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The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been speaking out to UK travellers and requesting they think twice before contacting their Consulate office abroad. By bombarding the office with requests that should be directed to their annual travel insurance company or elsewhere, they are draining the resources of consular staff who should be spending their time attending to actual emergencies. The purpose of a Consular and that of an insurance provider is quite different, and it is worth pointing out the responsibilities of each in case you are in need of assistance while travelling abroad. Consulate Office The role of a Consular is to act as the public administration of a country within a foreign city. They are responsible for their own citizens who live or are travelling in the country in which their office is located. The Consulate office takes care of official document issues, such as renewing expired or replacing lost passports and establishing entry visas. They also provide information regarding immigration, residence and work permits. The Consular also provides assistance to families in the event of births, deaths, marriages, divorces or adoptions. They are also responsible for informing their citizens of any security situations that might impact living conditions or prevent their people from travelling to the foreign city or country. They are present in the event of emergencies and support their citizens during detention or arrest, ensuring the rules and laws are being followed properly. Travel Insurance Provider Your travel insurance provider is available to assist you regarding the items covered in your policy or to answer other insurance-related questions. There are generally five categories of annual travel insurance coverage, including trip cancellation, medical, major medical, medical emergency evacuation and accidental death or flight accident. Any issues related to these categories certainly qualify as a reason to call your provider. It is very important that you as a traveller know the details of your annual travel insurance policy, to ensure you are prepared ahead of time and know what is covered in any given situation. Some events would fall under the services provided by both the Consulate office and a travel insurance company, for example, a death or medical emergency evacuation. These are very acceptable reasons to be contacting both the Consular and your insurance provider. There are questions both the Consular and your annual travel insurance company will not be able to help you with when you travel. Believe it or not, restaurant recommendations, directions to a tourist site, or where to hire a butler or babysitter are some of the crazy requests received by Consulate offices of which they are unable to assist with. Knowing ahead of time the purpose of both the Consular office and your annual travel insurance provider is helpful, should you find yourself in a spot requiring assistance. For other, non-related questions, remember your hotel concierge, a tourist information booth, local residents and Google can be invaluable resources when travelling abroad. Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of InsureMore, an award-winning team of specialists in global single trip and annual travel insurance policies. Besides offering great deals on travel insurance, Patrick also collects and shares the best free travel competitions to help his clients get the most out of their holidays.
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