Lost Passport or Wallet in Athens: Where to Get Help

At a glance

Emergency or a simple report?

112 and 100 are for what is happening right now. If someone is threatening or following you, or you are hurt, call straight away. 112 works across the European Union and the operators answer in English too. At 100, the Hellenic Police emergency line, you can also send a free text message.

If you find out later that your wallet is missing, it is not an emergency. It is a report. You file it at a police station, and for visitors the easiest place is the Visitors’ Help Office. To ask first, call 1571, the Tourist Police line, which answers in Greek, English, French and German.

The Visitors’ Help Office in the centre

The Hellenic Police opened the office on 5 November 2015, specifically for tourists. There you report lost documents or stolen items and receive the certificate required by law. Announcements at the time said the officers speak English, French, Italian and Spanish.

Do not confuse it with the Tourist Police department at 83 Syngrou Avenue. That is a different office, in a different area, south of the Acropolis. To report something as a visitor, your destination is Dragatsaniou 4.

How to get there from Ioulianou 50

Dragatsaniou 4 is about 1.8 km from Ioulianou 50, which is 24 minutes on foot. The route passes through Omonia and continues along Stadiou.

1. Ioulianou: walk about 180 metres to 3is Septemvriou.
2. 3is Septemvriou: head towards the centre for about 300 metres, to Averof.
3. Averof: about 100 metres to Patission (28is Oktovriou).
4. Patission: continue south for about 600 metres, pass the Polytechnic and reach Omonia.
5. Stadiou: from Omonia walk along Stadiou for about 550 metres, to Klafthmonos Square.
6. Dragatsaniou: at the edge of the square, number 4 is a few metres in.

By metro: from Victoria station go one stop to Omonia, change to Line 2 and get off at the next station, Panepistimio. From there Klafthmonos Square is a few minutes on foot. If you are shaken up, a taxi is the simplest option: show the driver the address written in Greek.

Open the walking route in Google Maps

The airport police: Building 10

The Athens Airport Police Directorate is in Building 10 of the International Airport, postcode 19004. Many visitors prefer to file the report there, on the way to their flight home. It can be done, but it takes preparation, because the building is not inside the terminal.

How to find the building

According to a phone briefing from the airport police (23 October 2026), the service is opposite the airport’s Factory Outlet. On maps, the police building is near a small chapel, behind it for anyone coming from the Factory Outlet side. A simple search in Google Maps does not show it easily.

In OpenStreetMap the building is marked as “Airport Police”, a few metres from the GPS point. The chapel is about 90 metres to the west. The Factory Outlet is about 240 metres to the north-west, on the other side of the road that leads to the terminal.

The GPS point shows the building, not necessarily its door. If you cannot see an entrance, call 210 353 6943 and ask where to go in.

From Ioulianou 50 to Building 10 you go by taxi or car. Give the driver the GPS point, not only “airport”, otherwise you will be dropped at Departures. Driving route from Ioulianou 50 in Google Maps.

From Building 10 to Departures

The distance to the terminal is about 2.5 km by road, via a ramp and the airport’s expressway. By car it takes a few minutes. A safe walking route is not confirmed, especially with luggage. You need a taxi or another vehicle.

• Taxi: ask the driver who dropped you to wait, or call one from an app. Read the guide to taxi apps in Athens.
• Express bus: on the OpenStreetMap map, the “Administration Building” stop of the X93, X95, X96 and X97 towards the airport is about 300 metres on foot from Building 10, along lit pavements. It has not been confirmed on site. Ask the officers whether the walk is safe before you take it.

Can I report a theft at the airport before my flight?

In a phone briefing on 23 October 2026, the Building 10 service said it could accept a report of a theft that had happened earlier in the city. It was an answer to a specific question, on that day. It is not a written rule for every case.

If you can, file the report in the city on the same day. That way you reach the airport with the certificate in hand and without worrying about the time.

Wallet and bank cards

1. Block your cards in your bank’s app. Most apps have a “freeze” or “cancel card” option. If you have no phone, call the number your bank lists on its website for lost cards.
2. Check recent transactions from the last few hours. Note any you do not recognise, with amount and time.
3. Lock Apple Pay or Google Wallet, if your phone was lost too.
4. Report the theft to the police and keep the certificate. Your bank often asks for it before refunding money.
5. Tell your travel insurer, if you have one. Ask which documents it needs and within how many days.

Passport or ID card

The Greek police do not issue a new passport to foreign citizens. That is done by your country’s embassy or consulate. The police give you the certificate of your report, which you usually need at the embassy.

