The first step — reporting to the police
If documents are lost or stolen, the first thing is to report it to the police. This is not a formality: the report becomes the basis for replacing the documents and protects you from the consequences if someone misuses the lost document. The report states which documents were lost, in what circumstances and when. If the theft involved a break-in at home or an assault, that must be stated: the classification affects further steps and any insurance payouts.
A passport: only through the consulate
A passport cannot be replaced by Serbian authorities: it is issued by your country's consulate. To obtain a new document or an emergency travel document you apply to the consulate for your place of stay, bringing the police report, photographs, documents proving identity and citizenship, and paying the consular fee. If time is short and travel is essential, the consulate issues a document for returning home. Until the new passport is issued, do not try to cross borders with copies: a copy is not a document proving identity.
A foreigner's ID card and proof of residence
If the residence document is lost — the plastic foreigner's ID card or the sticker in the passport — the report is filed with the police administration handling your case. Replacement requires the police certificate of loss, an identity document and proof of address; if the passport is lost, the consulate question is settled first. The replacement is issued from scratch, so it should not be delayed: without a valid status document there are difficulties with the bank, travel and extending residence.
Driving licence and vehicle registration
A foreign driving licence is replaced in the country that issued it, while a Serbian one is replaced at the police: you need the certificate of loss, an identity document, a new photograph, the fee payment and, in some cases, a medical certificate. If the vehicle registration certificate or plates are lost, the report goes to the police and duplicates are then ordered from the registration authority. If plates are stolen, it is better not to leave the vehicle unattended until the duplicates arrive: stolen plates are often used for offences whose fines arrive to the owner.
What to block immediately
Besides the documents, bank cards that were with them must be blocked at once, through the bank's app or hotline — around the clock. If a phone with banking access is lost, block the SIM card with the operator and change the passwords to banking services. It is also useful to notify the bank in writing of the theft of documents: that officially fixes the date and removes liability for operations you did not make. If notarised documents are lost — contracts, powers of attorney — keep copies and order duplicates from the notary as needed.
How to prepare in advance
Photograph or scan all documents and keep the copies separately from the originals, in a protected cloud with two-factor authentication. Write down document numbers, issue dates and the phone numbers of the consulate, bank and mobile operator — at the moment of loss there is no time to recall them. Keep a copy of the lease and proof of address separately: they will be needed when replacing a foreigner's ID card. And do not carry all documents at once: for everyday trips an identity document is usually enough, while the passport and status documents are better left in a safe place.