Theft while traveling is almost always a silent pickpocketing: you notice afterwards, not during. In that moment, having a clear protocol makes the difference, because every hour of delay in blocking your cards or phone widens the damage.
The first 30 minutes: block everything
Before even thinking about the police report, close the doors the thief can use:
- Block your cards from the bank's app (it works from abroad too) or via the card network's emergency number; if the app was on the stolen phone, call from a travel companion's phone or ask someone at home
- Stolen phone: activate lost mode and remote wipe (Find My/Find Device) from another device, and have your operator block the SIM
- Change your main email password immediately: it's the recovery key for all your other accounts
The police report: always file it, even if it seems pointless
The report rarely gets your belongings back, but it serves everything else: it's the document the insurance requires for any reimbursement, the one the consulate asks for to issue replacement documents, and the proof of your good faith if the stolen cards get used. In the most touristy cities there are police offices used to handling visitors' reports, sometimes with forms in English.
Bring an identity document or a copy of it — this is the moment when the digital copies saved to the cloud before leaving pay off.
Stolen documents: the consulate
If your passport or ID card is gone and you need to travel, your country's embassy or consulate issues an emergency travel document: you'll need the police report, some passport photos and, as a rule, a document or copy confirming your identity. Processing times vary, so contact the consulate as soon as possible, not on departure day.
Insurance and reimbursements: keep everything
Police report, receipts for unexpected expenses, communications with the bank: any reimbursement claim is built on these documents. Photograph everything and save it to the cloud as you go, so the paperwork back home takes minutes.
Prevention is still the best protocol
The best protocol is the one you never need: splitting cards and cash across different places, knowing the typical scams of your destination and the basic precautions drastically reduces the chance of ever needing this guide.