When Australian officials provide assistance to an Australian who
has encountered difficulties overseas — for example if they have been
in an accident, have been a victim of crime, or have been arrested —
this is called consular assistance.
Staff at Australian diplomatic posts around the world and in the
24/7 Consular Emergency Centre in Canberra provide consular assistance
and guidance in person, over the phone and online to Australians. Often
information and guidance is enough, as we try to help people to help
themselves. In other circumstances, more is required. We always give
priority to cases involving particularly vulnerable Australians, such
as children, victims of assault, including sexual assault or people who
are less able to help themselves because of a mental health
condition.
To find more details on the consular services and assistance that
the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides, and what we
cannot do, see the Consular Services Charter.
Protecting Privacy
Personal information provided to the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade (DFAT) is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988. DFAT’s privacy
policy can be accessed at dfat.gov.au/privacy.html. Personal information may be used by us to
provide consular assistance. In accordance with Australian Privacy
Principle 5, information about how we collect, use, disclose and store
personal information related to consular cases is contained in our
Consular Privacy Collection Statement. Copies of the Statement are
available at dfat.gov.au/dept/consular/privacy.html or by requesting a
copy from the department.
Overseas Travel in 2015-16
1,961,666 passports issued
10.2m DEPARTURES
5% INCREASE FROM 9.7M 2014–15
15,740 TOTAL CASES
Around the same number of consular cases as in 2014–15
What is a consular case?
When consular officials overseas provide assistance to an Australian
experiencing difficulty, they open a case in DFAT’s Consular
Information System. The department’s consular statistics record how
many cases we were managing over a given period. Every case is
different — some can be sorted out quite quickly, whereas others may
take weeks, months or even years to resolve. Not all Australians who
run into difficulties overseas seek consular assistance. Often,
problems can be sorted out with the help of travel insurers, travel
agents, employers or family and friends. Even when Australians come to
us, it is not always necessary to open a case — sometimes it is enough
for consular staff to provide advice and information, so that the
traveller can sort out the problem themselves.
Consular services provided to Australian travellers
|
2015–16 |
2014–15 |
2013–14 |
2012–13 |
2011–12 |
ARREST |
1,551 |
1,256 |
1,185 |
1,136 |
1,181 |
PRISONER |
391 |
371 |
339 |
343 |
326 |
DEATH |
1,516 |
1,282 |
1,215 |
1,247 |
1,138 |
HOSPITALISATION |
1,667 |
1,453 |
1,330 |
1,372 |
1,265 |
WHEREABOUTS INQUIRIES* |
5,582 |
5,697 |
4,794 |
1,829 |
4,154 |
REPATRIATION |
76 |
61 |
74 |
81 |
70 |
WELFARE |
3,089 |
3,053 |
2,370 |
2,224 |
2,247 |
THEFT |
1,238 |
1,066 |
1,238 |
1,225 |
1,221 |
ASSAULT |
315 |
235 |
209 |
228 |
193 |
OTHER ASSISTANCE |
315 |
1,350 |
1,804 |
2,242 |
2,779 |
TOTAL CASES OF ASSISTANCE |
15,740 |
15,824 |
14,558 |
11,927 |
14,574 |
EMERGENCY PASSPORTS |
8,140 |
8,171 |
7,857 |
8,020 |
7,976 |
The Consular Information System introduced in June 2015 has improved
data and categorisation of case types, which has resulted in apparent
increases in some case types and the lower number of cases categorised
as “other”.
* These figures include crisis-related whereabouts cases.
If you’re well prepared, in most situations you can look after
yourself, often through travel insurance, with the help of family and
friends or by using international financial facilities, without needing
to seek consular assistance.
Adam headed overseas with his family on a trip to celebrate his
youngest son finishing high school. Adam researched their destination
and the activities they were planning. After checking the details of
his travel insurance policy, he realised that it would not cover their
planned activities. He consulted his travel agent and, before they
started the holiday, he amended the insurance policy. It was good that
he did, as his daughter fell and broke her leg while skiing and had to
be airlifted to the nearest city for treatment. The emergency transport
and hospital costs amounted to over $45,000, which was covered by the
family’s insurance policy.
