EU Consular Protection Directive
As outlined in our Travel Advice, we are limited in the assistance we can provide should you find yourself in difficulty where Ireland does not have a resident consular or diplomatic representation. However, since 1st May 2018, citizens of European Union member states travelling outside of the EU can approach any embassy or consulate from another EU member state to seek assistance, if their country of origin does not have representation.
This means that under the EU Consular Protection Directive, Irish citizens may now seek assistance from the embassy or consulate of any other EU member state in a country where there is no Irish representation.
Almost 7 million EU citizens travel to or live in countries outside of the EU where their own country has no embassies or consulates. Now, all EU citizens have the right to be treated equally when they need assistance outside the EU.
Besides assistance at times of crisis, EU citizens can also benefit from consular protection in cases of serious illness, victims of crime, arrests, or in cases of the loss or theft of passport while abroad. Requests for the issue of emergency travel documents account for more than 60 percent of all cases of consular assistance to unrepresented citizens.
If you are in a non-EU state without Irish representation, then you can find out what other EU missions are in the country you are located in by visiting the Consular Protection Directive website.
To request Consular Protection, Irish citizens can contact an embassy or consulate of another EU Member State directly, or can first contact the nearest Embassy of Ireland, or the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at +353 1 408 2000.