Applying for an emergency travel document in China

To apply for an emergency travel document, you need several documents.

These are as follows:

• a passport application form. Please note: you must print and sign this form.
• a declaration concerning a missing travel document or Dutch identity card (C2 form). Please note: you must print and sign this form.
• proof that you cannot postpone your trip (for example, a plane ticket, letter from your employer, invitation or travel itinerary)
• a photo or scan of your lost or stolen passport or ID card. If you do not have this, you can email the following information to the embassy or consulate-general:
  • your full name  
  • your date of birth
  • the name of the authority that issued the document (mayor of a specific town/city, Minister of Foreign Affairs, etc.)
  • the document’s date of issue
• other identity documents (including from other countries if you have another nationality) or photos/scans of these documents if you have them.

Minors

If you are under 18, you must have the consent of your parents or guardians to apply for an emergency travel document. For this, you need the following documents:

• a photocopy of each of your parent’s/guardian’s passport or ID card
• the passport application form (signed by your parents or guardians) or the consent form (completed by your parents or guardians). Please note: if your parents or guardians are in the Netherlands, a scanned copy of the consent form is sufficient. You can submit your application for an emergency travel document by yourself. Your parents or guardians do not have to be present.

Photos

You need 2 photos for your emergency travel document. These photos must meet Dutch requirements. It is therefore advisably to find a photographer who is familiar with the requirements for Dutch passport and ID photos.

Send your documents to the embassy or consulate-general in China as soon as possible. Attach all documents to a single email. For security reasons, the embassy and consulate-general cannot open links to your cloud storage (for example, Google Drive or iCloud).

Send your email to:

• the embassy in Beijing: pek-ca@minbuza.nl or
• the consulate-general in Guangzhou: gnz-ca@minbuza.nl or
• the consulate-general in Shanghai: sha-ca@minbuza.nl

Include the following information in your email:

• the phone number on which you can be reached
• your exact travel itinerary
• your current location.

The embassy or consulate-general will check your documents, and you will usually receive a response within 3 business days. On weekends the embassy and consulate-general are closed and do not process applications. You may need to provide additional documents. Once you have provided all the required documents, the embassy or consulate-general will contact you to discuss when and where you can apply for your emergency travel document.

What type of emergency travel document will I receive?

You will receive either a laissez-passer or a passport, depending on your travel itinerary and when you need to travel. You cannot decide what type of document you receive. The embassy of consulate-general will decide which document you need. Read more about the different types of emergency travel documents.

The embassy or consulate-general will tell you when and where your appointment is. You must always submit your application in person.

Bring the following with you to your appointment:

• 2 photos that meet Dutch requirements. Find out how to have photos that meet Dutch requirements taken in China.
• all documents from step 1
• if your passport was stolen but you still have your ID card, bring your ID card to your appointment too.

During your appointment:

• the embassy or consulate-general will check your documents
• you will pay for your laissez-passer or passport. See the overview of consular fees in China to find out how much an emergency travel document costs and which payment methods are accepted.
• your passport or ID card will be registered internationally as lost or stolen. This means no one will be able to travel on it.  

What if I find my passport or ID card?

Once you report your passport or ID card as lost or stolen it becomes invalid. If later you find it, you can no longer use it.

You will receive a message from the embassy or consulate-general when your emergency travel document is ready to be collected:

• laissez-passers are usually ready to collect within 3 business days
• passports are usually ready to collect within 10 business days.

Once you are back in the Netherlands, hand in your laissez-passer to your municipality and apply for a new passport or ID card.

To leave China, you need both an emergency travel document and an exit visa. You can only apply for your exit visa once you have received your emergency travel document.

An exit visa can be obtained from the Chinese authorities. The application process takes about 5 working days. You can ask for your exit visa application to be handled with urgency. But you will have to give a good reason. For example, by showing that you have booked and paid for a ticket, or by submitting a medical certificate. In urgent cases an exit visa can often be issued within 2 working days.

Where to apply for an exit visa

Beijing

Foreign Affairs Office
Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau
No. 2 Andingmen East Street
Dongcheng District
Beijing
Tel. +86 (0)10 8401 5300

Shanghai

Exit-Entry Administration Bureau
Shanghai Public Security Bureau
1500 Minsheng Road
Pudong District
Shanghai
Tel. +86 (0)21 6854 1199

Guangzhou

Exit-entry Administration office
Guangzhou Public Security Bureau
Address: No. 155, Jiefang Nan Road,  Yuexiu District,
Guangzhou City,
Guangdong Province
Tel: 12367