Melinda and her friends planned a four day break at a tropical
resort to celebrate winning a big work contract. As part of their
planning, Melinda made sure everyone took out travel insurance. On the
second night of their break, the group headed to a local club. After a
night out and a few bottles of champagne, the group were walking back
to their villa when Melinda stumbled in the dark, fell onto the road
and was hit by a motorbike. She was rushed to hospital, but because she
had been drinking, the insurance company refused to cover the costs.
Melinda had not read the fine print and did not realise that this would
affect her insurance cover. Her family at home had to borrow money to
cover more than $40,000 in hospital costs and the changes to her
flights.
2015-16 More cases of imprisonment, hospitalisation, theft and assault
Where are the cases happening?
The Embassy in Bangkok continues to be our busiest consular
post.
836 Cases in Thailand
up 25% from 667
770 Cases in USA
up 19% from 649
688 Cases in Indonesia
up 26% from 547
542 Cases in Italy
down 11% from 609
530 Cases in the Philippines
up 11% from 447
The numbers of cases do not show complexity: some cases might be
straightforward and quick to resolve; others may be complex and take
weeks, months or even years to resolve. For example, we manage many
cases in Italy, but most are not complex.
Assault case numbers increased from 234 to 315, including the number
of sexual assault cases from 97 to 136. No one destination stands out
as more likely for sexual assault to occur. We assisted Australians in
cases of sexual assault in 47 different countries in 2015–16. For more
information, go to: smartraveller.gov.au/sexual-assault.
Deaths of Australians overseas
We assisted families in 1,516 cases of Australians who died overseas
in 2015–16. Most deaths of Australians overseas are a result of illness
or natural causes. And the countries where the highest numbers of death
cases generally occur are the countries where more Australians visit or
live — not because those countries are more dangerous.
728 Deaths were the result of illness or natural causes
214 Deaths were the result of accidents
47 Related to murders (13 new cases in 2015–16)
105 Indonesia
up from 87
205 Thailand
up from 145
124 Philippines
up from 101
79 USA
up from 44
77 Vietnam
down from 85
Note: Cause of death is determined by local authorities. Not all these
deaths occurred during 2015–16. Some death cases stay open for months or
even years — particularly if there are lengthy legal processes or local
investigations.
Hospitalisations
In 2015–16, we assisted in 1,667 cases of Australians hospitalised
overseas, an increase of 15 per cent from the previous year.
Top five countries for hospitalisations
176 Thailand
153 Indonesia
122 USA
75 New Caledonia
72 Vietnam
Looking after health, including mental health
We do not keep separate statistics on cases in which mental health
is a concern, but mental health can be a factor in almost all types of
consular cases. In some cases, the client’s mental health condition is
the primary cause of the incident requiring consular assistance, while
in others it may affect the person’s ability to help themselves or make
them more vulnerable. Our staff around the world are reporting an
increasing number of such cases, again highlighting the importance of
looking after your mental health when you travel, just as you would
your physical health.
If you’re managing a mental health condition, look carefully at your
travel insurance to make sure it covers you should you need help while
overseas. If you’re on medication, make sure it is legal in the country
you’re travelling to and that you have supplies in their original
packaging — with copies of prescriptions — and keep them in your hand
luggage in case your bags go astray or you have travel delays. People
sometimes feel they do not need their medication while travelling,
however to remain well it is important that you continue to take your
medication as prescribed. See more information at smartraveller.gov.au/mental-health.
Cases of Australians arrested
The number of cases of Australians arrested overseas continues to
increase, with 1,551 such cases in 2015–16 (an increase of 23 per cent
from 1,256 in 2014–15)
262 USA
up from 169
107 Thailand
up from 93
100 United Arab Emirates
up from 62
92 China (Mainland)
down from 103
75 Philippines
no change from 75
Drugs, fraud and assault continue to be very common reasons for
arrests. We are also seeing increasing numbers of arrests for theft,
including at major international airports. In some locations, we have
also seen arrests for alcohol-related offences — a timely reminder
research and heed local laws, remembering they may be different from
Australian laws.
