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A2EN

Passport Lost! Survival English for Travellers

Your passport is gone, your flight leaves in three hours, and nobody speaks your language. Learn essential travel emergency vocabulary, practise explaining problems to police and embassy staff, and survive a series of unexpected complications. A practical A2/B1 English lesson on travel emergencies, past simple for storytelling, and asking for help abroad. Ideal for adult learners, English tutors, and language schools.

#general english#a2#travel#emergency#passport#survival english#roleplay#vocabulary
8 Activities

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1

It Happened to Me — A Real Travel Nightmare: Content Block

Content Block

Individual

Last summer, a 25-year-old woman from Poland was travelling alone in Barcelona. After a long day of sightseeing, she sat down at a cafe and put her bag on the chair next to her. When she looked away for a moment, someone took the bag and disappeared into the crowd. Inside the bag were her passport, her phone, her credit cards, and all her cash. She was alone in a foreign country with nothing. She didn't speak Spanish. She started to cry. A waiter noticed and helped her call the police. At the police station, she had to explain everything in English — it was the only language they shared. The officer gave her a police report and told her to go to the Polish embassy the next morning. She had no money for a hotel, so the waiter from the cafe offered her his sister's spare room for the night. The next day, the embassy issued a temporary passport, but it took four days. She missed her flight, her job called asking where she was, and her travel insurance didn't cover stolen cash. She finally got home six days later. She now keeps a photocopy of her passport in her email, carries a backup credit card in her shoe, and never puts her bag on a chair in a cafe.

Discussion questions

  1. Has anything like this ever happened to you or someone you know?
  2. What was the first thing she should have done after losing her bag?
  3. What would you do if you lost your passport in a country where you don't speak the language?
2

Travel Emergency Vocabulary: Swipe Battle

Swipe Battle

Individual

  • Embassy

    The official office of your country's government in a foreign country

  • Police report

    An official document from the police describing a crime or incident

  • Pickpocket

    A friendly local guide who helps tourists find their hotel

  • Temporary passport

    A short-term travel document issued when your real passport is lost or stolen

  • Travel insurance

    A policy that covers costs if something goes wrong during your trip

  • Consulate

    A smaller version of an embassy, found in cities that don't have a full embassy

  • Declaration form

    A free souvenir you receive at the airport when entering a new country

  • Photocopy

    A paper copy of an important document, kept as a backup

  • Stolen

    Taken by someone without your permission

  • Witness

    A person who saw a crime or event happen

  • Lost property

    A department or office where items found by people are collected

  • Report a crime

    To officially tell the police that something illegal happened to you

  • Emergency number

    The phone number for the nearest pizza delivery service

  • Cancel a card

    To call your bank and stop your credit or debit card from being used

  • Proof of identity

    A document that shows who you are, like a driving licence or ID card

  • Accommodation

    A place where you can stay, like a hotel, hostel, or apartment

  • File a claim

    To formally ask your insurance company to pay for something you lost or damaged

  • Valuables

    Cheap everyday items that you don't mind losing while travelling

  • Boardroom

    A form you fill in before getting on a plane

3

Lost Your Passport — Do This, Not That: Sorting

Sorting

Individual

Do

Don't

Wander around the city looking for the thief by yourselfIgnore the problem and try to fly home without a passportPost your police report number on social mediaPay a stranger on the street who says they can get your passport backLeave the country using someone else's passportWait several days before reporting the loss — do it immediately
4

4. What Do You Say? — Emergency Phrases: Multiple Choice

Multiple Choice

Individual

  • You arrive at the police station after someone stole your bag. What do you say first?

    • Can you find my bag please?
    • I need a new passport today.
    • I'd like to report a theft.
    • I want to buy a police report.

  • The officer asks what was taken. What do you say?

    • My passport, wallet, and phone were in the bag.
    • Everything I own was stolen.
    • I don't remember what was in the bag.
    • Someone took all my money from the bank.

  • The officer asks when it happened. What is the best answer?

    • I'm not sure, maybe today.
    • It happened recently.
    • It happened some time ago.
    • It happened about two hours ago, around 3 PM.

  • You need a document for your insurance company. What do you ask for?

    • Can you write a letter to my insurance?
    • Could I get a copy of the police report, please?
    • Can you call my insurance company for me?
    • Do you have insurance here at the station?

  • Your bank cards were stolen. What should you do first?

