EU citizens protection and assistance
As 1 May 2018, EU i citizens living or travelling outside the European Union will be able to better benefit from consular protection
As of 1 May 2018, EU citizens living or travelling outside the European Union will be able to better benefit from consular protection in case of need, when their EU Member State of origin is not represented in the non-EU country they are staying in.
The updated rules allow EU citizens in distress in a non-EU country to get assistance from any EU embassy or consulate. The rules entering into force also specify how Member States should cooperate on common contingency plans so that unrepresented EU citizens get protection in the event of a crisis or a natural disaster.
Besides assistance in times of crisis, EU citizens can also benefit from requesting consular protection in case of serious illness, when being victim of a crime, when arrested or in cases of passport loss or theft when abroad. Requests for emergency travel documents represent more than 60% of all cases of consular assistance to unrepresented citizens. The Commission will work closely with those Member States who have not finalised transposition yet to make sure the important new rules are implemented swiftly.
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