Legal Advice for Travellers: Consular Protection

Tourism is increasing. According to the World Tourism Organization data, 2018 saw a record number of international tourists that totalled 1.4 billion. A large number of these people also travel to countries where their home countries have no representations.

There are various types of representations abroad. The most common types of diplomatic missions are embassies and consulates but, in addition to these two types, various offices and consular desks can also carry out similar functions. An embassy consists of a group of officers who serve as representatives of their home country and protect the interests of their fellow citizens abroad (in the host country) as well as deal with diplomatic issues. A country can only have one embassy in the host country. A consulate, on the other hand, is a smaller diplomatic mission and is usually subordinate to the embassy. A country can have more than one consulate in the host country and they can be located in other important cities, not just the capital.

Diplomatic relations between countries are the result of their diplomatic activities, their historical connections to one another, and their importance on the international stage.

You can seek out help at diplomatic representations and consulates abroad in the following situations:

• Stolen or lost passport or identity card – the representation can issue temporary travel documents.
• Major accident or illness – the representation staff can contact family members in the home country.
• In the case of a criminal offence, such as robbery or assault – the representation staff can accompany the victim(s) to the police station.
• Death – the representation can contact next of kin and help with the declaration of death.
• In the case of apprehension or police custody – the representation can provide information regarding the local legal system and help seek out legal aid.
• Assistance and getting back home in emergency situations (such as during natural disasters or civil disturbance).

Unfortunately, accidents happen, so it’s best to be prepared for various troubles that may arise during travelling. If you’re well prepared, you can avoid many troubles, and you can also use travel safety tips below:

• Check out the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find out whether there’s your country’s embassy or consulate in your destination country, and also check out travel tips for that country.
• If there’s no representation in the destination country, you can check out which EU member state representation you can contact instead. You may find this website helpful.
• Write down the representation’s phone number and keep it with you during your trip.

Safe travels!