Obtaining Consular Assistance

Most industrialized countries have an embassy and/or consulate based in Mexico.  Embassies, and their Consular sections, are set up principally to facilitate trade and diplomatic relations in a foreign territory, and the consular sections also provide a number of services in support of their citizens abroad.

The United States, Canada, the UK and other European countries, Israel, Australia and New Zealand are all well represented through embassies and a network of consulates in Mexico.   The embassies are always located in the capital (Mexico City), although many of these countries, particularly the US, Canada and the UK also have a network of consulates in key provincial towns and cities in Mexico.

Consulates proffer a number of useful services to their citizens, but the assistance they provide also has limitations.   The exact services vary from country to country, but the ones listed here are the principal services offered by most consulates.

Services Provided by Most Consulates
The most common service provided by consulates is the issue of replacement passports to their citizens when the documents are lost, damaged, stolen or expired, as well issuing new passports to offspring and dependents of citizens where the country’s policy allows for foreign-born offspring and dependents to carry them.

The consulate provides help if you have suffered a serious assault, have become a victim of crime or if you are hospitalized (NB: they don’t pay medical costs, see limitations below).

Consulates will also provide details of local professionals: doctors, attorneys and funeral directors are the most commonly sought-after.   They will also provide assistance where children have been abducted, a death of a citizen occurs, and where people go missing.

In the event that you are detained by the authorities, your consulate will try and make contact with you after they have been informed of your detention.   They will also contact friends or relatives if you ask them to.

Should a civil disturbance, a natural disaster or terrorist-related incident take place, consulates may make special arrangements to provide additional support their citizens.  In the unlikely event of a major catastrophe, your consulate may set up, at its own discretion, an emergency program to provide direct and/or indirect assistance to its citizens.

Note for dual-nationals: If you hold dual-nationality in Mexico (e.g. US-Mexican citizen or UK-Mexican citizen), the Consulate will not normally be able to offer you consular assistance or intercede on your behalf with local authorities.

Things Consulates Cannot Do:
Consulates cannot help you get a visa to enter Mexico.  Tourist and Business Visitor visas for Mexico are straightforward to obtain by citizens emanating from most industrialized nations; beyond this scope and for work permits and immigration, you will need to adhere to Mexican immigration policy and contact your nearest Mexican Consulate for assistance to do this.  If you are seeking employment in Mexico, the consulate cannot help you with your search nor obtain a work visa for you.

Your consulate cannot interfere in the Mexican legal, judicial and immigration processes.  They cannot get you out of jail or prevent you from having your immigration status revoked.  They cannot demand better treatment for you in prison than that which is given to Mexicans.

The consulate will not investigate any crimes or undertake a search for a missing person; neither can they give you legal advice, although they can give you a list of attorneys you may contact directly for legal help in these matters.  You will need to fund your own investigations and/or legal defense in the case of any proceedings being brought against you.

The consulate cannot give you any money, pay medical or legal fees, or cover any bills you may incur if you get into trouble locally.  In exceptional circumstances, consulates might lend some money to you from a public fund which must be repaid.

Get Insured
It’s advisable to ensure that you are comprehensively insured when you are traveling or living in Mexico.  Only resident immigrants (with an FM2 visa) are entitled to free medical care under Mexico’s state healthcare system and, even then, many opt to pay for private treatment instead.  Private medical expenses are high in Mexico, and if you require hospitalization after a major accident, they can easily amount to tens of thousands of US Dollars within a short period of time.

Third party liability insurance, which is often packaged together with travel insurance policies, is also advisable.  This will cover you for legal expenses in the case of any legal and court proceedings brought against you by third parties, although there are small-print limitations; for example, you won’t be covered if you were involved in illegal activities or breaking local laws.

If you drive your car to Mexico, be sure that you arrange full insurance cover: US and Canadian policies do not extend to Mexico.  Top-up policies are available at reasonable premiums and you can find details of them on our Guide to Insurance in Mexico.

In the unlikely event that you become a victim of a serious crime, you should report this immediately to the local police as well as your country’s consulate.

If you are arrested, you should ask the authorities, at once, for permission to contact your consulate and inform them of your detention.

Also See

• Directory of Foreign Consulates in Mexico
• Mexico Visas and Immigration
• Guide to Insurance in Mexico