Immigration

European Union: Increased Consular Protection for EU Citizens

After implementation of a new EU Directive, effective May 1, 2018, EU citizens will be able to obtain assistance from any EU consular post in a non-EU country where their country of nationality does not have consular post.
Fragomen Apr 30, 2018

The situation

Effective May 1, 2018, EU citizens will be able to obtain assistance from any EU consular post in a non-EU country where their country of nationality does not have consular post.

A closer look

Examples of situations when foreign nationals can seek help from a consular post of another country include:

  • Death;
  • Serious accident or illness;
  • Arrest or detention;
  • Being a victim to a crime;
  • Repatriation; and
  • Need for an emergency travel document (e.g. in case of loss or theft of passport)

 

Impact

EU citizens will benefit from more opportunities for consular protection.

Background

The obligation for embassies and consulates to provide services to other EU nationals comes from a European Directive adopted in 2015.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to Beneluxinfo@fragomen.com.

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