Lost passport in Nicaragua.

KevinK

Travelling in Nicaragua and have lost my Passport. No irish embassy here, so not sure what to do. Can't find good information on the Department of foreign affairs website.

Anyone been in a similar situation, anyone know what my next step should be. Even anyone better at Googling tan me could help.

Thanks
Kevin

UK embassy or any EU embassy.

KevinK

Deleted User wrote: »

UK embassy or any EU embassy.

I sent the German embassy an email a few minutes ago. Should I just turn up in the morning? There are french, dutch spanish and German embassies here, would any be more likely to help?

guinnessdrinker

Don't think there is a UK embassy in Nicaragua unfortunately.

You could try to ring the Consular Assistance Unit at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin on +353 1 408 2000. They may be able to advise. Good luck, hope you get sorted!

kerry4sam

KevinK wrote: »

I sent the German embassy an email a few minutes ago. Should I just turn up in the morning? There are french, dutch spanish and German embassies here, would any be more likely to help?

Have a look here for all contact details for the Embassys in Nicaragua. Don't just wait for a return e-mail from the German office. Make phonecalls from when they open in the morning.
Also, contact our own DFF, details below

guinnessdrinker wrote: »

Don't think there is a UK embassy in Nicaragua unfortunately.

You could try to ring the Consular Assistance Unit at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin on +353 1 408 2000. They may be able to advise. Good luck, hope you get sorted!

KevinK

Thanks, that's all very helpful

kerry4sam

KevinK wrote: »

Thanks, that's all very helpful

Hey Kevin,

Keep us posted here on your status and any assistance you are being offered in this situation in Nicaragua. I am sure our own DFF would be interested in knowing if our own are being looked after abroad

I am sure you'll be okay once the offices open and you can relay your circumstances to who can assist in Consular Offices or Embassys.

Thanks,
kerry4sam

KevinK

KevinK wrote: »

I sent the German embassy an email a few minutes ago. Should I just turn up in the morning? There are french, dutch spanish and German embassies here, would any be more likely to help?

I'd get to the Dutch or German embassy, the French would probably insist on you speaking French to them. :pac:

KevinK

ya, i was thinking the German for that reason, figured they would be the most likely to have English speakers. Have sent emails to all the European embassies now and will see if any of them get back to me. If not I have phone numbers for the morning.

Even though im 99per cent sure it will get sorted (I mean ive never heard of an irish person losing their Passport and being stuck somewhere forever) I can't help but be stressed, what a stupid thing to do.

Janedoe10

Guess u have looked here http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=8511

It says Irish citizens requiring emergency assistance in this country should first approach their tour operator representative, local tour guide or hotel management and contact their insurance provider. For help and advice you can also contact the Consular Assistance Unit at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin on +353 1 408 2000. However, once again, please be advised that the level of service and assistance we can provide in this country may be limited.

Don't know if this helps Uk https://www.gov.uk/report-a-lost-or-stolen-passport/y/stolen/adult/abroad/nicaragua

You ate better to present yourself in person to whichever embassy u are going to

kerry4sam

KevinK wrote: »

ya, i was thinking the German for that reason, figured they would be the most likely to have English speakers. Have sent emails to all the European embassies now and will see if any of them get back to me. If not I have phone numbers for the morning.

Even though im 99per cent sure it will get sorted (I mean ive never heard of an irish person losing their Passport and being stuck somewhere forever) I can't help but be stressed, what a stupid thing to do.

You can say a lot of negative stuff about this Country, but when Irish need assistance abroad, they always receive it without hesitation I've found.

It was the Germans who assisted me earlier this year with an incident in in the Czech Republic, didn't even think twice so they didn't

I am sure you'll be okay, I know that's easier said than done, but hey, just believe that you'll be home before you know it!

KevinK

I think the next step is to report it as lost to the pólice. Don't speak spanish so that should be interesting..

kerry4sam

KevinK wrote: »

I think the next step is to report it as lost to the pólice. Don't speak spanish so that should be interesting..

It's about 7:22pm now where you are yeah? Did you get your e-mail sent in before 5pm your-time or afterward? I assume you enclosed any contact number you have with you or would have access to?

Thanks,

KevinK

I don't have Access to a contact number, I should probably buy a phone in the morning.

gctest50

http://www.mongabay.com/history/nicaragua/nicaragua-secret_police_and_intelligence.html

kerry4sam

KevinK wrote: »

I don't have Access to a contact number, I should probably buy a phone in the morning.

hence the e-mail to the German office? I would recommend that you get yourself a mobile and some credit yeah.
How many people are over there travelling with you & are they all okay with their documents ?

Thanks,

KevinK

It's just me. Had my wallet stolen on Friday so it's not been a good week! Really appreciate the help.

kerry4sam

KevinK wrote: »

It's just me. Had my wallet stolen on Friday so it's not been a good week! Really appreciate the help.

How long more were your travel plans for? WHEN you are sorted with documentation there by a helpful Embassy/Consular Office, how long more are you planning on travelling for?
How are you set for monies with your wallet stolen?
Have you contacted home and informed them about this?

Thanks,

KevinK

My flight home is in 2.5 weeks, from Costa Rica via the US which may be problematic. Even though at this stage if I get everything sorted I might look at changing the flight to earlier.

Money ok for now, but this is boound to eat it up. I wonder can you use a driving lisence for Western Union ID.

Thoie

Here's a list of various embassies and consulates in Managua:

http://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-in/nicaragua

schemingbohemia

Have you informed your credit/debit card companies? Did you keep a copy of your passport somewhere online? Does your insurance policy allow for emergency money to be claimed quickly?