    • Ask the police to cancel my cards.
    • Go to the nearest ATM and check my balance.
    • Wait to see if the thief uses them.
    • Call my bank and cancel my cards immediately.

  • You need a new passport. Where should you go?

    • To the airport passport office.
    • To the nearest post office.
    • To my country's embassy or consulate.
    • Back to the hotel reception.

  • You have no money and nowhere to sleep. What do you say to the officer?

    • I will sleep at the police station.
    • Give me money for a hotel.
    • Can I borrow money from you?
    • I don't have any money or a place to stay tonight. Could you recommend somewhere?

  • You want to show the officer what your passport looked like. What do you say?

    • I can draw my passport for you.
    • I will describe my passport from memory.
    • I have a photo of my passport on my phone — would that help?
    • My passport was blue, I think.
5

At the Police Station: Roleplay Quest

Roleplay Quest

Individual

Scenario

You are at a police station in a foreign city. One person is the tourist who has lost their passport. The other is the police officer. The tourist must explain what happened, when and where it happened, and what was in the bag. The officer must ask questions, fill in the report, and explain what to do next. The conversation lasts 5 minutes.

  • The Tourist

    You were sitting in a park near the main square when someone grabbed your backpack and ran away. Inside were your passport, phone, wallet with €200 cash and two bank cards, and your hotel key card. You are upset and a little panicked.

    Secret goal: Describe what happened clearly. You don't remember exactly what the thief looked like — maybe a young man in a dark hoodie, but you're not sure. Ask the officer for help contacting your embassy and finding somewhere to stay tonight.

  • The Police Officer

    You work at a busy police station and deal with tourists who lose their belongings every day. You are professional but tired.

    Secret goal: Ask the tourist: what happened, when exactly, where, what was in the bag, and can they describe the thief. Explain that you will write a police report. Tell them to contact their embassy tomorrow morning for a temporary passport. Suggest a cheap hostel nearby. Be helpful but realistic — you cannot promise to find the thief.

6

It Gets Worse: Drama Event

Drama Event

Individual

Scenario

You filed the police report and thought the worst was over. You found a cheap hostel for the night. But your problems are just beginning...

  • 🎲

    settings

  • 🎲

    settings

  • 🎲

    settings

  • 🎲

    settings

  • 🧨

    Crisis

    You arrive at the hostel but they need ID to check you in. You have no passport, no driving licence, and no phone to show a digital copy. The receptionist says they cannot give you a room without identification. What do you do?

  • 🧠

    Revelation

    You check your email on the hostel computer and find a message from your airline. Your flight has been cancelled and the next available flight is in five days. Your travel insurance only covers three extra nights of accommodation.

  • ⏱

    Pressure

    Your embassy replies to your email: they can issue a temporary passport but you must come in person with two passport photos, your police report, and a €75 fee. You have no cash and your bank cards are cancelled. How do you get the money?

  • 🔄

    Twist

    A stranger at the hostel says they found a backpack in the park that matches your description. They want €50 to give it to you. It could be your bag — or it could be a scam.

  • 🎯

    Decision

    Your family offers to wire you money, but it will take 48 hours. Your friend who lives three hours away by train offers to drive to you tonight and lend you cash. Or you could ask the embassy for an emergency loan. Which option do you choose?

7

Tell the Story — What Happened to You: Speaking Challenge

Speaking Challenge

Individual

Imagine your passport was stolen during a trip to a foreign city. Tell the full story from the beginning: where were you, what happened, what did you do, who helped you, and how did it end? Use past simple and speak for at least one minute. Try to include: I was..., I lost..., Someone took..., I went to..., They told me..., I had to..., In the end...

I was walking through...Suddenly, someone...I went straight to...The officer told me to...Luckily, I had...The worst part was...In the end, everything...I learned that you should always...
8

Travel Safety — Agree or Disagree: Speed Debate

Speed Debate

Shared
  1. You should always carry a photocopy of your passport when you travel abroad.
  2. Tourists are easy targets for thieves because they don't pay attention.
  3. If you lose your passport, you should call your family before going to the police.
  4. Travel insurance is a waste of money because nothing bad usually happens.
  5. Travelling alone is too dangerous, especially in countries you don't know.
  6. Hotels and hostels should help tourists who have lost everything, even without payment.
  7. The police in tourist cities don't really care about stolen bags.
  8. You should keep your most important things in a money belt under your clothes at all times.
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