The Consular Information System introduced in June 2015 has enabled
clearer reporting of some categories, such as immigration detention
cases — where Australians have been denied entry to a country or
breached visa conditions. These are reported under the “arrest”
category, and account for much of the increase for 2015–16. Most of
these cases end in deportation back to Australia and often include
fines. Entry requirements are a matter for the country you are visiting
and the Australian Government is not able to intervene in immigration
matters. Always check the entry requirements of the countries you’re
visiting and ensure you have at least six months validity on your
passport, since many countries require this as a condition of entry.
Many of the immigration detention cases were in the USA, which
administers a strict entry regime and you may be refused entry if you
do not comply with its entry requirements.
Drug Related Arrests
Drug-related arrests accounted for 168 of the 1,551 arrest cases.
Our travel advice warns that even small quantities of “soft drugs” can
attract heavy fines or jail sentences in prison environments that might
be much harsher than in Australia.
The advice to travellers is simple: don’t carry or consume illegal
drugs overseas. Ever.
Many countries around the world — including destinations popular
with Australian travellers — can apply the death penalty to those
convicted of using, dealing or trafficking drugs. While we will provide
what consular assistance we can, we cannot get you out of jail or
provide legal assistance.
Make sure that you are aware of the contents of all of your bags,
particularly when crossing international borders. Do not carry anything
for someone else while travelling. If you are travelling with medicine,
find out whether those medicines are legal in the countries you are
going to and make sure you have adequate supplies as well as the right
paperwork, such as a letter from your doctor or copy of your
prescription. More information at: smartraveller.gov.au/medicine.
Cases of Australians in prison
The number of cases of Australians convicted and serving a sentence
in prison — some of them very lengthy sentences — grew by five per cent
to 391.
China (Mainland) - 61
Up from 56 the previous year. 30 of these were for fraud.
USA - 53
Up from 49 the previous year. For a wide range of offences.
Vietnam - 34
Down from 42 the previous year. 32 were for drug-related offences.
Thailand - 25
Up from 22 the previous year. Mostly drugs and fraud.
New Zealand - 25
Up from 22 the previous year. Mostly drugs and assault.
391 cases of Australians in prison
Up from 371 in 2014–15 and 326 five years ago in 2011–12.
Most common reason for being imprisoned was for drug-related
offences (149)
Passports
As at 30 June 2016, 13,418,960 current Australian passports. 55.64
per cent of Australians possess a current passport.
Emergency Passports - A Temporary Solution
If you need to replace your passport while you are travelling
overseas, contact the nearest Australian diplomatic mission or
consulate for advice. We may be able to issue you with an emergency
passport to meet your immediate travel needs. This document is of limited validity (12 months maximum)
and because it is not an ePassport, it will not enable you to travel
visa-free to certain destinations, such as the USA. If your travel is
not urgent and you have the required documentation, apply for a full
validity passport.
In 2015-16
2,530 Australian passports were reported lost overseas
2,403 Australian passports were reported stolen overseas
216 lost - 101 stolen
UK
78 lost - 215 stolen
France
507 lost - 250 stolen
USA
180 stolen
Spain
258 stolen
Italy*
115 lost
Thailand
137 lost
NZ
* Down from 335
8,140 Emergency passports issued overseas
17.2% - 1,400
in the US
The post that issued the most:
Los Angeles (556)
Followed by the same top five as in 2014-15:
Paris (448), New York (384), Bangkok (351), and Rome (338).
Overseas posts received 94,818 applications for full validity
passports — approximately 4.8% of total passport applications in 2015–16.
Of those, London received the most (18,042)
Passport Advice
- Wherever you are in the world, you can start your passport
application online at passports.gov.au
- You must lodge your passport application in person. Parents can
lodge applications on behalf of children under 16, but applicants
aged 16 and 17 years old must attend with a lodging parent. This
applies whether you are in Australia or abroad and is to ensure the
integrity of our travel documents.
- Allow at least three weeks to get a new passport. If you need
to travel urgently, ask about our priority service.
- If your passport is lost or stolen, report this immediately —
you can do this online at passports.gov.au. We will cancel it to
ensure it is not at risk of misuse. Your passport is a valuable
identity document that can be used by criminals to assume your
identity, carry out criminal activity in your name and travel
illegally.