0lddog

With regard to the passport I'd be inclined to phone the ( Irish ) embassy in Mexico city and have a chat - they have probably come across people in your position & have a few suggestions.......

http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=5495

Rascasse

KevinK wrote: »

My flight home is in 2.5 weeks, from Costa Rica via the US which may be problematic. Even though at this stage if I get everything sorted I might look at changing the flight to earlier.

Money ok for now, but this is boound to eat it up. I wonder can you use a driving lisence for Western Union ID.

You need to get on to an embassy nearby (or the DFA in Dublin) ASAP if you want to make that flight. Embassies can only issue emergency travel documents but they cannot be used to enter the US so you will need to get a full passport couriered from Dublin.

As suggested get on the phone to the embassy in either Mexico City or Washington or call the DFA consular advice line +353 1 408 2000.

KevinK

The dfa in Dublin were ery helpful and filled me with confidence that it would all be sorted easily once I contacted the embassy in Mexico. The woman in the mexican embassy didn't really seem to know what was going on. Left it up to me to contact the embassies here to see if any of them can issue an emergency travel document or temporary passport.

The german embassy was very helpful but unable to sort it out, I can't get in contact with the french (no english options) or the spanish.

the us embassy here reckons that if i can get a a remporary passport they can issue me a visa here - but time is running oout

passport couriered from dublin is not an option apparently - couriered from mexico is, but not sure if it will have the biometric strip or not and if it will come in time. If it doesn't there def wont be time to get the passport and the us visa

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

munchkin_utd

the last time I got a temporary passport issued by an embassy abroad it was the old style passport and I'd say thats possibly the best you can hope for.

On the positive side, I was ringing them at about 5 in the evening to see if the proper passport had arrived from Dublin, which is hadnt so they printed a temporary one on the spot and it was literally in my hand just after 8.30 the next morning the other end of the country.
If mexico have the passport machine then once your details are in the computer the passport can be printed on the spot and you only have the slowness of a courier to deal with.

also on the positive side, the e-passport is only required if you wish to travel on a full normal passport, but you can travel to the USA on a temporary non e-passport if you have it endorsed with a visa before travelling, and if you're lucky the border guard can issue discression and let you through anyhow.

Effective July 1, 2009, Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries' emergency and temporary passports are subject to the electronic passport (e-passport) requirement. Any VWP national or citizen intending to apply for admission under the VWP with an emergency or temporary passport that is issued on/after October 26, 2006, and which is not an e-passport, are required to apply for a U.S. visa prior to travel or apply for a waiver at a U.S. port of entry.

http://dublin.usembassy.gov/emergency_temp_ppts.html

kerry4sam

KevinK : Can you check-in here & tell us how you are getting on? Any updates?

Thanks,
kerry4sam

KevinK

I am currently waiting on some forms to be sent from Mexico to Nicargua by Courier. When i get them i need to send them back and finally get the temporary Passport sent here. Its not very clear how long any of this will take but I am hopeful that everything will be sorted before my flight in two weeks.

Munchkins post was very helpful, the situation with the US visa isn{t that clear, the oficial line is that I need to get one here before I leave but there have been cases of people transiting the US on a temporary Passport without the visa. I think i will try to contact immigration at Houston airport once i get the new Passport.

munchkin_utd

KevinK wrote: »

I am currently waiting on some forms to be sent from Mexico to Nicargua by Courier. When i get them i need to send them back and finally get the temporary Passport sent here. Its not very clear how long any of this will take but I am hopeful that everything will be sorted before my flight in two weeks.

Munchkins post was very helpful, the situation with the US visa isn{t that clear, the oficial line is that I need to get one here before I leave but there have been cases of people transiting the US on a temporary Passport without the visa. I think i will try to contact immigration at Houston airport once i get the new Passport.

another thing to check.

When you land in the US, do you actually have your passport checked at the particular airport?
I know that if you land as a transit passenger in say Munich or Copenhagen, possibly also amsterdam, you can change planes in the international flights terminal without actually "entering" the country and having a passport checked.
Only when you leave the international area do you encounter the border guards

Yamanoto

KevinK wrote: »

I think i will try to contact immigration at Houston airport once i get the new Passport.

Many US Embassies will have a CBP liaison officer in situ.

I know you've spoken to the US Embassy already, but if you can get hold of their CBP rep directly & explain your predicament, they may be able to make things happen with regard to the transit visa arrangements.

It's guesswork on my part, but I wouldn't be surprised if CBP at Houston were a good deal more inflexible & tow the official line etc.

Lustrum

This happened to us in Costa Rica a couple of years back and we were travelling to the US for a wedding. As you've done, we got in touch with the embassy in Mexico and got 6 month passport through them. Once we had the new passport, we went to the US embassy in Costa Rica and explained the situation to them, sorted out the new ESTA there and had absolutely no problem once arriving in the US. Just make sure you can show them you have a flight home booked and you should be ok.

Yamanoto

munchkin_utd wrote: »

another thing to check.

When you land in the US, do you actually have your passport checked at the particular airport?

CBP housekeeping is always done at the first point of entry, unlike arrangements this side of the pond as you say.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

KevinK

Latest update: I got the passport application on Monday and sent it back to Mexico. It's currently in Guatemala.

I hope it gets to the embassy before the weekend as MOnday is a Mexican Bank Holiday and The woman I am dealing with also has Tuesday off.

My new passport will be machine readable but not electronic (different things) , reading the ESTA website I was very hopeful that I could travel through the US ithout a visa but this page is pretty clear that I cannot.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html#epassport

kerry4sam

Aside from all the stress this has brought on, I Hope you are Enjoying your Holier