Consular Section - Introduction

Are you a British national temporarily residing in or visiting Australia? Are you in trouble? Broke?? Injured or ill???

The British High Commission in Canberra and the Consulates-General in Sydney and Melbourne (covering Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania), and the British Consulates in Perth and Brisbane (covering Queensland and the Northern Territory) are responsible for the consular protection of British nationals who are temporary residents in or visitors to Australia. Staff in these offices will do everything they CAN to help British people in difficulty abroad. There are things they can do and things they cannot do for you.

In the case of a real emergency, British nationals visiting Australia should call their nearest Consular Office.

Please note that the Consular Offices DO NOT handle Passport and Entry Clearance (Visa) enquiries and applications. Passports and Visas are ONLY issued by the High Commission in Canberra. If you need this form of assistance, please select passports or visas to the left and choose the appropriate button.

Legal Matters

The High Commission and Consular Offices cannot give legal advise or assistance, or intervene in legal matters. Nor can they pay lawyers fees or other legal costs. Attached is a list of some Australian legal practitioners.

Information for British Nationals detained in Australian prisons

The High Commission and Consular Offices cannot get you out of prison. They can however give you (or your family or friends) information on what we can and cannot do for prisoners. Attached is information for British Nationals detained in Australian prisons.

Consular and High Commission birth, marriage and death registrations

Consular and High Commission birth, marriage and death registrations are not performed at this High Commission nor is this necessary. Local certificates issued by the appropriate registration authorites are normally acceptable for most purposes.

The High Commission and Consular Offices can:

contact relatives and friends and ask them to help you with money or tickets;
tell you how to transfer money;
in an emergency, cash you a sterling cheque worth up to £100 if supported by a valid banker's card;
help you get in touch with local lawyers, interpreters and doctors;
arrange for next of kin to be told of an accident or a death and advise on procedures;
visit you if you have been arrested or put in prison. In certain circumstances we can arrange for messages to be sent to relatives or friends;
give guidance on organisations who help trace missing persons;
speak to the local authorities for you, in certain circumstances.

UK law says we have to charge for some services. Consulates display the standards of service you can expect under the Citizen's Charter.

The High Commission and the Consular Offices cannot:

help you if you are also an Australian citizen;
help with Australian immigration issues such as illegal entry or expired visas;
intervene in court cases, or get you out of prison, or give legal advice or investigate a crime or start court proceedings for you;
get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to Australians;
pay your hotel, legal, medical or any other bills;
pay your travel costs, except in special circumstances;
do work normally done by travel agents, airlines, banks or motoring organisations;
get you somewhere to live, a job or work permit.

For further useful information visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office web hints on If It All Goes Wrong and Know Before You Go.