Losing Our Passports in Croatia: The Plot Twist We Didn’t See Coming

There are two types of travelers: those who wing it, and those who have emergency documents printed and tucked away... just in case.   I’d always hoped I’d never need mine. But halfway through our European road trip, after exploring the beautiful Adriatic coasts of Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro, that moment came in the quiet fishing town of Rijeka, late at night, the day before we were headed to Slovenia and Italy. 

That’s when we realized: our passports were gone. 

Whether they were lost or stolen, we couldn’t be sure.  What we were sure of was this: it was Monday night. Our flight back to Canada was on Saturday.  Panic started to creep in. We'd spent the whole day driving and sightseeing and now, instead of packing for the next leg of the trip, we were retracing our steps and flipping through bags and jackets in disbelief. 

But… I’m a planner.  Somewhere between the moment of panic and sheer disbelief, I remembered I had done something that now felt genius: printed copies of our passports and a list of nearby embassies.  A quick Google Maps check told us the nearest Canadian and Portuguese embassies were both in Zagreb which was just a two-hour drive from Rijeka.

Ljubljana would have to wait. 

By 6 a.m. the next morning, we were on the road, bleary-eyed and unsure what the day would bring.  We arrived in Zagreb before the embassies even opened. Fortunately, they were just minutes apart, so my husband and I split up and made our way to our respective countries’ offices. 

Zagreb, Croatia

The staff at the Canadian Embassy couldn’t have been more helpful.  They helped me begin the process for an emergency passport and even started my application for a full replacement (which would be mailed to my home) with a turnaround time of 3–4 business days, just in time for our return to Croatia from Italy and Slovenia. 

Meanwhile, my husband had better luck.  The Portuguese Embassy handwrote him an emergency passport on the spot (which got him many curious looks and a few laughs from customs and immigration officers).  And just like that with passport in hand, he was ready to go. 

Since we were in Zagreb (a city we hadn’t planned to visit), we made the most of it.  A stroll through the old town, lunch in a sunny square, and then, since Ljubljana was no longer on the cards, we headed straight to Lake Bled in Slovenia. 

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Oh, and the reason we could still travel through Europe while waiting for new passports? We still had our Portuguese citizen cards, which act like internal IDs in the EU.  Thank Goodness.

✨ Travel Tip: 

Always keep printed copies of your passport, ID, and local embassy contacts with you since unexpected twists can happen when you least expect them.  Prefer digital?  Email yourself clear photos of your documents so they’re easily accessible in a pinch, even if you don’t want to carry paper copies. 

💡 Final Thought: 

Lesson learned — always be prepared, and most importantly, don’t panic. Everything is solvable, and you can still enjoy your travels, even when the most unexpected situations happen.  Sometimes, those moments become the stories you remember most.