Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to get an emergency passport or travel document
An emergency travel document is a limited travel document issued to a citizen who is already abroad and cannot use their normal passport. The United Kingdom's version, for example, lets a British national travel from abroad when the journey is urgent, is usually valid for only one single or return journey, and covers travel through a maximum of 5 countries. [4] Eligibility, validity and the evidence required are set by the issuing government, so the same trip can fall inside one country's rules and outside another's. [4] [6]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- A UK emergency travel document lets a British national travel from abroad when the trip is urgent and the UK passport cannot be used; it is usually valid for one single or return journey and for a maximum of 5 countries. [4]
- The standard UK route requires you to be outside the UK, to need to travel within 6 weeks, to be unable to renew or replace the passport from abroad before you travel, and to have held a valid UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006. [4]
- Applicants who never held a UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006 usually have to apply for a UK passport instead, and can only get an emergency travel document for exceptional, urgent reasons. [4]
- At US airport checkpoints, the Transportation Security Administration requires passengers aged 18 and over to show acceptable identification, and lists foreign government-issued passports among the accepted forms. [7]
What is an emergency travel document?
An emergency travel document is issued to someone who is already outside their own country and needs to move before a replacement passport could be produced. UK guidance describes it as a document that lets you travel from abroad if you need to travel urgently and cannot use your UK passport, and says it is usually only valid for one single or return journey. [4] The journey can pass through a maximum of 5 countries. [4]
| Rule | What the guidance says |
|---|---|
| Who it is for | British nationals outside the UK who need to travel urgently and cannot use their UK passport [4] |
| Validity | Usually one single or return journey [4] |
| Countries covered | Travel through a maximum of 5 countries [4] |
| Travel window | You need to travel within 6 weeks [4] |
| Passport history | You must have had a valid UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006 [4] |
Who can get a UK emergency travel document abroad?
The UK guidance says you can apply if all of the following apply: you are a British national; you are outside the UK; you need to travel within 6 weeks; your UK passport has been lost, stolen, damaged, is full, has recently expired or is with HM Passport Office or a foreign embassy; you cannot renew or replace your UK passport from abroad before you travel; and you have had a valid UK passport that was issued on or after 1 January 2006. [4]
What if you have never held a UK passport issued since 2006?
If you have not had a UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006, you will usually need to apply for a UK passport instead of an emergency travel document. [4] In that position you might still be able to get one if all of the following apply: you have, or are eligible for, British nationality; you are outside the UK; you need to travel within 6 weeks; and you have an urgent and unplanned reason to travel due to exceptional circumstances. [4]
The exceptional circumstances the guidance gives as examples are a child born unexpectedly, urgent medical treatment you cannot access without travel to another country, and attending the funeral of a close relative. [4] Emergency travel documents cannot be issued on this basis for holidays, weddings, family events or job interviews. [4] You have to explain and provide evidence showing why the journey is urgent and essential, and applications are assessed on a case by case basis. [4]
What should you do if your passport is lost or stolen abroad?
The Government of Canada's passport pages send Canadians whose passport has been lost or stolen to guidance on who to contact and how to replace the passport, and set out how to get passport services at embassies and consulates abroad. [6] The same service also describes urgent and express options for passport applications made in Canada. [6]
Two Canadian rules are worth knowing before you travel, because they decide whether a replacement document will actually get you on the flight. Canada states that dual citizens need a valid Canadian passport to board a flight to Canada. [6] Travellers are also directed to check travel advisories and how long their passport needs to be valid for the country they are visiting. [6]
What ID does TSA accept if your passport is lost?
At US airport checkpoints, adult passengers aged 18 and older must show valid identification in order to travel. [7] The Transportation Security Administration's list of acceptable IDs includes a U.S. passport, a U.S. passport card, a foreign government-issued passport, and DHS trusted traveller cards such as Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST. [7]
TSA currently accepts expired ID up to two years after expiration for the forms on that list. [7] Since 7 May 2025, state-issued driver's licences and identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant are no longer accepted at airports. [7] Starting 1 February 2026, a passenger who cannot provide an acceptable form of ID has the option to pay a $45 fee to use TSA ConfirmID, after which TSA attempts to verify identity so that security screening can begin. [7] If identity cannot be verified, the passenger is not allowed to enter the screening checkpoint. [7] Children under 18 are not required to provide identification when travelling within the United States. [7]
The list of acceptable IDs is subject to change without notice, and TSA strongly encourages travellers to check it again before travelling so they do not arrive at the airport without acceptable ID. [7] If you are also sorting out the ticket side of a disrupted trip, the frequent flyer glossary covers related terms.
Exceptions and limits
- The 2006 cut-off. The standard UK route depends on having held a valid UK passport issued on or after 1 January 2006; without one, holidays, weddings, family events and job interviews are excluded. [4]
- Evidence is required. Exceptional-circumstance applications need an explanation and evidence of why the journey is urgent and essential, and are decided case by case rather than by a fixed checklist. [4]
- Journey limits. The UK document is usually valid for one single or return journey and for travel through no more than 5 countries, so it does not cover an open-ended multi-stop trip. [4]
- US checkpoint rules. The two-year leniency for expired ID applies only to the forms listed by TSA, and that list can change without notice. [7] TSA rules govern the security checkpoint, not the airline's own boarding requirements or a foreign government's entry rules. [7] [6]
- Dual citizenship. Canada requires dual citizens to hold a valid Canadian passport to board a flight to Canada. [6]
Frequently asked questions
How long is a UK emergency travel document valid?
It is usually only valid for one single or return journey, and you can travel through a maximum of 5 countries. [4]
Can you get an emergency travel document for a holiday?
Not under the exceptional-circumstances route: emergency travel documents cannot be issued on that basis for holidays, weddings, family events and job interviews. [4] The standard route instead asks whether you are outside the UK, need to travel within 6 weeks and cannot renew or replace your passport from abroad before you travel. [4]
How soon must you travel to qualify for a UK emergency travel document?
You need to travel within 6 weeks, and you must be outside the UK when you apply. [4]
Does TSA accept an expired passport at a US airport?
TSA currently accepts expired ID up to two years after expiration for the forms on its acceptable ID list, which includes a U.S. passport and a foreign government-issued passport. [7]
What happens at a US checkpoint if you have no acceptable ID?
From 1 February 2026 you can pay a $45 fee to use TSA ConfirmID so that TSA can attempt to verify your identity and begin screening; if your identity cannot be verified, you are not allowed to enter the screening checkpoint. [7]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers the United Kingdom's emergency travel document guidance for British nationals abroad, the Government of Canada's passport pages and the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's checkpoint identification rules; emergency document rules for other countries, and the application steps, fees and appointment process for a UK emergency travel document, are not covered here.
- GOV.UK: Travel urgently from abroad without your UK passport — who can apply, checked 18 October 2026
- Government of Canada: Canadian passports and other travel documents, checked 18 October 2026
- U.S. Transportation Security Administration: Acceptable identification at the TSA checkpoint, checked 18 October 2026