If a relative or friend goes missing abroad, this Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) guide will tell you what you can do and who to contact.
This information refers to people who go missing while travelling or living abroad.
1. Report the missing person to the authorities in the country they went missing
Responsibility for searching in other countries rests with the local authorities where they went missing, usually the local police. You should report the case to the authorities in that country. If you need advice on how to do this, you can contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) 24/7 on 020 7008 1500.
In some countries, the process will be different to the UK, including the level of service. For example, they may not accept a missing person report until a certain amount of time has passed. In some countries, they will not accept a report in English so you may have to arrange and pay for a translation.
2. Report the missing person to the UK police
It can help if you file a missing person report with the local police in the UK as well as in the country they went missing. You can do this with the local police where you live, or where the missing person lives in the UK.
You should make a specific request that they inform the National Crime Agency’s Interpol bureau (or the SIRENE bureau if they went missing in the
EU or EFTA), which can liaise with the police abroad.
UK police forces do not usually become involved in an investigation in another country. Even where they are ready to, they can only do this at the invitation of the authorities in that country.
3. Contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)
You can contact the FCO by phone 24/7 for help or advice from anywhere in the world by calling 020 7008 1500, or by contacting your nearest
British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. You do not have to wait to report the person missing to the FCO.
Try to provide as much information as possible about the missing person, for example:
- name, date of birth and place of birth
- passport details, if known
- the last place, date and time you or anybody else had contact with them
- travel itinerary and who they are travelling with
- whether they have a medical condition
- mobile phone number, email address, social media account
- insurance details, if known
How the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) can help
The FCO can:
- check its consular records to see if it has had any recent contact with your relative or friend.
- give you information about the police or local authorities in the country they went missing so you can make a missing person report.
- liaise with the authorities in the country they went missing and keep you informed of their progress and pass on any requests they make to UK authorities.
- provide you with details of organisations specialising in missing persons, including the Lucie Blackman Trust, a UK charity that assists families whose relatives go missing in other countries. Please note, that as these are independent organisations, the FCO cannot be held responsible in any way for their advice and/or any decisions and outcomes that result from this.
- If you decide to travel abroad to search for your relative or friend, staff at the British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate can offer information on local conditions and help you arrange meetings with the local authorities and investigating agencies.
Missing Abroad
