Canadian

Consular Services
Charter

Travel.gc.ca
 Global Affairs Canada is committed to
providing effective and efficient consular
service to Canadians around the world. The
Government of Canada’s ability and success in
resolving consular cases are conditioned, in
many instances, by the laws and regulations
of other countries as well as the quality and
level of cooperation offered by persons and
organizations outside the Government of
Canada.
When you request consular services abroad,
Canadian officials will assess your situation and
inform you as to how and when they can provide
assistance or whether another provider is better
placed to help.
In emergency circumstances, every effort will be
made to provide assistance. However, there are
limits to the assistance consular officials can
provide and you may have to pay for some of
these services.

Global Affairs Canada For more information, visit our website:

125 Sussex Drive www.international.gc.ca
Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2 Canada
Telephone:
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right 613-944-4000 (local)
of Canada, represented by the 1-800-267-8376 (toll free)
Minister of Foreign Affairs, 2015 For the hearing- and speech-impaired:
TTY: 613-944-1310
FR5-100/2015E-PDF Fax: 613-996-9709
978-0-660-03188-0 E-mail: info@international.gc.ca
Printed in Canada
Contents
Assisting Canadians Abroad..........................................1

Services to Canadian Citizens.......................................2

Travel Checklist for Canadians......................................4

Consular Services Provided by

the Government of Canada...........................................5

Your Privacy ................................................................12

Canadian Consular Services Charter

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Assisting Canadians Abroad
Today, more and more Canadians explore remote corners
of the world, work or volunteer abroad, participate in
international student exchanges and retire in sunny
destinations.
While most international trips are trouble-free, the
Government of Canada is there to offer Canadian citizens
information on safe travel and to provide consular
assistance should they find themselves in trouble abroad.
This charter outlines the consular services the
Government of Canada may provide to Canadians.
There will be circumstances in which our ability
to provide consular support may be limited. These
circumstances are also outlined in this document.

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Canadian Consular Services Charter

Services to Canadian Citizens

Canada’s consular services program aims to:
▪▪ publish timely and accurate information on safe travel
abroad;
▪▪ deliver modernized, effective and efficient consular
services;
▪▪ provide emergency assistance to Canadians 24/7.

We can assist:
▪▪ Canadian citizens;
▪▪ in some locations, citizens of countries with which
Canada has consular services sharing agreements or
memorandums of understanding in place.

If you are a dual citizen and travelling in the other

country where you hold citizenship, local authorities may
refuse to grant you access to Canadian consular services,
thereby preventing Canadian consular officers from
providing you with those services. See Travelling as a
dual citizen for more information.
The decision to travel is a choice and you are responsible
for your personal safety abroad.

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What we ask of you:
▪▪ Ensure that you have comprehensive travel insurance,
including health, life and disability insurance with
medical evacuation.
▪▪ Take personal responsibility for your travel choices. You
are responsible for your personal safety abroad and
your financial needs.
▪▪ Be resourceful. Attempt personal and local remedies
before seeking consular assistance.
▪▪ Follow our travel advice and advisories at travel.gc.ca/
travelling/advisories and respect the local laws of the
country you are visiting.
▪▪ Get the Travel Smart app at Travel.gc.ca/mobile for
access to travel advice at any time during your trip.
▪▪ Protect your passport and promptly report if it is lost or
stolen.
▪▪ Keep our contact information on you while you travel.
In case of emergency, call the closest Canadian office
serving your location. Should the office be closed,
your call will be transferred to the Emergency Watch
and Response Centre in Ottawa. The centre operates
24/7 and may also be reached directly at +1 613
996 8885 (collect calls are accepted) or by email at
sos@international.gc.ca.
▪▪ Provide feedback. We value any feedback about
consular services you receive while abroad. You can fill
out our online Client Feedback Form.

