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EMERGENCIES

9-1-1 Emergency Contact Numbers Abroad

It’s bad enough to have an emergency when you’re at home. Remember how much you dread calling your parents to help with a flat tire or because you were in an accident? But, imagine how awful it would be in a foreign country with no idea of how to get help. Planning for the unexpected is as important as booking the flight. This section provides information on steps to take before your trip and what to do in case of emergency. "Be Prepared" isn’t just a Boy Scout motto.

U.S. consular officers are located at over 260 Foreign Service posts abroad. There are also consular officers in 46 foreign cities without U.S. embassies or consulates. They’re ready to provide assistance if you need it.

Earthquakes, hurricanes, political upheavals, and acts of terrorism are only some of the events threatening the safety of Americans abroad. Each event is unique and poses its own special difficulties. When a crisis occurs, the State Department sets up a task force with all the necessary personnel to work on the situation. Usually this Washington task force is in touch 24-hours a day with our Ambassador and Foreign Service Officers at the embassy in the country affected.

The State Department works hard to provide information in times of crisis and to protect the lives of Americans abroad. You can make it easier for the State Department to locate you by registering your trip.

Be informed and stay safe…go from here.

PLAN AHEAD

Before you Travel—Register Your Trip

Millions of Americans travel abroad every year and encounter no difficulties. However, U.S. embassies and consulates assist nearly 200,000 Americans each year who are victims of crime, accident or illness, or whose family and friends need to contact them in an emergency. When an emergency happens, or if a natural disaster, terrorism, or civil unrest strikes during your foreign travel, the nearest U.S, embassy or consulate can be your source of assistance and information.

By registering your trip, you help the embassy or consulate locate you when you might need them the most. No, this isn’t Big Brother tracking you. Travel registration makes it possible to contact you if necessary, whether there’s a family emergency in the United States or a crisis in the country you are visiting. Registration is quick, easy and free, so click HERE and register today!

HEALTH EMERGENCY

If an American citizen becomes seriously ill or injured abroad, a U. S. consular officer can assist in locating medical services and informing family or friends. If necessary, a consular officer can also assist in the transfer of funds from the United States. (Note, however, that payment of hospital and all expenses is the responsibility of the traveler.) Click here for help with finding a hospital or doctor abroad.

Medical Insurance
Paying a little now can save you a LOT later. Obtaining medical treatment and hospital care abroad can be expensive, and medical evacuation to the U.S. can cost more than $50,000. U.S. medical insurance is generally not accepted outside the United States. Social Security Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide coverage for hospital or medical costs outside the United States.

Check your insurance policy. If it does not cover you abroad, it is a good idea to consider purchasing a short-term policy that does. There are health insurance policies designed specifically to cover travel. Many travel agents and private companies offer insurance plans that will cover health care expenses incurred overseas including medical evacuations. The names of some of the companies offering short-term health and emergency assistance policies are listed under insurance information on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

If your insurance policy does include coverage outside of the U.S., carry both the insurance policy identity card showing the coverage and a claim form. Very few health insurance companies cover a medical evacuation back to the U.S. You may need to obtain insurance to cover a medical evacuation.

International Hospitals and Doctors
Your U.S. Embassies and Consulates maintain lists of physicians and medical facilities in case you need medical care. See the U.S. Embassies and Consulates websites to access information on finding a hospital or doctor in a specific country. Once on the website, look for the lists under the U.S. Citizens Services section of the Embassy or Consulate website.

Disclaimer: The inclusion of a specific physician or medical facility does not constitute a recommendation and the Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by, the medical professionals, medical facilities, or air ambulance services whose names appear on such lists. Names are listed alphabetically, and the order in which they appear has no other significance. Professional credentials and areas of expertise are provided directly by the medical professional, medical facility, or air ambulance service.

International Health Concerns
The old saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” applies when traveling abroad. Know about the health concerns in your destination country before you arrive. Visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for valuable information on the health conditions around the world. You can find general guidance on health precautions, such as safe food advice, water precautions, and insect-bite protection.

The CDC also maintains an international traveler’s hotline at
1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747)
or, by fax at
1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299).

