There are over 160 capital cities in the world that are home to United States Embassies. Each embassy has a consular section in which consular officers do two things including issuing visas to foreigners and helping US citizens abroad. US consuls are often assisted by local employees who are citizens of the office's host country. There are a growing number of Americans traveling abroad and considering there are a relatively small number of consuls, the expertise of the local employees proves to be invaluable. It is important when traveling abroad to register with the nearest US embassy or consular office. Registering makes it easier for consular officers to reach you in the case of an emergency or to help you replace a lost or stolen passport. Consular officers provide a range of services including emergency and non-emergency matters.
Emergency Services
Replace a Passport – If you lose your passport, a consul can usually issue a replacement, often times within 24 hours. If you believe that your passport has been stolen, you should first report the incident to local police and be sure to get a police declaration. The consul will then be able to help you get a replacement.
Find Medical Assistance – If you get sick while traveling abroad, you can contact a consul office who can provide you with a list of doctors in your area, medical specialists, and other medical information. In the case of an injury or becoming seriously ill, a consul will help find the right medical assistance and at your request will contact family or friends.
Help Get Funds – If you happen to lose your money or other financial resources, consular officers can help you contact your bank, family, or employer and arrange for them to send you funds. In some instances, these funds can be wired to you through the Department of State.
Help In An Emergency – If you family needs to reach you because of an emergency at home or because they may be worried about your welfare, they can call the State Department's Overseas Citizens Services. The department will relay the message to the consular officers in the country where you are traveling. Consular officers will then attempt to locate you to pass on urgent messages and in accordance with the Privacy Act they will report back to your family.
Visits In Jail – If you are arrested in a foreign country you should ask the authorities to notify the nearest US consul. Consuls cannot get you out of jail since you are in a foreign country and therefore subject to their laws but they can work to protect your interests and ensure that you are not unfairly discriminated against. Consul officers will also provide you a list of local attorneys, as well as visit you and inform you in general about local laws. They will also contact your family and friends. Consular officers are able to transfer food, clothing, and money to the prison authorities from your family or friends. Most importantly, the officers will try to get you relief if you are being held under unhealthful or inhumane conditions.
Make Arrangements After The Death Of An American – When an American dies abroad, a consular officer will notify the persons family and notify them of options and costs for diposition of remains. The costs for preparing a body and returning it to the US is often very high and must be paid for by the family. Often, local procedures and laws make shipping a body to the US for bural a lengthy process. A consul officer will prepare a Report of Death based on the locally issued death certificate, and this is forwarded to the next of kin for use in insurance and estate matters.
Help In Disaster/Evacuation – If you are caught in a civil disturbance or some type of natural disaster, let your relatives know as soon as your can that you are safe or contact a US consul who will pass the message on to your family. You need to be resourceful, US officials will do everything they can to contact and advise you but they must give priority to Americans who have been hurt or are in immediate danger. Remember in a disaster, consuls face many of the same restraints you do, including in some cases lack of electricity, closed airports, and interrupted phone lines.
Non-Emergency Services
Issue A Consular Report Of Birth – A child who is born abroad to US citizens as parents usually acquires US citizenship at the time of birth. The parents should contact the nearest consulate or US embassy to have a Report of Birth Abroad of a US Citizen prepared. This serves as proof of citizenship for all purposes.
Issue A Passport – Consuls issue about 200,000 passports each year. Most of these are issued to people whose current passports have expired while they are traveling.
Distribute Federal Benefits Payments – Over half a million people living abroad receive monthly federal benefits payments for any number of reasons. In most countries, the checks are mailed to the US embassy or consulate office and then are distributed through the local postal service.
Assist In Child Custody Disputes – In the case of an international custody dispute, a consul officer can try to help locate the child abroad, monitor the child's welfare, and provide information to the American parent about procedures and laws that may be used to help in the child's return to the US. Consuls cannot take custody of a child or help a parent regain custody of a child by any illegal means or by deception or force.
What Consular Officers Cannot Do
While consular officers are there to help Americans traveling abroad in a number of situations, there are tasks that they cannot perform. Consular officers cannot act as banks, lawyers, travel agents, investigators, or law enforcement officers. You cannot expect them to find you employment, act as interpreters, get you residence or driving permits, or settle disputes. They can and will, however, tell you how to get help with these matters.
Privacy Act
The provisions of the Privacy Act for Americans traveling abroad are designed to protect the rights of Americans. Occasionally they will complicate a consular officer's efforts to assist Americans. A a general rule, officers may not reveal information regarding an individual American's welfare, intentions, location, or problems to anyone, including family members and congressional representatives without the consent of the individual.