A German backpacker had his passport stolen a day before a flight to see his family, meaning he won't be able to go home for Christmas.

Deniz Kodorgu had planned to fly back to Germany from New Zealand when his car was broken into on Sunday afternoon in Christchurch.

"I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed I can't see my family," he said.

According to Fairfax, Mr Kodorgu's window was smashed and almost all of his items had been taken, including his passport, laptop, credit card and an All Blacks jersey for his father and pounamu necklaces.

Mr Kodorgu told Fairfax he estimated the total loss was $4,000.

He wasn't able to get emergency travel documents by the time of his international flight from Auckland on Monday morning.

He hadn't seen his family in over a year, and had just received a New Zealand work visa to be a drainage labourer in Christchurch.

The time needed to get a new passport could have impacted his ability to work in New Zealand he said, and the high cost of buying new tickets meant he had to stay in New Zealand for Christmas.