About consular services
Consular services are provided to Canadians outside Canada by our offices abroad.
Each case is different, and the type and amount of consular services we can provide depends on the situation. A natural disaster, violent conflict, political unrest, or the laws and regulations in other countries, may mean that we are less able to help you.
Consular officers will only get as involved as necessary, and there are limits to the help we can give you. You may have to pay for some of these services.
Before you travel, make sure you know how to find the Government of Canada office nearest to your destination and understand the services it can and can’t provide.
If you need help while you are outside Canada contact the nearest Government of Canada office or call our Emergency Watch and Response Centre directly at +1 613 996 8885 (call collect where available). Help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Some services available at consular offices outside Canada
Safety, security and medical emergencies
- give you a list of local doctors and hospitals
- contact family or friends, with your consent, if you have had an accident or are held by police
- provide advice and guidance if a person is missing or if a child is abducted outside Canada
Examples of what we can’t do:
- guarantee the safety and security of Canadians outside Canada
- take responsibility for a child outside Canada who has been abducted by a parent involved in a custody dispute
- provide medical services (including vaccination) or cover medical expenses for Canadian citizens outside of Canada
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- Sickness or injury
- Physical assault abroad
- Sexual assault abroad
- Child welfare, abduction and custody issues
We can:
- help you replace a lost, stolen, damaged or expired Canadian passport
- take applications for new Canadian passports and Canadian citizenship certificates
Examples of what we can’t do:
- help Canadians outside Canada solve immigration-related problems such as overstaying a visa and visa applications
- answer any questions or help with immigration to Canada or Canadian visa-related issues
- answer any questions about permanent residence
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- Canadian passports
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
- give you a list of local lawyers
- give you public sources of information on local laws and regulations
- provide a range of services to Canadians detained abroad (all services may not be always available at all locations)
- give you contact information for local police and medical services if you have been the victim of robbery, sexual assault or other violent act
Examples of what we can’t do:
- post bail, pay legal fees or medical expenses
- give legal advice, get involved in private legal matters or financial disputes
- get a Canadian out of a foreign prison
- investigate a crime or death abroad. This is the responsibility of local authorities
- interfere in an investigation
- ask local authorities to give a Canadian special treatment or to exempt a Canadian from the due process of local law
- take fingerprints or obtain criminal record checks
- A Guide for Canadians Detained Abroad.
- Arrest and detention
- Lost or stolen belongings abroad
- ask Canadian police to notify next of kin in case of a death abroad
- help find a funeral home abroad with experience in international funeral arrangements, if available, to repatriate a loved one’s remains to Canada
Examples of what we can’t do:
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- give you a list of translators
- provide notarial services (all services may not be available at all locations)
- help you with private money transfers
- help you to vote in Canadian elections
Examples of what we can’t do:
- refund your hotel costs if a trip is delayed or cancelled
- help Canadians outside Canada to find employment, or accept their mail, store their personal effects or search for lost items
Related content
- Notarial services
- Elections (voting from abroad)
- Ways to vote (Elections Canada)
Related links
- Canadian Consular Services Charter
- Consular officers in action
- Consular fees
- Consular Services: Service Standards
- Canada's Consular Strategy
- Canada's Consular Strategy - Contributing to the Safety and Security of Canadians Abroad
- Consular Services Delivery Framework
