‘Hello British Embassy, my jam won’t set, can you help?’

12 Aug 2009

We have clarified the assistance consulates within British Embassies, High Commissions and other diplomatic posts can provide to British travellers overseas.

Can you tell me how I can make my naughty son behave? My credit card is maxed out – can you pay my bill? I’m making jam – what ratio of fruit to sugar shall I use? These are just some of the questions Brits are asking consular staff at British embassies around the world*.

Consulates within the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s global network of 261 embassies, High Commissions and other diplomatic posts help British travellers to stay safe abroad and provide support if something goes wrong.

However, it appears some Brits need reminding about the FCO’s role, with staff regularly being asked to help find lost sunglasses and pay bills.

Juliet Maric, British Consul, Alicante, Spain said:

'If you have a serious problem abroad – maybe you’ve been involved in an accident, have lost your passport or are a victim of crime, we can help you. But we can’t tell you who is allowed to use your swimming pool, pay your taxi fares for you – or do anything about the exchange rate. We regularly get enquiries from people who think we’re a one-stop-shop for any problem they might encounter while abroad; this can be frustrating as we need to focus resources on the serious cases that we’re there to help with.'

Chris Bryant, Minister for Consular Affairs, said:

'Our embassies are not there to provide weather reports or give advice on unruly children. Consular Staff are there to help Britons in real difficulty abroad – from victims of crime and bereaved families to those involved in accidents or who have lost their passports. It’s important that British nationals understand what the FCO can and can’t do for them so our staff can focus resources on more serious situations where people really do need our help.'

Other enquiries to the FCO from British travellers include:

A lady unhappy with the size of her newly enlarged breasts following surgery asked the embassy if they could help
A mum asked the consulate in Florida to help her teenage son pack his suitcase and give him a lift to the airport as he was feeling under the weather
A man asked the High Commission in Zambia if they could phone his office to explain he wouldn’t be able to return to work as he was unable to get on a flight
A holidaymaker visiting Italy asked the embassy where they could purchase a particular brand of shoes

It’s important to know how the FCO can help you when you’re abroad: The FCO can:

Issue you with a replacement passport if yours is lost or stolen
Help you transfer money
Offer support if you have suffered rape or serious assault; are a victim of other crime; ill or in hospital
Provide a list of English-speaking local lawyers, interpreters, doctors or funeral directors
If you are imprisoned, look after your welfare and visit you in prison if that is what you want; inform your family if you would like us to; give you information about the local legal system, including whether a legal aid scheme is available and about prosecution, remand, bail and appeal procedures; and put you in touch with a local lawyer and/or interpreter if you need one. If you get into trouble we will contact friends and family back home for you if you want
Help people with mental illness
Offer support and help in a range of cases such as child abductions, forced marriage, death of relatives overseas, missing people and kidnapping
Make special arrangements for Britons caught in acts of terrorism, civil unrest or natural disasters

The FCO can’t:

Get you out of prison or interfere with another country’s legal system
Help you enter a country if you don’t have a valid passport or visa
Give you legal advice or investigate crimes – although we can give you details of English-speaking lawyers
Get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to local people
Pay your bills or give you money
Make business arrangements on your behalf
Find you a job or help you find accommodation
Make travel arrangements for you
Get involved in your private disputes over property, employment, commercial or other matters
Ensure you will be safe in another country – safety and security are matters for the government concerned

Before you travel, visit our guidance on travelling and living overseas and make a note of the number of the nearest British consulate to where you are staying, so you can ask for help if you need it.

*Based on anecdotal evidence from FCO posts around the world, including Bangkok, Milan, St Petersburg.

Further information

Case study

When Leven Brown’s rowing vessel La Mondiale foundered in the North Atlantic, the crew were rescued by an Ukranian carrier as their boat disintegrated beneath them. When Leven arrived in Malaga, Spain with no identification documents, no money and no lifeline to home, the British Consulate helped him out. Leven said:

'I always knew that if you’re in trouble abroad you should visit the British embassy or consulate. Luckily the consulate in Malaga was very central, as I had no money for getting a bus around the city. Within half an hour of entering the consulate I had been issued with an emergency passport and was in an aeroplane home two hours later. The staff were extremely friendly, efficient and offered a great service to someone who’d been through quite an ordeal! I definitely felt I had a fantastic ally in a foreign land. Essentially the consulate staff saved me from a long walk and a swim home across the channel!'

FCO staff handle 2.1 million consular enquiries a year
In 2008\9 Consular assistance was provided to almost 35,000 British nationals abroad
Almost 11,000 emergency passports were issued to Brits overseas last year