I work in the Consular and Visa Section at the Embassy.

We process visa applications – usually for non-EU citizens planning to visit, study or work in the UK, though we also accept visa applications on behalf of Commonwealth and British Overseas Dependent Territories who don’t have Embassies here.  So we often receive applications from people going to sun themselves in the Bahamas, or on safari in Botswana.  Good for them! (he writes, jealously, typing quickly to stay warm).

We also do Consular work, which means providing services for British* visitors and residents. We renew passports, register births and issue documents allowing Brits to get married in Hungary. We also help British visitors and residents in distress – e.g. if they are hospitalised, or are victims of crime, or they’re arrested.  We also try to help visitors avoid getting into trouble through advice and publicity campaigns.

This week my boss pointed out an article in the Independent saying our Embassy is "inundated by drunken Brits" coming to Budapest for stag parties.  I’m not sure who they spoke to, but I think they got it wrong. Most of the people who ask for our help are travelling on their own, with colleagues or with family, and are sober – they either left their common sense at home (well, the baggage restrictions are quite strict these days) or were just unlucky. Sometimes they would have been alright if they’d read our Travel Advice first – more exciting (or at least quicker) than it sounds.

One of the most common problems people have in Hungary is losing their passport, as it’s quite difficult to get home without one. One guy this week came in to report he’d lost his passport – he looked quite upset when I told him it would cost him £119 and take up to two weeks to get a replacement (he was only planning to be in Budapest for a couple more days). Luckily the next person who walked in to our office had just found his passport on the pavement and gave it straight back to him. A lot of people aren’t so fortunate – e.g. the ones who came to the Sziget Festival last year, and thought it would be safe to leave their valuables in their tent while watching Razorlight (they must have thought thieves wouldn’t be able to get past their high-security… zip). They probably missed some good bands while they were filling in passport application forms in our office.

I got an air ambulance brochure in the post the other day – I think one was sent to every British Embassy in the world. It was interesting to see how many companies offer the opportunity to have loved ones flown home in a private jet, decked out with medical equipment, accompanied by good-looking (if the brochure was to be believed) and highly-trained medical professionals. I worked on a case last year where a man had cardiac problems while visiting Hungary. He was in hospital here for a few weeks before he was flown back to the UK by air ambulance. Unfortunately, although he did have travel insurance, the insurance company wouldn’t pay because he had suffered the same medical problems before. Luckily his sons clubbed together to pay the £10,000 costs.

Yesterday I had a phone call from a colleague at another British Embassy. He had bought a car for about £5,000 on a well-known auction website. Unfortunately the website was a fake - his money was transferred to a bank account in Hungary, but the car never appeared. Unfortunately, we get reports like this quite regularly, and there is really nothing we can do except advise the victims to contact their local police (who can contact Interpol) and their bank. I don’t know if they ever get their money back, but if they do they’re too shocked to call us to let us know. I was going to tell my colleague to how to avoid similar problems in the future, but I have a feeling he’ll be avoiding auction websites for a while anyway…

Dan Wiles

Vice Consul
29 February 2008

* although we also provide services for Commonwealth citizens who don’t have a Consulate here.