Missing persons
When a relative or friend goes missing abroad it can be very distressing and you may feel at a loss as to what to do about it.
If you are in the UK and worried about a British national who you think is missing abroad, we can let you know how to produce a missing person's report for your local police so Interpol enquiries can begin.
Contact the FCO
Contact the FCO in London on 020 7008 1500 or if you are abroad yourself then contact us here.
Although we cannot carry out physical searches on your behalf, we can give you information about appropriate local authorities. We can also give you contact details for any relevant local charitable and voluntary organisations specialising in tracing missing people.
Detective agencies
Where appropriate, we can give you information about the federation or association of any local private detective agencies.
If you want, Consular staff in London can meet family representatives, maintain contact with you and tell you about any new developments.
Useful contacts
Consular Assistance UK:
020 7008 1500
Consider the following while trying to trace a missing person
- when and why were you expecting contact from them?
- was there anything in their last communication with you that might suggest where they are now or why they might not have been in touch?
- you may wish to contact the family of any travelling companions, or other people with whom the missing person might have been in contact whilst abroad
- the missing person’s bank or building society may be able to tell you when and from where their account was last accessed. The bank may require official police intervention before they agree to give you this information
- in some countries it may be possible to offer a reward for information. Consider the implications of this and contact an organisation that has experience of tracing missing persons
