Out-of-hours emergency assistance

British nationals who need emergency assistance outside normal office hours should call +31 (0)70 4270427 where they will be given details on how to proceed and how to contact a duty officer if needed.

Emergency travel documents

People who have lost their passport need to apply online for an Emergency Travel Document and only visit the Consulate to collect the document. We may be able to provide an emergency travel document (ETD) if you can’t get a new or replacement passport in time to travel.

Apply for an ETD online at: www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document

If you have urgent travel plans or any questions regarding you application, you should contact the ETD processing centre by telephone on +31 (0)704270427.

You will receive a confirmation email to pick-up the document at the Consulate when the document is ready.

An emergency travel document does not guarantee entry to every country.

If you are on one of the Dutch Caribbean Islands please contact the British Consulate General in Amsterdam for further instructions.

Support and information when someone dies in the Netherlands

If a friend or relative dies while they are in the Netherlands, we can help you cope with some of the steps involved. For more information please see our bereavement guide.

Passport renewal

For information on how to apply for your first passport or renew an existing passport, please visit the overseas passport section of this website.

Please note that the Consulate General cannot deal with individual enquiries about passport applications.

Visas

For information on whether you require a visa for the United Kingdom and how to apply go to the UK Visas and Immigration website.

Please note that the Consulate General cannot deal with individual enquiries about visa applications. For all visa enquiries, please contact UK Visas and Immigration.

Notarial and documentary services

Only a limited number of notarial and documentary services are provided by the British Consulate General in Amsterdam. Local notaries can sometimes provide these services more conveniently, quickly and cheaply. It may not be necessary to visit the Consulate General.

Registering a birth or death

There is no legal requirement for you to register the birth or death of a British national, which occurred in the Netherlands or Dutch Caribbean, with UK authorities. The locally issued certificates should be sufficient for all purposes. In most circumstances there is no requirement to register a birth with us if you are applying for a new passport.

The process of registering births and deaths of British nationals will be carried out in a central registration unit in the UK, and no longer at the British Consulate General in Amsterdam.

The following links provide further information on how you can register a birth or death which occurred overseas.

Getting married in the Netherlands

The first step you should take if you wish to get married in the Netherlands is to approach the Gemeente (town hall) where you wish to marry.

Please note that due to recent changes in our notarial services, neither the British Embassy nor Consulate General can issue declarations of marital status or Certificates of Non-Impediment. If your Gemeente asks you to provide the above mentioned documents, please print off this explanatory letter and present it to them.

Guides we produce

We also produce guides for British nationals who need information about services that are not provided by the Consulate General, but that you may find useful in specific circumstances.

• Living in the Netherlands

How else we can help

In addition to the services listed above we can also:

• provide information about transferring funds
• provide appropriate help if you have suffered rape or serious assault, are a victim of other crime, or are in hospital
• help people with mental illness
• do all we properly can to contact you within 24 hours of being told that you have been detained
• offer support and help in a range of other cases, such as child abductions, death of relatives overseas, missing people and kidnapping
• contact family or friends for you if you want
• make special arrangements in cases of terrorism, civil disturbances or natural disasters

UK law says we have to charge for some services. Details of our current fees and the standards of service you can expect to receive are on display at the Consulate General in Amsterdam.

What our consulates cannot do for you

Although we try to help British nationals in a wide range of situations, we cannot:

• get you out of prison, prevent the local authorities from deporting you after your prison sentence, or interfere in criminal or civil court proceedings
• help you enter a country, for example, if you do not have a visa or your passport is not valid, as we cannot interfere in another country’s immigration policy or procedures
• give you legal advice, investigate crimes or carry out searches for missing people, although we can give you details of people who may be able to help you in these cases, such as English-speaking lawyers
• get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to local people
• pay any bills or give you money (in very exceptional circumstances we may lend you some money from public funds, which you will have to pay back)
• make travel arrangements for you, or find you work or accommodation
• make business arrangements on your behalf

Travel advice for the Netherlands

Travel advice for the Netherlands. Information, news and updates for the Netherlands to ensure you stay safe, avoid problems, and make informed decisions when living or travelling in the Netherlands.