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Canadian Consular Services Charter

Travel Checklist for Canadians

▪▪ Buy travel insurance. You should purchase the best
travel insurance you can afford before you leave
Canada to help you avoid any large expenses, such as
the cost of hospitalization or medical evacuation.
▪▪ Consult our travel advice and advisories page twice:
before travelling and again just before you leave to get
the latest updates.
▪▪ Sign up for the Registration of Canadians Abroad
service at travel.gc.ca/register, which allows us to
contact you in an emergency, such as an earthquake or
civil unrest.
▪▪ Have a valid Canadian passport for each family
member.
▪▪ Carry a consent letter if you are travelling alone with a
child or children under 18.
▪▪ Stay connected with our Travel Smart app, by
subscribing to travel updates and by following our
social media channels, including Facebook and Twitter.
▪▪ Find the contact information for the Canadian embassy
or consulate closest to your destination and keep the
information with you.
▪▪ Respect and obey a country’s local laws, religions and
culture.
▪▪ Be prepared to cover additional costs for any
unexpected expenses that may occur.

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Consular Services Provided by the
Government of Canada
Canadian officials provide consular assistance 24 hours
a day, seven days a week, through more than 260 points
of service in 150 countries and through our Emergency
Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa.
Each consular case is unique and the assistance we can
provide will vary depending on circumstances.
Before you go, visit our Embassies and consulates page
to find the location and contact information for the
Canadian embassy or consulate closest to your travel
destination.
Always keep this information close at hand while
travelling, and if you need emergency assistance, call the
nearest office serving your destination.
Canadian government officials abroad can:
▪▪ help in a medical emergency by providing a list of local
doctors and hospitals;
▪▪ provide advice and contact information for local police
and medical services to victims of robbery, sexual
assault or other violence;
▪▪ provide assistance in cases of missing persons or the
abduction of a child to another country;
▪▪ replace a lost, stolen, damaged or expired passport;
▪▪ contact relatives or friends to request assistance in
sending you money or airline tickets;

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Canadian Consular Services Charter

▪▪ transfer funds if urgent financial assistance is required

and all other options have been exhausted;
▪▪ contact next of kin, with your authorization, if you have
had an accident or are detained by police;
▪▪ advise local police in Canada to contact next of kin in
case of death;
▪▪ provide assistance to repatriate the remains of your
loved one back to Canada;
▪▪ help you, in case of a death abroad, to identify a
funeral home experienced in international funeral
arrangements in the region where the death took place
as well as a funeral home in Canada;
▪▪ request timely and transparent investigations into
suspicious circumstances in the event of an alleged or
apparent crime or death (although consular officials
cannot interfere in an investigation or legal matter);
▪▪ contact friends or family on your behalf, with your
authorization.
▪▪ provide you with a list of local lawyers;
▪▪ provide you with sources of information about local
laws and regulations.

Canadian government officials abroad cannot:

▪▪ guarantee your safety and security while you are
abroad;
▪▪ post bail, pay legal fees or medical expenses;
▪▪ reimburse you for hotel costs, delayed travel or
cancelled trips;

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▪▪ provide legal advice, intervene in private legal matters
or financial estate disputes;
▪▪ get you out of prison;
▪▪ intercede with foreign immigration officials to allow
you to enter or exit a country;
▪▪ solve immigration-related problems such as
overstaying a visa and applications for a visa to Canada
or other countries;
▪▪ perform fingerprinting services or obtain criminal
record checks;
▪▪ help you find employment, accept mail, store personal
effects or search for lost items on your behalf;
▪▪ perform investigations abroad into crimes or deaths:
this is the responsibility of local authorities;
▪▪ ask local authorities to give you preferential treatment;
▪▪ take possession of a child that has been abducted by a
parent involved in a custody dispute.

When large-scale emergencies arise

During large-scale emergencies, such as natural disasters
and civil unrest, the Government of Canada may:
▪▪ deploy expert teams to enhance the capacity of our
officers in the region affected by an emergency;
▪▪ help Canadians depart to the nearest safe haven on a
cost-recovery basis;
▪▪ liaise with families back in Canada or try to put
Canadians in touch with their families;

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Canadian Consular Services Charter

▪▪ provide timely information and updates through our

website and social media as well as by phone, SMS
and email.

Limitations to our services

Situations vary from one location to another, and there
may be constraints that will limit the ability of the
Government of Canada to provide assistance, particularly
in the case of natural disasters or in countries or regions
where the potential for violent conflict or political
instability is high.
Our ability to provide services in some instances may
also be hindered by the laws and regulations of other
countries.