Pre-Travel Health Considerations—
Do you need Vaccinations?
Some countries require foreign visitors to have inoculations or medical tests before entering. Before traveling, check the latest entry requirements with the foreign embassy of the country to be visited.

Information about infectious diseases abroad may also be found on the website of the World Health Organization and additional health information for travelers.

Click here for information on Pandemic Flu.

Click here for information about Avian Flu.

Click here for a Foot and Mouth Disease fact sheet.

Click here for the Chemical/Biological Agents Fact Sheet.

Click here for information on Responding to Radiological and Nuclear Incidents.

 

EVACUATIONS AND NATURAL DISASTERS
Evacuations
You may need to leave the country prior to your scheduled departure because of a political upheaval or a natural disaster.  Unfortunately, these conditions often cause disruptions in commercial transportation.  If this happens, and it appears unsafe for Americans to remain, the embassy and consulates will work with a task force in Washington, D.C. to charter special flights and ground transportation to help Americans depart.
While the U.S. Government cannot order Americans to leave a foreign country, it can advise and try to assist those who wish to leave.  Remember, if you’ve registered your trip, it will be easier to locate you and get you safely out of the country.
Check out the State Department’s Evacuation Plan for more information.  While the list was original created for diplomats living abroad, it contains valuable information for all citizens abroad.  An evacuation can be a stressful event, but the information provided can help you decide what to take, where to go, and all the things necessary for a smooth transition.

NOTE: If you receive evacuation assistance, you are required to sign a promissory note agreeing to reimburse the government for some of the evacuation costs (It’s the law).  More information can be found on the DS-3072 Emergency Loan Application and Evacuation Document.

Natural Disasters

Sometimes even Mother Nature can wreak havoc on the best-made plans and your trip may be cut short. You’ve probably seen news reports of hurricanes, tsunamis, or volcanic eruptions creating turmoil throughout the world. If a natural disaster occurs, and it’s unsafe for Americans to remain in country, the embassy and consulates will work to locate and assist U.S. citizens. While the U.S. government cannot order you to leave a foreign country, embassy and consulate staff can advise and assist those who wish to leave. In addition, staff will make all efforts to keep Americans safe overseas. Remember, it will be easier to locate you and assist you if you’ve registered your trip. Of course if you're ok, you might want to call your folks and let them know.

VICTIM OF A CRIME

Contact Local Police and your nearest Embassy
If you become a victim of a crime overseas, contact local police to report the incident and obtain immediate help. Also, contact the nearest U.S. embassy, consulate, or consular agency for assistance. Remember to request a copy of the police report.

How the Embassy or Consulate Can Help
Consular duty personnel are available for emergency assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at embassies, consulates, and consular agencies overseas and in Washington, D.C.
If you need to contact the Office of Overseas Citizens Services in the U.S. or Canada, call 1-888-407-4747, or from overseas call 202-501-4444.

Consular personnel know the local government agencies and resources in the country. They can help you:

• Replace a stolen passport
• Contact family, friends, or employers
• Obtain medical care
• Address emergency needs that arise as a result of a crime
• Obtain general information about the local criminal justice process and information about your case
• Obtain information about local resources to assist victims, including crime victim  assistance and victim compensation programs
• Obtain a list of local English-speaking attorneys

Victim Assistance 
If you are the victim of a crime while overseas you may benefit from specialized resources for crime victims available in the United States.  There are many assistance programs throughout the U.S. that offer help to victims of violent crimes and most will even assist those who have been the victim of a crime while overseas. 
They offer:

• rape crisis counseling programs
• shelter and counseling programs for battered women
• support groups and bereavement counseling for family members
• programs for child abuse victims
• assistance for victims of drunk driving accidents
• and others

For more information about locating crime victim assistance programs, please visit the crime assistance page.

Victim Compensation
All states operate crime victim compensation programs and nearly half of them offer benefits to their residents who are victims of violent crime overseas. (See contact information for victim compensation programs below.)  These state compensation programs require the victim to report the crime to law enforcement and they usually request a copy of the police report.

Information about victim assistance programs in approximately 20 countries is available at Victim Assistance On-line.

You can click here for additional information from the State Department regarding Victim Compensation and Assistance Programs.

