Guidance

Your finances when travelling abroad

It is your responsibility to make sure you can access enough money to pay for all your costs and to avoid getting into financial difficulties abroad.

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
31 August 2022
Last updated
29 July 2024 — See all updates

Before you travel

Make sure that you have access to enough money to cover all of your costs when travelling abroad, including unforeseen costs eg medical care. To avoid getting into financial difficulties abroad you should:

  • get comprehensive travel insurance, ensure it provides you with adequate financial cover for your personal needs, and check for any exclusions. If you don’t have adequate travel insurance you will need to pay any costs you are charged
  • take prepaid travel cards, traveller’s cheques, local currency, credit and bank cards with you. Check what you can use in the country you are visiting, and ensure you have enough money. Make a note of how to stop any credit cards or traveller’s cheques being used if lost or stolen, and of traveller’s cheque numbers

Emergency financial assistance abroad

The FCDO cannot provide financial assistance or pay your bills. If you need financial support, contact your:

  • insurance provider to confirm what costs your policy covers. Most insurers have a 24/7 emergency phone number. If you need medical care, your insurance policy may only cover specific medical providers in your location. Insurers may specify legal, funeral and translation providers
  • credit card company: if you booked your travel with a credit card, it may provide insurance for your trip
  • travel provider or tour operator: your airline or travel agent may be able to help you rearrange your travel plans. If your UK travel provider has gone into administration, look for information on ABTA or ATOL protection
  • bank or building society: if your bank or credit card is lost or stolen, your bank may provide an emergency cash facility. This allows access to the account using an emergency code. If you have your bank card but have run out of money, contact your bank to discuss options
  • family or friends: who may be able to transfer money to you through a commercial transfer service, deposit money in your bank account or buy you a ticket home
  • employer: some employers can arrange a salary advance or have an employee assistance scheme or hardship fund. Consider if you can access pension funds

FCDO emergency financial assistance

Depositing money with the FCDO

In exceptional circumstances, family or friends can deposit money with the FCDO. The FCDO will only consider this if no other transfer service is available. It usually takes longer than other options. You will need to visit the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate in person.

If the FCDO agrees to transfer money on your behalf, you will be charged a fee.

Returning to the UK: emergency loans for repatriation

In very exceptional circumstances, the FCDO may, at its discretion, be able to provide an emergency loan to help you return to the UK.  Before we consider a loan, we will work with you to exhaust all other options.

An emergency loan for repatriation:

  • is a last resort and can only cover basic costs, for example the cheapest one-way ticket to the UK
  • will not automatically be offered, even if you have no other way of returning home
  • must be repaid within 6 months

A loan cannot cover:

  • medical or legal bills, or any other debt, such as visa fines and unpaid accommodation costs
  • medical repatriations

If you are eligible for an emergency loan you will need to:

  • sign an ‘undertaking to repay’ agreement, where you agree to repay the loan within 6 months
  • give your passport to the FCDO, who will send it to HM Passport Office (HMPO). The FCDO will issue you with an emergency travel document valid for a single journey to your country of residence
  • pay the cost of the emergency travel document (this will be added to your loan)

When you have repaid the loan in full, HMPO will return your passport if it remains valid. If it has expired, you will need to apply for a replacement in the usual way. If you are under 18, you may be eligible for additional support if there are no adults available to sign an ‘undertaking to repay’ on your behalf.

Other financial help to consider

Employment-based charities

Some employment-based or professional charities offer financial assistance, depending on your circumstances, employment or family history. These include:

Charities with benevolent funds

Other charities may be able to provide financial assistance, such as those with benevolent funds. Several websites provide information on these charities, including Turn2Us.

Authorities and charities abroad

If you are planning to stay abroad, check what support local authorities or charities can provide.

Fundraising

Depending on your circumstances, you may wish to explore fundraising. You can set up an online fundraising page (known as ‘crowdfunding’) through various websites.

We will not ask you to do this before we consider an application for an emergency loan.

Other organisations offering financial support

Some UK organisations offer advice, support and information to people in financial difficulties, but you may only be able to contact those with helplines from the UK. As they are independent organisations, the FCDO cannot be held responsible for their advice and/or any decisions and outcomes that result from this.

Financial support after you return to the UK

You must have lived in the UK for a specific amount of time to be eligible for income-related UK benefits, usually 5 years.

If you have been living abroad, or travelling abroad for more than 3 months, you may not be eligible for UK benefits that are subject to the ‘habitual residence test’. Find more information about the habitual residence test and claiming benefits from Citizens Advice.

Contact the FCDO

You can contact the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate, or the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in London 24 hours a day on 020 7008 5000 for advice. You should also read the privacy notice to see how the FCDO will process your data.

Feedback

We welcome your views on the support we provide, to help us to identify what we do well and what we could do better. Contact us using our feedback contact form.

Alternatively write to us:

Consular Feedback Team
Consular Directorate
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AH

Or telephone +44 (0)20 7008 5000

Disclaimer

Read the disclaimer related to this guidance.

Updates to this page

Published 31 August 2022
Last updated 29 July 2024 show all updates

  1. Advice on emergency loans for repatriation updated.

  2. First published.

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