Brussels – There are numerous things to consider before departure, but the utmost priority, particularly for travel outside the EU, must be safety in an emergency. That is why it is important to remember that among the fundamental rights of EU citizens is also the right to consular and diplomatic protection from the European Union in countries outside the borders of the 27 Member States.

EU consular protection means that a citizen of a member country (such as Italy) can ask for help from the embassy or consulate of any other Member State (such as France, Germany, Spain) in case they need assistance in an extra-EU country (from Mexico to Morocco, from South Africa to Vietnam). This is possible if a traveller is not represented in that state, i.e., their home country does not have an embassy or consulate there, or if national diplomats cannot provide consular protection, for example, because they are located far from the place of emergency.

Embassies or consulates of other EU Member States can then provide assistance in case of a lost or stolen passport (by issuing an emergency EU travel document to return home), arrest or detention (with information on the local legal system and to find a lawyer), if you fall victim to a crime, but also in case of severe accident or illness (to contact one’s insurance company, family or friends), emergency rescue and repatriation (e.g., evacuation in case of conflict, natural disaster, civil unrest) or even in the event of death (diplomatic staff can help register it and notify next of kin).

When an unrepresented EU citizen seeks help from the embassy or consulate of another Member State, they must prove their identity by producing a passport or ID card. In the event of theft or loss of documents, identity can also be verified with the authorities in one’s home state. For more information, you can consult the website on consular protection for EU citizens abroad. To find out if your state has an embassy or consulate in the extra-EU country to which you want to travel (or to find contact information for those in other Member stateS to contact in an emergency), the Find an embassy/consulate section is available.

English version by the Translation Service of Withub