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.

In Eswatini, eight EU Member States have Honorary Consulates, while 11 EU Member States are resident in Pretoria, South Africa and six are resident in Maputo, Mozambique. There are no EU Member States resident in Eswatini.

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

• You can contact your resident Honorary Consul who will be able to provide consular protection.
•  If your EU Member State has no resident Honorary Consul able to provide consular protection in Eswatini, you can turn to another EU Member State Honorary Consul for consular protection, noting there are specific arrangements for your consular protection if you are from a Member State not present but for which there are arrangements/agreements.

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 Honorary Consuls who can provide consular protection as well as existing arrangements between EU Member States for consular protection in Eswatini here.

Please note that the EU Delegation to Eswatini 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.