Direct answer: If an Indian student loses a passport in Vietnam, the first priorities are personal safety, a local police report, contact with the Embassy of India or Consulate General, and contact with the university’s international-student or visa office. Do not travel, cross a border or assume that a replacement passport automatically carries the old Vietnamese visa or residence status. Vietnamese Immigration and the Indian mission handle different parts of the process.

Prepare before departure by keeping secure copies of the passport identity page, Vietnamese visa or residence documents, university admission letter, local address and emergency contacts. Store the copies separately from the originals and do not post them publicly.

What should the student do immediately?

Move to a safe place and report the loss quickly. The Embassy of India in Hanoi states that an Indian national who loses a passport should file a police complaint immediately with the nearest police station, obtain a stamped police report and approach the Embassy in Hanoi or the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City for an emergency certificate or other travel-document assistance.

If there is immediate danger, call local emergency services and move to a safe public place.
Retrace only when safe; contact the hotel, hostel, taxi or transport operator if the loss may have occurred there.
Visit the nearest police station and request a written or stamped loss report.
Contact the university’s international-student or visa office and the relevant Indian mission.
Block payment cards and secure the phone or email accounts linked to travel documents.
Write down the passport number only from a secure copy; never guess it on an official form.

What is an Emergency Certificate?

An Emergency Certificate is a limited travel document, not a full replacement passport. The Embassy’s emergency-certificate guidance lists a passport application, copy of the lost passport where available, police complaint or FIR, Vietnamese visa copy, Indian identity document and photographs among the required materials. Follow the mission’s current online-application and appointment instructions because requirements can change.

The Embassy also explains that, after an Emergency Certificate is issued, the applicant must approach Vietnam Immigration for the mandatory exit visa and related procedures before returning to India. The Embassy does not control the Vietnamese authority’s processing time. A student who intends to remain in Vietnam for study should ask both the Indian mission and Vietnam Immigration what document or status is required; do not assume an Emergency Certificate authorises continued study or re-entry.

What if the student needs to continue studying in Vietnam?

Treat replacement, visa transfer and residence reporting as separate tasks. The university should confirm whether it can support a replacement passport, update its records, notify the sponsor or immigration office, and explain what the student must submit. Vietnam’s National Portal on Immigration provides official e-visa and temporary-residence services, but an e-visa page is not a substitute for case-specific advice from Immigration.

Ask the university in writing:

Which office will coordinate with Vietnam Immigration and what reference number should the student keep?
Whether the old visa, entry record or temporary-residence declaration must be linked to the new passport.
Whether the student must remain at the registered address while the case is processed.
Whether classes, clinical postings and travel outside Vietnam are permitted during the process.
Which original or translated documents, photographs and fees are required.
What to do if the student’s phone, visa card or residence document was lost with the passport.

What documents should the family prepare?

Create a loss packet with copies and a short chronology. Include the police report, passport copy, visa or residence copy, Indian ID, university ID, admission letter, local address, contact details, photographs and proof of any appointment or payment. Record when and where the loss was discovered, who was contacted and what instructions were given. Keep every receipt and reference number.

Do not hand original documents to a broker without a written, official reason and receipt. Verify email domains, phone numbers and payment instructions against the mission, university or Vietnamese government website. If a person asks for an OTP, remote access to a banking app or a large cash payment to “fix” a visa immediately, stop and verify through the official channel.

How can students reduce the risk before travel?

Keep the passport in a secure pouch and carry only the documents needed for the day.
Use a separate encrypted backup of identity, visa, insurance and university documents.
Save the Embassy of India in Hanoi, Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, university and hostel contacts offline.
Check the passport validity and visa details before departure, as the Embassy advises.
Do not leave the passport as informal security for accommodation, transport or an agent.
Tell a parent or trusted contact where the student is staying and who is handling the case.

Lost passport checklist

Use this order unless an official authority instructs otherwise:

Safety first; secure the phone, money and current location.
Police report with a stamped copy.
Indian mission contact and Emergency Certificate or replacement-passport instructions.
University international-student and visa office notification.
Vietnam Immigration guidance on visa, residence and exit or continued stay.
Secure copies, photographs, receipts and reference numbers.
Written confirmation before booking travel, leaving Vietnam or returning to clinical training.

Official-channel and fraud warning

No consultancy can guarantee a visa, dependent entry, admission, refund, academic outcome or Indian licence. Verify immigration and university instructions through official channels. Do not pay a personal account, share OTPs, or hand over an original passport to an unverified intermediary. For Aieraa’s official admissions and student-support flow, call +91 93441 41424 or use the official contact page.

FAQs

Should I call the university or the Indian Embassy first?

If the passport is lost, file the police report promptly and contact the Indian mission. Notify the university at the same time because it may need to coordinate visa, residence and academic arrangements.

Can I fly to India with only a police report?

Do not assume so. The Indian mission’s guidance describes an Emergency Certificate process, and Vietnam Immigration may require an exit visa or related procedure. Obtain current written instructions before booking travel.

Does a new Indian passport automatically transfer my Vietnam visa?

No automatic transfer should be assumed. Ask Vietnam Immigration and the university’s visa office how the old record, visa and temporary-residence declaration must be handled.

What if the passport was stolen with my phone and wallet?

Secure your accounts and payment methods, report the loss to police, contact the Indian mission and university, and use official emergency contacts. Do not share OTPs or allow an unknown person to control your device.

Can Aieraa replace a lost passport?

No. Aieraa may help a student reach the university’s support flow, but the Indian mission issues Indian travel documents and Vietnamese authorities control immigration decisions.

Should I keep a photocopy of my passport in my hostel?

Keep secure digital and offline copies, stored separately from the original. Share them only with the official authority or university office that needs them.

Source and limitation note

Verified on 18 August 2026 against the Embassy of India in Hanoi information for Indian visitors to Vietnam, the Embassy’s Emergency Certificate guidance, the Embassy passport-services page, and Vietnam’s National Portal on Immigration. Mission appointments, document lists, fees, emergency contacts, visa transfer, temporary residence and Vietnamese Immigration procedures can change and depend on the student’s facts. Confirm current instructions directly with the Indian mission, Vietnam Immigration and the university before travel or relying on this checklist.

Written by Aieraa Overseas Editorial Team

Reviewed by Mr. Vijaya Raghavan (Raghu), Director of Admissions

Lost Indian Passport in Vietnam During MBBS: What to Do