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Guesthouse safe emptied overnight and passport gone — Colombo embassy first or police report?

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E
Elena Safe Empty•231 rep

Unawatuna guesthouse. We locked the room safe ourselves last night; this morning it was open and empty — passports, cards, some cash. Staff look shocked and are calling the owner. Do we go straight to the police station for a report, contact the embassy in Colombo first, or both in a specific order? Flights in five days. Not trying to invent fee folklore — just the usual sequence travelers follow.

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4 Answers from travellers

✓Accepted Answer

Do both, in a calm order: stay with staff while they document what happened, then get a police report as soon as practical — embassies usually want that paper trail for emergency travel documents. Contact your embassy or consulate in Colombo early (phone or email) so you know their hours, what photos or copies they need, and whether you must appear in person. Freeze cards via bank apps from hotel Wi‑Fi. Keep any booking confirmations and passport scans on your phone or cloud. I will not invent processing times or fees — those change by nationality. Do not leave town until you know what your embassy requires. A guesthouse incident report helps but does not replace police and consular steps.

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Ruwan Embassy Desk•1810 rep

Had a bag theft in Colombo last year. Police report first thing in the morning, embassy appointment same day with scans on my phone. Painful but doable.

15
Y
Yuki Embassy Line•168 rep

Staff drove us to the station. Filing now, then calling the embassy helpline from the hotel. Scans were in email thankfully.

9
E
Elena Safe Empty•231 rep

Also photograph the safe and room before anything is moved, if you have not already. Helps your report stay clear.

5
B
Bandula App Safety•1720 rep

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