Unusual Consular Enquiries Revealed by Foreign Office
A British holidaymaker seeking advice on where to get blonde highlights in Jordan is among the unusual enquiries received by consular staff, the Foreign Office has disclosed.
Other notable requests include a caller contacting the UK Embassy in Paris for assistance in locating where they had parked their car near the Eiffel Tower, and a tourist in Egypt asking embassy personnel to intervene regarding the shower temperature at a hotel.
The Foreign Office published these examples as part of an effort to raise awareness ahead of the summer holiday season about the range of support British embassies and consulates can provide to nationals abroad. This support includes assistance with lost passports and medical emergencies.
However, the department clarified it cannot
"advise on hairdressing options or resolve restaurant complaints".
Volume and Nature of Enquiries
On Saturday, the Foreign Office reported that UK embassy and consulate staff overseas handled over 328,000 enquiries and requests for assistance in the past year, averaging nearly 900 calls daily.
While most enquiries are genuine requests for help or advice, a small number are more unusual in nature.
Examples of Unusual Requests
Additional examples of unconventional enquiries include:
- A caller to the Paris embassy inquiring about the quantity of duck pâté allowed to be brought into the UK.
- A British individual in Georgia requesting whether their two pets could be granted British citizenship to ensure diplomatic protection.
- A holidaymaker in Nigeria seeking embassy assistance to obtain a refund for an unsatisfactory meal at a restaurant in Abuja.
- An individual planning to visit the UK asking their local embassy for help booking tickets for Royal Ascot.
- A British citizen requesting the consular service's help to contact their postman while abroad.
Some enquiries were related to football during the World Cup, such as a caller in Italy asking where to watch the Scotland versus Haiti group match in Milan.
Travel Advice and Consular Support
Adopting a more serious tone, the Foreign Office encouraged travellers to consult the latest travel advice for their destinations and to ensure they have appropriate travel insurance.
The support offered to travellers encountering difficulties includes issuing Emergency Travel Documents if passports are lost or stolen. More than 29,500 such documents were issued to British nationals in the last year.
Embassy staff can also provide information and advice to British nationals who are victims of crime or require medical assistance abroad, as well as offer guidance and support to those arrested overseas, according to the Foreign Office.
Consular Contact Centre Statement
Fraser McDougall, head of the Consular Contact Centre, stated that while the Foreign Office cannot assist with retrieving lost cars or finding venues to watch football matches, it is
"proud of the support we provide to over a quarter of a million Brits each year".
