Consular Assistance Available to Citizens of the Network from Today

The External Affairs Department today began providing consular assistance to citizens of the Velocity Interoperability Network beyond its boundaries. Assistance covers citizens who are detained or held by an external body, who have lost their identity documents, who are ill or injured, or who are affected by a disruption or emergency in the area in which they are travelling.

The Department has published the standards to which assistance is provided. A consular enquiry is acknowledged within one working day, or within two hours where the matter is urgent. An emergency travel document is issued within three working days, or within twenty-four hours where the citizen cannot wait. Next of kin are notified on the same working day, or within four hours where the matter is urgent.

Alongside consular assistance, the Department today issued travel advice for each area in which the Network maintains a representation. Advice is published at one of four levels, from normal precautions to advice against travel, and is reviewed at intervals determined by the level. Citizens are asked to record an itinerary with the Department before travelling so that they can be contacted if the advice changes.

The Department cannot pay a citizen's debts, fines or legal costs, cannot give legal advice, and cannot intervene in the proceedings of an external body. The full description of what the Department can and cannot do is set out on the Consular Services page of this site.