We can help if a British citizen is arrested or detained overseas
If your relative or friend has asked us to, we will tell you as soon as we can, that they have been detained or held in prison. However, to protect their confidentiality, we will not normally provide any details of the detention or arrest, or tell you how to contact them, unless they have given us permission.
We'll aim to contact the detained person within 24 hours of being told of their arrest and if they want, we'll aim to visit them as soon as possible.
Our staff are there to support arrested British nationals. We aim to be sensitive and non-judgemental. We treat all prisoners the same regardless of what crime they are being held for.
We'll consider approaching the local authorities if we feel that a British national is not being treated in line with internationally-accepted standards regarding fair trials and prisoners’ rights.
We aim to visit prisoners in European Union countries or in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Canada, the USA, Australia and New Zealand once after sentencing and then after that only if there is a real need. In other countries we aim to visit at least once a year, although we may visit more often if necessary.
If you are a dual British national in a third country (that is, a country of which you are not a national) and hold a valid British passport, we will offer you our full support.
If you are a dual British national in the country of your other nationality (for example, a dual US-British national in the US), we would not normally offer you support or get involved in dealings between you and the authorities of that state. We may make an exception to this rule if, having looked at the circumstances of the case, we consider that there is a special humanitarian reason to do so.Fair Trials International: assists those who have suffered a miscarriage of justice outside their home countires
Prisoners Abroad: helps British prisoners abroad
Reprieve: campaigns on behalf of those unjustly imprisoned around the world
Support for British nationals: a guide [PDF, 414.1 Kb]
In prison abroad [PDF, 207.5Kb]
Transfers home [PDF, 204.9Kb]
Our staff in Singapore are there to support arrested British nationals. We aim to be sensitive and non-judgemental. We treat all prisoners the same regardless of what crime they are being held for.
We'll contact the detained person within twenty four hours of being told of their arrest and if they want, we'll visit them as soon as we can.
What we can do to help:
We'll consider approaching the local authorities if we feel that a British national is not being treated in line with internationally-accepted standards regarding fair trials and prisoners’ rights.
But we can't:
Dual Nationals
Please be aware that we cannot always formally assist dual nationals if they are arrested in the country of their other nationality, unless they are facing the death penalty. Scope to help may be limited because of the laws of that country. We will however, aim to provide protection for all British passport holders who normally live in the UK.