Consular assistance

Consular assistance is help and advice provided by the diplomatic agents of a country to citizens of that country who are living or traveling overseas.

Such assistance may take the form of:

• provision of replacement travel documents
• advice and support in the case of an accident, serious illness or death
• advice and support to victims of serious crime overseas, and arranging for next-of-kin to be informed
• visitation contact with incarcerated nationals
• liaison with local police officials in the case of nationals abducted or missing overseas
• loans to distressed travellers
• help during crises, such as civil unrest and natural disasters
• facilitating the overseas payment of social welfare benefits
• registering citizen births abroad
• providing a list of local doctors and lawyers
• supervising their flag vessels in foreign harbours

Such assistance commonly does not extend to:

• storing luggage or valuables
• intervening in commercial disputes on behalf of their nationals
• providing travel agency, banking, or postal services
• money changing
• translation and interpreting services
• legal advice or advocacy
• negotiation of special treatment, bail, or early release from prison
• criminal investigation
• employment services

Vienna Convention on Consular Relations

At Article 5, the Convention gives the most broad, detailed, and internationally accepted definition of 'consular functions':

See also

• Vienna Convention on Consular Relations