The order here runs counter to intuition: record the loss first, look for a replacement second. The police confirmation is not about recovery but about giving every subsequent office a document that explains the missing original.
Documents gone: the first steps
The first move is to record the loss, not to look for a replacement. The police report is not about recovery but serves as the document every later step requires.
✓ Verified: 01/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
› Details and tips
👨🏻💻
Max recommends:
I spent a day searching, hoping the wallet would turn up, and only then went to the police. The reverse would have been right: a report does not stop you finding it, but without one nothing moves.
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
Photograph all your documents in advance and keep copies in the cloud. Replacement moves noticeably faster with a copy.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I really have to go to the police? ▾
In practice yes. The loss confirmation is required when applying for a replacement, and in case of theft it protects you if the document is misused. Without that paper every subsequent office asks the same question.
What about the ID card’s online function? ▾
Block it immediately if it was activated. A round-the-clock blocking hotline exists, and that call sensibly comes before the trip to the police rather than after.
What if the documents vanish abroad? ▾
Then contact the nearest consular representation of your own country, or the German one for German documents. For the return journey a temporary emergency document is usually issued, and that takes time.
Must the loss of a residence permit be reported? ▾
Yes, and without delay. Holders are obliged to notify the authority of circumstances concerning the document; without a report there is also no replacement, and questions follow at the next check.