Q. What Should U.S. Citizens Do If Their Passport Is Lost Or Stolen Abroad?

A. Contact the American Citizens Services Section for assistance. If you are scheduled to leave the foreign country shortly, please provide the Consular Section with details regarding your departure schedule. Every reasonable effort will be made to assist you quickly. You must bring a copy of the police report with you to the interview if your passport was stolen or lost.

Q. Can The U.S. Embassy Issue A Replacement Passport Over A Weekend Or Holiday?

A. U.S. passports are rarely issued by U.S. embassies and consulates when the embassy/consulate is closed. All U.S. embassies and consulates have an after hours duty officer available to assist with life or death emergencies of U.S. citizens abroad. Contact us at 3435 9000 if you have a genuine emergency need to travel. Duty officers must their focus primary attention on life or death emergencies. Depending on the circumstances and conditions in the foreign country, it is possible that a replacement passport may not be issued until the embassy/consulate reopens for business. At that time the Consular Section will be in a better position to verify your citizenship and process your application.

Q. What if my wallet/purse is stolen while I am overseas?

A: Should you be the victim of a crime, you should file a report with the police. Should you lose all your money and other financial resources, consular officers can help you contact your family, bank, or employer to arrange for them to send you funds. Normally, you will need to apply for assistance during Embassy’s working hours.

Q. What if I Become Ill While Overseas?

A: If you need medical attention, please access our List of Doctors If you are injured or become seriously ill, a consular officer can help you find medical assistance and, at your request, inform your family or friends. We recommend you to get private medical insurance before you travel to cover the high cost of getting you back to the U.S. for hospital care in the event of a medical emergency.

Q. What Should I Do in Case of a Natural Disaster?

A: Contact your nearest Embassy or Consulate as quickly as possible. If you are caught up in a natural disaster or civil disturbance, you should let your relatives know as soon as possible that you are safe or contact the Embassy, who will pass that message to your family through the State Department. Be resourceful. U.S. officials will do everything they can to contact you and advise you. However, they must give priority to helping Americans who have been hurt or are in immediate danger. In a disaster, consuls face the same constraints you do - lack of electricity or fuel, interrupted phone lines, closed airports.

Q. What If I am Concerned About the Welfare of a U.S. Citizen Whom I Think Is Abroad?

A: You can call the State Department's Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. The State Department will relay the message to the consular officers in the country in which you are traveling. Consular officers will attempt to locate the person, pass on urgent messages, and, consistent with the Privacy Act, report back to you.

Q. What Should I Do If I Get Arrested?

A: If you are arrested, you should ask the authorities to notify a U.S. consul. Consuls cannot get you out of jail. When you are in a foreign country you are subject to its laws. However, consuls can work to protect your legitimate interests and ensure you are not discriminated against. They can provide a List of Attorneys, visit you, inform you generally about local laws, and contact your family and friends. Consular officers can transfer money, food, and clothing to the prison authorities from your family or friends. They can try to get relief if you are held under inhumane or unhealthful conditions.

Q. I Can’t Tell Which Attorney/Hospital Is A Good One. Can The Embassy Recommend One? Which Attorney Does The Embassy Use?

A: Unfortunately, the embassy cannot recommend one attorney / health care facility of another. The ones on our list are those that have expressed an interest in dealing with the kinds of issues Americans are most often affected with.

Q. I’ve read the Travel Warning, but I still need to come to Indonesia. Is it ok? Will I be safe?

A: The U.S. government recommends all American citizens to defer all non-essential travel to Indonesia . Those that wish to come any way are strongly encouraged to register with the embassy or via the Department of State's online Registration System . Should the situation change, the U.S. embassy will immediately release an updated travel warning on its website at http://jakarta.usembassy.gov.

Q. Can the Embassy recommend a hotel that is safe and secure?

A: The U.S. embassy does not recommend one hotel over another. Most Western-owned hotels now have security systems in place.

Q. Do I need to pay taxes while I am overseas?

A. American citizens are urged to consult the IRS ’ website at www.irs.gov to determine whether they need to pay taxes.

Q. If there is an emergency while I am in Indonesia, how will I be contacted?

A. If you register with the embassy or the Internet-Based Registration System, you will be contacted via email with any warden messages that are issued by the embassy.

Q. My relative died while visiting Indonesia. How much will it cost to bring the body back?

A. While we cannot say exactly how much it will cost, the final bill will likely be between $5,000 and $15,000. Also note that embalming facilities in Indonesia may not meet Western standards. 

Key Contact Information:

Consular telephone: 3435-9050 (011-62-21-34359050 direct dial from U.S.)
Consular FAX: 385-7189 (011-62-21-385-7189 direct dial from U.S.)
Website: http://jakarta.usembassy.gov 
E-mail address: jakartaacs@state.gov
Address: Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan 5, Jakarta Pusat 10110, Indonesia