Consular protection is the help an EU Member State can provide to its citizens in case they need assistance abroad. Typically, consular protection can include cases such as:

• A need for emergency travel documents;
• A serious accident or serious illness;
• Relief and repatriation in case of an emergency;
• Being a victim of crime;
• Arrest or detention;
• Death.

In Zimbabwe, 9 EU Member States (France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden) have a resident Embassy while 6 EU Member States have an Honorary Consul (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,  and Poland).

The following EU Member States do not have an Embassy nor Honorary Consulate in Zimbabwe:  Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia.  

Are you an EU citizen in need of consular protection in Zimbabwe?

• You can contact your resident Embassy/Consulate
• If your EU Member State has no resident Embassy or Consulate/Honorary Consul in Zimbabwe, you can turn to another EU Member State for consular protection. The following EU Member State arrangements are currently in place:

• Austria  -  represented by Germany
• Belgium  -  represented by France
• Cyprus  -  represented by their Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa
• Denmark  -  represented by France
• Estonia  -  represented by Portugal
• Finland  -  represented by France
• Hungary  -  represented by their Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa
• Ireland  -  represented by their Embassy in Pretoria
• Lithuania  -  represented by Portugal
• Luxemburg  -  represented by Belgium/France
• Malta  -  represented by their Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa
• Poland  -  represented by The Netherlands
• Slovakia  -  represented by Italy
• Slovenia  -  represented by The Netherlands

Indeed, any EU citizen abroad whose own Member State has no local representation is entitled to receive consular protection from the diplomatic or consular authorities of any other EU Member State. In that case, EU citizens are entitled to benefit from consular protection under the same conditions as the nationals of that other EU Member State.

You can find contact details of the resident EU Member States Embassies and Honorary Consuls in Zimbabwe in the list below.

Please note that the EU Delegation in Zimbabwe cannot provide direct consular assistance.

As an EU citizen, you can take simple steps to make consular protection more effective, for example:

• Following the travel advice issued by your country’s Foreign Ministry.
• When abroad, registering with your Embassy or Consulate and/or through dedicated platforms, if applicable.
• Other tips include keeping an electronic copy of your travel documents, subscribing to a travel insurance or saving crisis contact details.

For more information on consular protection, see the dedicated pages on the websites of the EEAS, the European Commission and the Council of the EU.