Foreign & Commonwealth Office

BRITISH CONSULAR SERVICES ABROAD



What a British Consulate can do for you
What a British Consulate cannot do for you
What you should do for yourself

BRITISH CONSULS
We will do everything we properly can to help British people in difficulty abroad. This leaflet gives advice on how you can avoid trouble overseas and tells you what help you can expect from a British Consul.

We can:

• issue emergency passports;
• contact relatives and friends and ask them to help you with money or tickets;
• tell you how to transfer money;
• in an emergency, cash you a sterling cheque worth up to £100 if supported by a valid banker's card;
• as a last resort, in exceptional circumstances, and as long as you meet certain strict rules, give you a loan to get you hack to the UK, but only if there is no one else who can help you;
• help you get in touch with local lawyers, interpreters and doctors;
• arrange for next of kin to be told of an accident or a death and advise on procedures;
• visit you if you have been arrested or put in prison, and arrange for messages to be sent to relatives or friends;
• put you in touch with organisations who help trace missing persons;
• speak to the local authorities on your behalf
• give you a list of local lawyers.

UK law says we have to charge for some services.
Consulates display the standards of service you can expect under 'Service First'.

But we cannot:

• intervene in court cases;
• get you out of prison;
• give legal advice or start court proceedings for you;
• get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to locals;
• investigate a crime;
• pay your hotel, legal, medical or any other bills;
• pay your travel costs, except in special circumstances;
• do work normally done by travel agents, airlines, banks or motoring organisations;
• get you somewhere to live, a job or work permit;
• demand you be treated as British if you are a dual national in the country of your second nationality. (You should read our Dual Nationality leaflet for more information.)

WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOU GO...

• think about money and tickets well in advance. Buy a return ticket. Take enough money - better still take traveller's cheques - to get you back if your return ticket becomes invalid;
• check with your travel agent if you need visas;
• fill out the next of kin details in your passport;
• look at the FCO website www.fco.gov.uk or telephone the Travel Advice Unit 020 7008 0232/0233 for the latest travel advice for the country you are visiting and the contact details of the local British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate;
• let a family member or friend know your travel plans.

Make sure you are properly insured.
Check to see exactly what your insurance policy does and does not cover you for. If in doubt, ask your insurance company to explain the small print.
Leave your jewellery and valuables at home. If you do take them, make sure they are safely locked away when not in use.

Health

Ask your travel agent about medical facilities in the country you are visiting. Take out full medical insurance for all travel outside the UK. If you are travelling within the EU, get form E111 from the post office for reduced or free emergency care. Some (but not all) EU and other countries have special medical agreements with Britain. Read the Department of Health's information leaflet Health Advice for Travellers (0800 555 777) or see www.doh.gov.uk. Ask your doctor about vaccinations.

Avoiding trouble spots
More and more of us are travelling - 53.6 million visits abroad were made by UK residents in 1999. But the world is an unpredictable place; you need to know about risks to your personal safety and security and to avoid trouble spots.

• before travelling to places off the beaten track (or, indeed, anywhere) take time to find out about your destination;
• talk to your travel agent or tour operator about possible risks;
• read a good guide hook;
• ask friends who have visited the area;
• check the news for reports of problems in places you plan to visit;
• consult the FCO's Travel Advice which is regularly updated.

Remember, things can change quickly and without warning.

IF YOU NEED US
Hotels, tour operators and police should he able to tell you how to contact the local British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. Most British Consulates have an answerphone service detailing office hours and arrangements for handling emergencies at other times. Working hours usually follow the local pattern but it is better to telephone first.
In countries outside the European Union (EU) where we do not have any British consular officers, you can get help from the Embassies and Consulates of I other EU Member States.

. . AND WHILE YOU ARE THERE

Security
Take sensible precautions: Avoid unlit streets at night.
Only carry as much cash as you need when you go out.
It is normally safer not to resist violent theft.

Obey the law
Laws vary from country to country; so does the treatment of offenders. Remember, the laws and procedures which apply are those of the country you are in, not ours. So find out about local laws and customs and respect them. Hobbies like birdwatching and train, plane and ship spotting, and the use of cameras and binoculars can be misunderstood (particularly near military sites). If you are not sure, don't do it- it is not worth the risk of being wrongly arrested for spying.

Drugs
Don't get involved with drugs. You could face massive fines, long prison sentences in grim conditions, or even the death penalty. Do not carry parcels or drive vehicles across borders for other people.

Alcohol
There are strict laws about taking alcohol into some countries. Many countries do not allow alcohol to be sold or to be drunk. Be aware of local laws on alcohol.

Driving
Be sure your licence is current and valid for the country you are visiting. Make sure you know the rules of the road. In many countries there are on-the-spot fines for traffic offences. Exceptions are not made for foreigners.

Emergency services contact number in the EU
Within the EU the emergency services can be contacted by dialling 112. This number can be used on either landlines or cellular phones.

If you are arrested
If you commit a crime you must expect to face the consequences. If you are charged with a serious offence, insist on the British Consulate being told. We will contact you as soon as possible. We can advise on local procedures, put you in touch with lawyers, and insist you are treated as well as nationals of the country which is holding you. But we cannot pay for a lawyer for you (some countries have legal aid schemes, but not all); put up bail; or get you released.

If you have anything stolen
If you lose your money, passport or anything else abroad, first report it to the local police and insist on getting a statement about the loss. Then contact the Consulate if you still need our help.

If someone dies
If you are with someone who dies - whatever the cause - get in touch with the Consulate at once. We will help.

Travel Advice:
For up-to-date information on problems affecting your safety around the world contact:

Travel Advice Unit Consular Division
Old Admiralty Building
London SWIA 2PA
Telephone: 020 7008 0232/0233.

Information is also available on the internet at: www.fco.gov.uk

Comments and suggestions
We welcome the views of our customers on the quality of the service we provide. Please write to the Head of Consular Division at the above address.
For more copies of this leaflet, fax your order to 01444 246 620.
Published by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Printed in the UK. 4/2001. Order No: 8/1005C