When things go wrong
We can provide support to people outside the UK who are
- British nationals (whether or not they normally live in the UK)
- in certain limited circumstances, British nationals with another nationality (‘dual nationals’) and
- European Union or Commonwealth nationals whose country does not have a local diplomatic or consular office, in circumstances where we have agreed to help their nationals.
We cannot provide this support to other countries’ nationals, even if they may have been lawfully living in the UK.
We can
- issue replacement passports
- provide information about transferring funds
- provide appropriate help if you have suffered rape or serious assault, are a victim of other crime, or are in hospital
- help people with mental illness
- provide details of local lawyers, interpreters [link to List of interpreters], doctors and funeral directors
- do all we properly can to contact you within 24 hours of being told that you have been detained
- offer support and help in a range of other cases, such as child abductions, death of relatives overseas, missing people and kidnapping
- contact friends and family for you, if you want and
- make special arrangements in cases of terrorism, civil disturbances or natural disasters.
We cannot
- get you out of prison, prevent the local authorities from deporting you after your prison sentence, or interfere in criminal or civil court proceedings
- help you enter a country, for example, if you do not have a visa or your passport is not valid, as we cannot interfere in another country’s immigration policy or procedures
- give you legal advice, investigate crimes or carry out searches for missing people, although we can give you details of people who may be able to help you in these cases, such as English-speaking lawyers
- get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to local people
- pay any bills or give you money (in very exceptional circumstances we may lend you some money, from public funds, which you will have to pay back)
- make travel arrangements for you, or find you work or accommodation or
- make business arrangements on your behalf.
For further information, see the pages on this website, or download Support for British Nationals Abroad.
