Honorary Consuls (in)Action

What, you ask, are Honorary Consuls? The FCO gives the answer (ignore if you can the clueless gramar):

Honorary Consuls are volunteers who help our Posts overseas provide a more accessible and responsive service to British nationals and other nationals for whom we have consular responsibility for (sic), particularly in difficult to reach locations.

They provide information and assistance to people who get into difficulties overseas. They receive no salary from the FCO, but some are paid a small honorarium in recognition of their services, typically around £2000 p.a. Their duties can be expected to occupy a few hours a week under ordinary circumstances. They are typically appointed for a (renewable) five year period.

The Vienna Convention defines the difference between Honorary Consuls and career Consular Officers. Honorary Consuls do not benefit from the same privileges and immunities as diplomats and are not usually referred to as diplomats…

Fair enough. How do you track one down if you might need one?

In Germany that’s easy. The helpful Embassy website points you straight at them:

British Honorary Consuls can provide some assistance to British nationals in Germany. They support the work of the British Embassy in Berlin and the Consulates General in Düsseldorf and Munich but they are not resourced to offer the full range of services offered by these posts. If the service you require is not listed below you should contact the British Embassy or British Consulate in whose district you are located.

In an emergency Honorary Consuls can:

Contact relatives and friends and ask them to help you with money or travel tickets;

Tell you how to transfer money;

Help you get in touch with local lawyers, interpreters, doctors and prison authorities;

Arrange for next of kin to be told of an accident or a death and advise on procedures;

Give you a list of local lawyers

Honorary Consuls can also perform notarial acts (for example witness signatures, administer oaths, issue Certificates of No Impediment).

Honorary Consuls cannot:

Pay your hotel, legal, medical or any other bills;

Get you out of prison;

Give legal advice;

Issue any type of passports except Hamburg, which can issue emergency passports.

Contact details … [7 HonCon cities are listed with adresses and telephone numbers]