Also, consult the State Department brochure entitled Help for American Victims of Crime Overseas.

 

ASSISTANCE TO
U.S. CITIZENS ARRESTED ABROAD

THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF SERVICES PROVIDED BY U.S. CONSULAR OFFICERS TO U.S. CITIZENS ARRESTED ABROAD. SINCE CONDITIONS VARY FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY, THE PRECISE NATURE OF SERVICES MAY VARY LIKEWISE, DEPENDING ON INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES IN A PARTICULAR CASE.

One of the most essential tasks of the Department of State and of U.S. embassies and consulates abroad is to provide assistance to U.S. citizens incarcerated abroad. The State Department is committed to ensuring fair and humane treatment for American citizens imprisoned overseas. We stand ready to assist incarcerated citizens and their families within the limits of our authority, in accordance with international law.
•We monitor conditions in foreign prisons
•We protest allegations of abuse against American prisoners
•We work with prison officials to ensure treatment consistent with internationally recognized standards of human rights
•We work to ensure that Americans are afforded due process under local laws

While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. As our Country Specific Information explains, penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating the law, even unknowingly, may be expelled, fined, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs may be strict, and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and fines. If arrested abroad, a citizen must go through the foreign legal process of being charged or indicted, prosecuted, possibly convicted and sentenced, as well as any appeals process. Within this framework, U.S. consular officers provide a wide variety of services to U.S. citizens arrested abroad and their families.

Consular Services: Consular officers abroad provide a wide variety of services to U.S. citizens incarcerated abroad. Specific services vary depending on local laws and regulations, the level of local services available in the country in question, and the circumstances of the individual prisoner. The frequency of U.S. consular visits to citizens arrested abroad may likewise vary, depending upon circumstances.

Consular services include:
Upon initial notification of arrest:
•visiting the prisoner as soon as possible after notification of the arrest;
•providing a list of local attorneys to assist the prisoner in obtaining legal representation;
•providing information about judicial procedures in the foreign country;
•notifying family and/or friends, if authorized by the prisoner;
•obtaining a Privacy Act Consent;
•relaying requests to family and friends for money or other aid.

On-going support to incarcerated Americans:
•providing regular consular visits to the prisoner and reporting on those visits to the Department of State;
•providing loans to qualified destitute prisoners through the Emergency Medical/Dietary Assistance (EMDA) program;
•arranging dietary supplements (vitamins/minerals) to qualified prisoners;
•arranging for medical and dental care if not provided by prison, to be paid for from prisoner's funds, funds provided by family or funds loaned to the prisoner by the U.S. Government under the EMDA program for destitute Americans incarcerated abroad under the conditions specified at 22 CFR 71.10.;
•arranging for examinations by an independent physician if needed;
•arranging special family visits, subject to local law;
•protesting mistreatment or abuse to the appropriate authorities;
•attending the trial, if the embassy/consulate believes that discrimination on the basis of U.S. nationality might occur or if specifically requested by the prisoner or family, if possible;
•providing information about procedures to applications for pardons or prisoner transfer treaties, if applicable.

Discretionary support provided as needed:
•providing reading materials subject to local laws and regulations;
•arranging with American community to provide holiday meals;
•providing personal amenities such as stamps, toiletries, stationary, if permitted by prison authorities, from prisoner's or family's private funds;
•assisting in finding ways to expedite prisoners' mail;
•inquiring about the possibility of prison employment;
•assisting in arranging correspondence courses;
•arranging for American community volunteer visits to prisoners.

A consular officer cannot:
•demand the immediate release of a U.S. citizen arrested abroad or otherwise cause the citizen to be released;
•represent a U.S. citizen at trial, give legal advice, or pay legal fees and/or fines with U.S. Government funds.

Additional Information: Lists of foreign attorneys and country-specific information regarding arrests abroad are available from the Department of State, Office of American Citizens Services or directly from U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.  See the American Citizens Services home page, which is linked to the home pages of our embassies and consulates abroad.

QUESTIONS: Additional questions regarding services to Americans incarcerated abroad and prisoner transfer treaties may be addressed to the appropriate geographic division of Overseas Citizens Services