What you can do if you need assistance when

abroad
You may find yourself in various situations while you are
abroad where some level of assistance may be required.
1. Whether you’re in Canada or out of the country and a
family member has died abroad:
▪▪ The designated representative for the family should
contact the travel insurance provider to notify them
of the death.
▪▪ Contact us to inform us of the situation and obtain
more details on how we can assist.
▪▪ For further information, see Death abroad.

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2. If you think your child has been abducted by the other
parent, or you are facing an international custody
problem:
▪▪ Contact local police. Inform them that you are the
main point of contact for your child and provide
them with a description of your child, a recent
photograph and any legal custody documents in
your possession.
▪▪ Speak to a lawyer who can give you legal advice.
▪▪ Contact Passport Canada and ask that your child’s
name be added to the Passport Program System
Lookout List. This will alert officials if they receive a
passport application for your child.
▪▪ For further information, see International Child
Abduction: A Guidebook for Left-Behind Parents.
▪▪ Contact us to inform us of the situation and obtain
more details on how we can assist.

3. If a friend or family member goes missing abroad:

▪▪ Stay calm and try to contact them by telephone,
email and social media.
▪▪ Call family members and friends and verify their last
address abroad.
▪▪ Report the disappearance to local police in the
country where you are located.
▪▪ You may also want to contact the missing person’s
credit card company and banks to obtain recent
financial transactions.

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Canadian Consular Services Charter

▪▪ Contact us to inform us of the situation and obtain

more details on how we can assist.
▪▪ For further information, see our Missing persons
page.

4. If you or a loved one becomes ill or injured and

requires medical assistance abroad:
▪▪ Verify if travel insurance is available, and contact the
insurance company to ask for a referral.
▪▪ If urgent care is needed, the best option is often the
nearest hospital.
▪▪ Contact us to inform us of the situation and obtain
more details on how we can assist.
▪▪ For further information, see our travel insurance
page.

5. If you or a loved one is arrested and detained abroad:

▪▪ Clearly inform the arresting authorities that you
want them to immediately notify the nearest
Canadian government office abroad of your arrest.
▪▪ If possible, also contact us directly to inform us
of the situation. The nearest office serving your
destination or the Emergency Watch and Response
Centre, available 24/7, will provide more details on
how we can assist.
▪▪ Ask appropriate local authorities to provide
immediate access to consular officers.

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 ▪▪ Remember that consular officers cannot arrange
your release from prison and you are subject to the
criminal justice system of the country where you are
arrested and imprisoned.
▪▪ Request consular officers to provide you with a list
of local lawyers and in some circumstances provide
you with consular visits to ensure your well-being.
▪▪ For further information, see our Arrest and detention
page.

6. If your destination is affected by a large-scale

emergency:
▪▪ Contact your family and friends as soon as you can,
even if you have not been affected by the situation.
▪▪ If the situation warrants, consider leaving by
commercial means if it is safe to do so.
▪▪ Monitor local news.
▪▪ Follow the advice of local authorities.
▪▪ Contact us to inform us of your situation and to
receive emergency assistance.

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Canadian Consular Services Charter

Your Privacy
Canada’s Privacy Act protects your personal information
and consular officers are required to respect all of
its provisions. The personal information they collect
from you when you experience problems abroad is
safeguarded by the Act against inappropriate disclosure.
However, in accordance with the Act, there are a few
exceptions under which your personal information may
be disclosed without your consent. In all cases, consular
officers will make every effort to protect your privacy by
limiting the amount of information disclosed without
your consent to what is strictly required under the
circumstances.
For more information on your privacy, consult the
Consular Services Privacy Notice Statement or the
Consular Policy Regarding the Use and Disclosure of
Personal Information under the Privacy Act.

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DISCLAIMER
Information on this web page is provided as a public
service by the Government of Canada. While every
effort is made to provide accurate information,
information contained here is provided on an “as is”
basis without warranty of any kind, express or implied.
The Government of Canada assumes no responsibility
or liability of any kind and shall not be liable for any
damages in connection to the information provided.
This publication is not intended to provide legal or
other advice and should not be relied upon in that
regard. The reader is encouraged to retain a lawyer
and to supplement this information with independent
research and professional advice.

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NOTES