EU citizens are entitled to seek consular assistance from diplomatic or consular missions of another EU Member State if they need consular protection in a third country where they are unrepresented.
Assistance might be provided in such cases as:
- need for an emergency travel document (ETD) in case of loss/theft of passport,
- arrest/detention,
- being a victim of crime,
- serious accident or illness,
- relief and repatriation in case of emergency,
- death.
Please note that consular assistance is not free of charge. In the case of assistance provided for a non-national EU citizen, the same procedure rules and fees apply as in the case of a national of the assisting Member State.
Unrepresented citizens should be fully assisted in crisis situations. In times of crisis, the Consular Crisis Management Division of the European External Action Service will seek to assist in coordinating on-site crisis management actions via the resident Delegation of the European Union.
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