- Protect your passport! Damage, especially to the page with your
name and photo, may mean your passport will not be accepted at
borders, and you may be inconvenienced by having to replace it
before or while you are travelling. Even small tears can render
your passport invalid.
- Well before you travel, check that your passport will meet the
minimum validity requirements of the countries you plan to visit or
transit (often, this will be six months from the time you leave —
not arrive in — the country concerned).
For more information visit passports.gov.au.
Look after your passport
Most common causes of passport damage:
- Water damage — mainly from spilt drinks or passports being
washed.
- Torn pages.
- Do not carry your passport in your back pocket ( NB this also
helps to prevent passports being washed accidentally and chip
damage).
- Do not leave it where children can draw on it or animals can
chew on it.
Major incidents overseas
When natural disasters, terrorism incidents or major transport
accidents happen overseas, many friends and family in Australia are
concerned about loved ones who are travelling.
When an incident happens overseas, try to contact the person you are
concerned about directly, using phone, email or social media.
If there is a large-scale incident and we are concerned that many
Australians may be affected, the department will activate a dedicated
call unit to handle queries.
In 2015–16, the department activated crisis call units to assist
Australians affected by:
- bombing in Bangkok in August 2015
- terror attacks in Paris in November 2015
- attacks in Jakarta in January 2016
- Tropical Cyclone Winston in Fiji in February 2016
- terror attacks in Brussels in March 2016.
When developments on the ground are fast moving, don't take risks,
listen to the advice of local authorities and if possible let loved
ones back in Australia know that you are safe.
Travel advice
Australian Government Travel advisories draw on information from a
wide range of sources to provide the most up-to-date and accurate
information to help you make informed decisions about your travel.
They are one of many sources of information available to help you
research your travel.
We keep the information provided in travel advisories under close
review. All advisories are routinely updated but we also update if
there are new developments such as credible intelligence reporting,
major protests or unrest, new entry requirements, or a natural
disaster.
Download the App
Subscribe for Updates
Travel advisories for:
172 destinations
(171 last year)
773 updates
(778 last year)
44 travel bulletin updates
on issues like terrorism and
the Zika virus (62 last year))
Travel advice is not a news service. Not all issues and security
incidents are included — if an incident does not change the risk of
travel for Australians, we will not change the travel advice. While
overseas, travellers should follow local and international media to
keep themselves informed of developments that may affect safety and
security.
Travellers who subscribe to travel advice updates receive the latest
information as soon as it is available.
In 2015–16, we changed our travel registration system to an
account-based system, to make it easier for travellers to register
their trip and change details once they have registered. We also
launched a new Smartraveller app for Android devices which, together
with the existing iPhone app, helps travellers get up-to-date
information while they are away.
Get the right insurance
Sorting out travel insurance should be one of the first things on
anyone’s list. The handy travel insurance buying guide on the
Smartraveller website helps Australians make sure they’re getting the
right insurance for what they plan to do.
- Most travellers are covered: only 8% of Australians travelled
overseas without insurance in the last year (15% for 18–24 year
olds).
- But too many travellers are willing to travel uninsured: 31%
thought it was ok to travel without insurance to a developed
country.
- And not enough travellers understand their policy: 27% were not
covered or were not sure they were covered for medical
expenses.
Source: Insurance Council of Australia and DFAT commissioned survey of
Australian Travel Insurance Behaviour.
Emergency financial assistance
Sometimes emergency situations arise and even the most organised,
resourceful and experienced travellers can run into unexpected
problems.
This can include not being able to access money if your wallet or
credit cards have been stolen or perhaps lost or damaged in an
accident. Your travel insurer should be able to assist you, or consular
staff may be able to help you to get in touch with family and friends
who can transfer money using a bank or a commercial financial service.
In exceptional cases, an Australian might need a small emergency loan
to tide them over until they can sort themselves out or perhaps to help
them get home. There are strict conditions around such loans, with
recipients required to sign a legal undertaking to repay. This makes
clear that the loan either needs to be repaid by the due date or the
debtor needs to have arrangements in place to repay the loan. If not,
the loan recipient’s passport may be cancelled, or issue of a further
passport may be refused until the debt is repaid in full. DFAT may also
pursue legal action to recover debts.
With so many other options available to travellers, we issue fewer
emergency loans each year.