1. Report the loss or theft to the police. Ask explicitly for a certificate, with the passport number written on it.
2. Cancel the passport the way your country requires. In many countries this can be done online.
3. Book an appointment at the embassy for an emergency travel document or a temporary passport. The phone numbers of several embassies are in the guide to emergency numbers in Greece.
4. Gather what the embassy asks for: usually the police certificate, photos, another ID document or a copy of the passport, and your return ticket.

Embassies close at weekends and on public holidays, and the two countries each have their own. If your flight is on a Monday morning and the passport disappeared on Friday evening, call your embassy’s emergency line. Most have one for their citizens.

Mobile phone

1. Lock the device from another phone or a computer. On iPhone: Find My, “Mark As Lost”. On Android: Google’s Find Hub (formerly Find My Device), lock option.
2. Change your passwords for your Apple ID or Google account, your email and your banking apps.
3. Ask your provider to block the SIM. That way nobody can receive the text messages with your bank codes.
4. Find the IMEI: it is on the box, in your provider account or on the Apple or Google page for your devices. Give it to the police together with the make, model and colour.
5. Do not go alone to the spot the tracking shows. Give the location to the police.

For a temporary number with data, the guide to SIM and eSIM in Greece explains what to buy and where.

On the metro, on a bus or at a sight

While it is fresh, write down on your phone or on paper whatever you remember. The police will ask the same things, and you will forget them quickly.

• When: the time, even roughly. When you last saw the item.
• Where: metro line and direction, stations in between, bus number, name of the sight or café.
• What: each item with a description, make, colour and roughly its value.
• Who: if you remember someone who pushed or spoke to you, describe them as best you can.

On the metro you can ask the station staff for help. At a museum or archaeological site, ask at the ticket desk or the guards. If your phone still works, 1571 tells you where to go.

Lost or stolen?

You do not need to be sure. Tell the police what you know, and if you do not know, say “I am not sure whether it was lost or stolen”. They will record the report in the right way.

If the item was lost inside the terminal, there is also a Hellenic Police Lost Property Office on the Arrivals level, opposite Exit 3. It is open 24 hours, phone 210 353 0515. Items found in the terminal are kept there. It is not the same as Building 10. For luggage that did not arrive, or something you left on the plane, contact the airline.

What to bring to the police

• Passport or ID card, if you still have it. Otherwise a photo or copy of it.
• The address where you are staying in Athens.
• A phone number and an email where they can reach you.
• The list of missing items and, for a phone, the IMEI.
• Your notes on the time and the place.
• Your flight ticket, if you leave soon.

At the end, ask for the certificate of the report. Check that it shows your name, the passport number and the items correctly. Take a photo of it straight away. You will need it for the embassy, the bank and the insurer.

Phrases that help

How to protect your belongings

Most incidents in big cities happen where people crowd together and attention drifts: packed carriages, queues, busy squares. A few habits are enough.

• Bag in front, zipped, when the carriage is full. Backpack on your chest.
• Phone in your hand or pocket, not at the edge of the table at a café.
• One card with you, the second one where you stay. That way you are never left without money.
• A photo of your passport in an email or in the cloud, and a paper copy kept apart from the original.
• A passcode lock and Find My or Find Hub switched on before you travel.
• At the ATM, cover the keypad. Prefer machines inside banks.
• Extra care when someone pushes you, insists on asking you for something or “helps” you without being asked. More in the guide to tourist scams in Athens.

Useful phone numbers

From a foreign mobile, put +30 before the ten-digit numbers. Dial 112, 100 and 1571 as they are.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I report a theft in Athens as a tourist?

At any police station. For visitors, the easiest place is the Visitors’ Help Office at Dragatsaniou 4, on Klafthmonos Square. Call 210 322 2230 first.

Is it the same as the Tourist Police on Syngrou?

No. The Tourist Police department at 83 Syngrou Avenue is a different office. To report something as a visitor, go to Dragatsaniou 4.

Where is the police station at Athens airport?

In Building 10, outside the terminal, opposite the Factory Outlet and near a small chapel. GPS point: 37.9199202, 23.9305195. Confirm the entrance on 210 353 6943.

Will I make my flight if I report at the airport?

Nobody can guarantee that. The length of the report varies, getting to the terminal needs a vehicle, and the airport asks you to arrive at least 2.5 hours early. If you can, file the report in the city.

Can I fly with only the police certificate?

Usually not. The certificate is not a travel document. You need what your embassy issues, or another document your airline accepts for your route.

Do I pay anything for the report?

There is no official mention of a fee for reporting a theft or loss. Your embassy may charge for the emergency document.

What if I do not know whether my wallet was lost or stolen?

Say exactly that to the police. They will record the report accordingly. Block your cards in any case.

Does the airport Lost Property Office accept theft reports?

The office on the Arrivals level keeps items found inside the terminal. For a theft report from the city, the service is in Building 10.

— Kathy