and any serial numbers.

Search Korea’s police lost-property system or visit a nearby police station.

For a passport, contact your embassy or consulate promptly.



If You Lose Your Passport


A passport is not just a lost item; it is an identity and travel document. Contact your embassy or consulate in Korea for emergency-document instructions. Requirements differ by nationality and may include a police report, passport photos, identification, proof of travel and a fee.


Do not publish a full passport image or passport number in public groups. If the passport is later found after being reported lost, ask your embassy whether it is still valid before using it.


If You Lose Your Phone


Use Apple Find My or Google’s device-finding service to lock the phone and display a safe contact method. Contact your mobile carrier to suspend the SIM if necessary. Change important passwords if the device was unlocked or contained sensitive information.


Phones found at Incheon Airport are stored for a limited period before transfer to the specialized mobile-phone lost-and-found center. Items lost on an aircraft must be reported to the airline, not the terminal office.


If You Lose Your Wallet or Bank Cards


Freeze cards immediately using the issuer’s app or international support number. Ask for replacement-card or emergency-cash options if offered. Report the wallet to local police and request documentation if your insurer requires it.


Where Was It Lost?


Subway: Ask station staff and provide the line, train direction, boarding time and car number if known.

Taxi: Use the receipt, taxi number or app trip history to contact the operator.

Airport terminal: Contact the correct terminal Lost and Found Office.

Aircraft: Contact the airline.

Airport railroad or bus: Contact that transport operator.

Restaurant, shop or hotel: Call that location first.



Incheon Airport Lost and Found


The airport’s official page currently lists Terminal 1 Lost and Found on B1 and Terminal 2 Lost and Found in the public area on the second floor. Both are listed as operating from 07:00 to 21:30 year-round. Confirm details on the official page before visiting.


Useful Korean


여권을 잃어버렸어요.

Yeogwoneul ireobeoryeosseoyo.

I lost my passport.


분실물 센터가 어디예요?

Bunsilmul senteoga eodiyeyo?

Where is the lost-and-found office?


경찰 신고서가 필요해요.

Gyeongchal singoseoga piryohaeyo.

I need a police report.


Emergency Numbers


Call 112 for police and 119 for fire or medical emergencies. For general travel assistance, use the Korea Travel Helpline at 1330. A lost item without immediate danger is usually better handled through the responsible lost-and-found office or a police station.


Related Help


See our guide to clinics, hospitals and emergency rooms and our Urgent Help guides.


Official References


Seoul Tourism: Lost and Found

Incheon Airport Lost and Found


Information checked in August 2026. Embassy procedures and office hours vary.


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