Australian traveller’s $4500 mistake after passport stolen on European holiday
Having your passport stolen while enjoying an international holiday can be stressful, even for the best of travellers.
For Australian woman Steph, it was only the beginning of her $4500 nightmare.
Opportunistic thieves stole Steph’s passport while she visited Sardinia in Italy.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Following the Australian embassy’s advice, she took a ferry to Rome to organise an emergency passport.
“The embassy was so helpful and got me a passport in less than 48 hours,” she said in a TikTok on her renovation page, @stephadiy.
“It still meant I missed my flight home to Melbourne.”
Passport in hand, Steph looked for the cheapest flight home and found one with two stops for $1700.
But this is where she made her costly error.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t realise one of the stops was actually considered the destination and that’s where you get your luggage and check in again,” she said.
“I thought, ‘I don’t mind, it’s going to save me $600, I may as well have the extra stop’.”
A self-transfer for a flight involves passengers taking on the responsibility of collecting their checked bags, clearing immigrations and customs and checking in again for the next flight.
“When you have to get your luggage, it’s considered as entering that country,” Steph said.
“On an emergency passport, like I have now ... you’re not allowed to enter a lot of countries.
“They didn’t let me on the flight and that resulted in the $1700 I’d spent being wasted.”
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, emergency passports are only valid for up to 12 months and do not have a chip, which is why there are restrictions on using them in some countries.
DFAT recommends Australians check the visa requirements of any country they plan to enter or transit before travel.
Steph said the “silly mistake” meant she had to book another flight home.
She hopes her story will save others from the same “shattering” experience.
“If you’ve ended up with an emergency passport and you’re booking a flight home, make sure it’s with the one airline and the stop is definitely a transit and at no point do you have to get your luggage,” she said.
“I’d even call the airline directly ... because now it’s cost me $4500 to get home, on top of all the money to get the emergency passport.”
