Embassies and Consulates – Where To Turn For Help When Traveling Outside Of Canada

Every year, millions of Canadians travel outside the country for business and personal activities. Most trips result in a memorable travel experience; however, there are times when unexpected troubling events occur. When an alarming incident does occur in another country, it can often be a stressful and frightening time. Fortunately, there are places Canadians can turn to for help.

When Canadians plan to travel out of the country, they are able to get assistance in more than 150 countries at more than 260 offices. There are Consular offices that offer services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Consular staff is trained to provide Canadian citizens with helpful aid for an extensive range of travel issues. Canadians traveling outside of Canada can get in touch with the closest Canadian Government office or call the DFAIT’s Operations Centre. The DFAIT not only provides consular services, but it also services other government departments and agencies which includes the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada Border Services Agency, Passport Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and the Department of National Defence.

If you plan to travel abroad, it is important to find out the location of Government of Canada offices in the countries you plan to visit and make sure you keep the contact information with you when traveling. Located on the Consular Affairs website, the Global Issues and Country Travel Reports section has the most current information on the safety and security conditions, health issues, and entry and visa requirements for over 200 travel destinations. Before your flights, it is important to provide your family or friends with a travel schedule and your contact details while traveling, as well as the emergency number for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada ((613) 996-8885 outside Canada; 1 800 267-6788 or (613) 944-6788 in Canada).

Consular officials can help Canadians with such issues as evacuation from a war zone, civil unrest, or a natural disaster. They will also give travelers a list of hospitals and local doctors in the event of a medical emergency, assist with legal issues that includes providing a list of local lawyers and local laws, provide assistance for victims of a crime such as a mugging, and help locate abducted children and missing persons. It is recommended that travelers purchase travel insurance to make sure they are protected in an emergency such as a medical emergency. Consular officials will also contact next of kin, replace expired, stolen, or lost passports, notarize documents, and provide a limited translation service. Some of these services will require a service fee. If you find yourself in a difficult situation in a place where the Canadian Government does not have an office, you should look for another country’s office such as the United States, Australia, or Britain. To make sure you are protected, you should register with a Canadian Government office before departure.

Because you do not always know what to expect when you travel to another country, it is important that you know what to do in case of an emergency. Being equipped with the right information will make any emergency much less stressful and easier to resolve.

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