WIREDGOV

One in six Europeans plan to take their main holiday outside the EU this year (see Annex). Overall, Europeans take around 90 million trips outside the EU every year for business or pleasure. But what happens if you need help when abroad and your country has no embassy or consulate where you are staying? All EU citizens have certain European citizenship rights. For instance, you can request assistance from another EU country's embassy or consulate in case your own country is not represented. This right applies to everyday situations, like a passport being stolen, a serious accident or illness, as well as during crises – such as the recent events in Libya. To increase awareness of this right, all new passports in the EU will have information on consular protection printed along with the address of the EU's dedicated website providing details on where you can find help during your holidays outside the EU: www.consularprotection.eu. 20 EU countries are doing this already or have confirmed that they will do so for all newly issued passports¹. The rest is expected to follow suit soon.

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