How the FCO can help

If you do get into trouble abroad, you can contact British consular staff who may be able to help. Check you have the address and telephone number of the local British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate before you travel. For contact details click here.

Your rep/local guide, accommodation manager or local police should also have this information.

In countries outside the European Union (EU) where there are no British consular offices, you may be able to get help from the Embassies and Consulates of other EU member states.

For full details of how the FCO can help you HYPERLINK "http://gogapyear.com/Text/" click here.

What kind of help we can provide

We offer help which is appropriate to the individual circumstances of each case, including:

• issuing replacement passports;

• providing information about transferring funds;

• providing appropriate help if you have suffered rape or serious assault, are a victim of other crime, or are in hospital;

• helping people with mental illness;

• providing details of local lawyers, interpreters, doctors and funeral directors;

• doing all we properly can to contact you within 24 hours of being told that you have been detained;

• offering support and help in a range of other cases, such as child abductions, death of relatives overseas, missing people and kidnapping;

• contacting family or friends for you if you want; and

• making 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.