If you have been the victim of a violent crime overseas, the first thing to do is get yourself to safety.
If you have been injured and need medical attention, go to a hospital. Don’t forget to bring your travel insurance details in case you need to pay upfront for treatment.
If you decide to report the crime, you can do that at a local police station, or by calling the local emergency number. You might want to prepare notes for yourself on what happened so you are ready to answer the police’s questions.
Remember to get police or medical reports to give to your travel insurer if you need to make a claim.
If you have been sexually assaulted, you should know that sex outside of marriage is illegal in some countries. If you report a sexual assault in one of these countries, you may be charged with a crime and not treated like a victim. This could also happen if you get medical assistance and medical staff report you to police.
If you are sexually assaulted in a country where sex outside of marriage is illegal, contact us for help. Everywhere else, you can follow the advice above for what to do if you’ve been the victim of a violent crime.
Read our travel advice to learn about the laws in the country you’re travelling to.
There are many types of scams, some of which specifically target travellers. Consumer Protection New Zealand has advice on types of scams and how to avoid them.
Read about scams on the Consumer Protection website
If you have been the victim of a scam overseas, the first thing to do is get yourself to safety you can:
Before you travel, you should research your destination to check if there is a higher risk of kidnapping.
For many locations, our travel advice includes specific warnings about the risk of hostage taking in particular regions or across entire countries.
If a New Zealand citizen has been kidnapped overseas, families, friends, colleagues or employers should let us know as soon as possible.
We can work with the local authorities to gather information about the situation. Consular officials can maintain contact with a friend or whānau member of the person who was taken.
The New Zealand Government does not pay ransoms. It will not accede to demands from hostage takers or kidnappers to change its foreign, defence or security policies.
In some countries, kidnappers hold people captive for a short period of time and demand money to release them. This is known as an “express kidnapping.”
If you have been the victim of an express kidnapping, contact police to report it. Remember to get a police report for your travel insurance claim.
New Zealand embassies, high commissions and consulates are there to help New Zealand citizens when they’re having difficulty overseas.
A New Zealand consular officer can:
A New Zealand consular officer cannot:
