Passports are incredibly important, containing the owner’s full name, date of birth, passport number and home address. Unfortunately, a lost passport is a very common thing.
In fact, over 300,000 people misplace their passports per year. But should you find one of these in your businesses lost property, what are you supposed to do?
Picture this: You’re an organisation such as an airport, hotel or any other visitor attraction that manages significant lost property. Sitting in your lost and found is a growing stack of handed passports, and you don’t know what to do with them. They’ve been there for months, maybe even years, so it’s safe to assume the owner will have replaced their passport.
The question is, how do you get rid of these old, lost passports sustainably?
This blog post will explore the best way to dispose of an old, lost passport in your lost property. We’ll provide full details regarding how to deal with the passport, including:
How do I get rid of an old, expired passport?
According to the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), more than 10,000 people throw passports in the bin every year. Please don’t do this. It will leave the owner vulnerable to identity theft if it ends up in the wrong hands and will unnecessarily contribute to landfill waste.
Can I recycle a passport?
Passports are currently not recyclable. The UK Passport Office states that once sent back to them, they will be ‘appropriately disposed of’. It’s unclear what this means; however, passports are likely incinerated and/or sent to landfills securely.
Where do I send a British passport?
Chances are the majority of the passports you have are British. Simply send the passports in the post to the Passport Office address:
FREEPOST HM PASSPORT OFFICE
Southport PO BOX 767
Southport
PR89 PW
How do I send a lost passport in the post?
- Simply place your lost passports in a package, such as an envelope, jiffy bag or cardboard box, depending on the number you have.
- Include a small note – The Passport Office recommends you also include a note in the package regarding the passports. Here’s an example of what we send from NotLost HQ:
Hello,
This package contains unclaimed passports that we have acquired in our lost property.
Please help us by disposing of these passports responsibly.
Thank you!
- Write the address of the UK Passport Office clearly on the front of the box. (No need to put a stamp on the package as you are sending to a freepost address).
- Take the package to your nearest post office and send the passports on their way!
The Top 15 foreign embassies in the UK
You’ve found a passport that isn’t British. Where do you send a foreign passport to be disposed of?
Based on data reporting the most common non-British nationalities living in the UK, we’ve provided the addresses of 15 embassies or consulates in the UK. These are: Poland, Romania, India, Ireland, Portugal, Lithuania, France, Pakistan, Spain, China, USA, Italy, Bangladesh, Germany and South Africa.
Note: These embassies do not have freepost addresses, so make sure to put a stamp on the package before you send it.
Poland
Consular of Poland
Bravura House
10 Bouverie Street
London
EC4Y 8AX
Romania
Consular Section – London
M.E.I.C. House
344 Kensington High Street
London
W14 8NS
India
Office of the High Commissioner for India
India House
Aldwych
WC2B 4NA
Ireland
Embassy of Ireland Passport & Visa Office
114A Cromwell Road
London
SW7 4ES
Portugal
Embassy of Portugal
11 Belgrave Square
London
SW1X 8PP
Lithuania
Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania
Lithuania House
2 Bessborough Gardens
SW1V 2JE
France
Embassy of France
6 Cromwell Place
London
SW7 2JN
Pakistan
Embassy of Pakistan
34-36 Lowndes Square
London
SW1X 9JN
Spain
Embassy of Spain
39 Chesham Place
London
SW1X 8SB
Spain
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
49-51 Portland Place
London
W1B 1JL
United States of America
U.S Embassy
33 Nine Elms Lane
London
SW11 7US
Italy
Embassy of Italy
14 Three Kings’ Yard
Davies Street
London
W1K 4EH
Bangladesh
High Commission for the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
28 Queen’s Gate
London
SW7 5JA
Germany
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
23 Belgrave Square
Chesham Place
London
SW1X 8PZ
South Africa
High Commission of the Republic of South Africa
South Africa House
Trafalgar Square
London
WC2N 5DP
In conclusion
In this blog post, we have outlined the best way to dispose of old, lost passports you may have in your lost property office. Passports are to be sent back to either the UK Passport Office or the embassy or consulate that represents a foreign state in the UK. We’ve outlined the best ways to send back these passports securely and listed 15 of the most commonly used embassies & consulates in the UK.
For businesses wanting to streamline and improve their lost property process, NotLost offers the answer. Through our market-leading software, we enable businesses to quickly log and return found items on their premises. The result? More efficient staff and happier customers. Find out more about how our platform works or get in touch for a demo.
Lost passport facts…
- Roughly 300,000 people lost their passport every year
- And, perhaps unsurprisingly, 40% of those who lose passports are in their 20s
- Maybe even less surprising is the fact that 10% of those are lost in clubs and bars
- Over 10,000 people throw their passports in the bin every year
- NotLos has logged 1500 passports in the past 12 months