In 2015–16 we issued travellers' emergency loans to
197 Australians
46% fewer than five years ago (365)
Calls for help
DFAT runs a 24/7 Consular Emergency Centre in Canberra, which
Australians — or their family and friends — can call for advice or
assistance, from anywhere in the world.
+61 2 6261 3305 from overseas
1300 555 135 from within Australia
If your passport is lost or stolen, report this immediately — we
will cancel it to ensure it is not at risk of misuse. Your passport is
a valuable identity document that can be used by criminals to commit
offences in your name.
Every day, we receive calls to the Consular Emergency Centre or to
staff at embassies and consulates overseas that have nothing to do with
consular work.
Sometimes Australians are looking for a bit of information about
“home”, like where to buy Vegemite or where to watch a footy final.
Sometimes callers don’t know who else to call or simply haven’t stopped
to think whether they could find the answers via an internet search —
like asking for advice on the weather overseas or how to get a job in
another country.
In most cases, our staff can and do handle such calls quickly and
simply, by directing the caller to other sources of information. But
they do show that not everyone understands what “consular” means and
when it is right to call the Consular Emergency Centre.
66,763 Calls to the consular emergency centre
up from 50,525 in 2014-15
So when should you call?
Just as they do when they are on holidays at home, Australians can
usually look after themselves while they are overseas.
But sometimes things happen to even the best prepared. You may need
to call us if you have been the victim of an assault or other crime or
if you need to know details for local doctors or hospitals. If a loved
one has died overseas, we can give you advice on what you need to do
and help you make arrangements. If you have a legal issue, we can
provide a list of local lawyers, but we cannot provide legal advice or
intervene in private legal matters.
Looking after yourself
Every day, we are called by worried friends and family members who
are trying to get in touch with someone overseas.
- If you’re travelling, let people at home know your itinerary
and then keep in touch while you are away. If you’re at home, be
realistic about how often you expect to hear from someone who might
be on the trip of a lifetime.
Consular staff often receive calls from worried family members when
it turns out their loved one has just forgotten to charge their mobile
phone or not updated Facebook.
- If you’ve said you will stay in touch, do. Don’t cause
unnecessary worry for your friends and loved ones at home.
Getting the right insurance can make the difference between the end
to your holiday plans, or just a hiccup.
- Make sure your insurance covers the places you’re going, the
activities you’ll be doing and any pre-existing conditions.
Research your destination and be prepared to look after your
physical and mental health.
- If you know you have a pre-existing condition, talk to your
doctor or other care providers before you head overseas to make
sure you are prepared and check your travel insurance policy to
know if you’re covered.
- Take supplies of the right medications in their original
packaging, as well as the right paperwork, such as a letter from
your doctor, your prescription or an import authorisation.
- And make sure that those medications are not illegal in the
countries you’re visiting.
When planning overseas travel, look at information from a wide
range of sources
Have you been to smartraveller.gov.au?
Over 21 Million page views on Smartraveller
up 31%
Over 100,000 Facebook likes
up 66%
13,809 Twitter followers
up 57%
Family and friends can be a great source of information and there is
an almost limitless range of websites providing travel information on
every possible angle, not to mention travel books, magazines and travel
sections in many newspapers.
And smartraveller.gov.au should always be a destination for anyone
planning overseas travel.
Contact us
Website
dfat.gov.au/about-us/our-services/consular-services
Contact
Inquiries regarding the Consular State of Play
are welcome and should be directed to:
First Assistant Secretary
Consular and Crisis Management Division
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
R G Casey Building
John McEwen Cresent
Barton ACT 0221 Australia
consular.feedback@dfat.gov.au
@dfat
dfat.gov.au
ISSN 2205-8842 (print)
ISBN 978-1-74322-351-2 (webpage)
ISBN 978-1-74322-353-6 (pdf)
ISBN 978-1-74322-352-9 (booklet)
Creative Commons
With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms and where otherwise noted, such as copyrighted images, this publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence.
The publication should be attributed as the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Consular State of Play October 2016.
Use of the Coat of Arms The terms under which the Coat of Arms can be used are detailed on the "It’s an Honour" website .
Website dfat.gov.au/about-us/our-services/consular-services