Consular protection is the help an EU Member State can provide to its citizens in case they need assistance abroad. Typically, consular protection can include cases such as:

• A need for emergency travel documents;
• A serious accident or serious illness;
• Relief and repatriation in case of an emergency;
• Being a victim of crime;
• Arrest or detention;
• Death.

Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands and Sweden have resident Embassies in Rwanda while Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Spain have Honorary consuls.

Are you an EU citizen in need of consular protection in Rwanda?

• You can contact your resident Embassy or Honorary Consul able to provide consular protection.
• If your EU Member State has no resident Embassy or Honorary Consul able to provide consular protection in Rwanda, you can turn to another EU Member State for consular protection.

Indeed, any EU citizen abroad whose own Member State has no local representation is entitled to receive consular protection from the diplomatic or consular authorities of any other EU Member State. In that case, EU citizens are entitled to benefit from consular protection under the same conditions as the nationals of that other EU Member State.

You can find contact details of the resident EU Member States Embassies and Honorary Consuls who can provide consular protection in Rwanda in the list below.

Please note that the EU Delegation in Rwanda cannot provide direct consular assistance.

As an EU citizen, you can take simple steps to make consular protection more effective, for example:

• Following the travel advice issued by your country’s Foreign Ministry.
• When abroad, registering with your Embassy or Consulate and/or through dedicated platforms, if applicable.
• Other tips include keeping an electronic copy of your travel documents, subscribing to a travel insurance or saving crisis contact details.

For more information on consular protection, see the dedicated pages on the websites of the EEAS, the European Commission and the Council of the EU.