While You’re Away

If I have an emergency while I am traveling, can I get some help from the Canadian government wherever I am?

Yes, you can. Canadian missions around the world offer 24-hour assistance to Canadians. Even after their regular office hours, there are answering machines to take messages and these answering machines are checked by duty officers.

You can also make a collect call to the Foreign Affairs office in Ottawa by calling (613) 996-8885. Be sure you leave a clear and detailed message and that you leave a phone number where you can be contacted.

You can find a list of Canadian embassies and missions on the Foreign Affairs Canada website.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

What if there isn’t a Canadian mission where I am?

You can still make the collect call to Ottawa mentioned in the last question.

You may also call on the Australian or British missions if there are ones where you are. They will assist you in an emergency

Last Reviewed: August 2012

What kinds of assistance can a Canadian mission give me?

Some of the things Canadian missions will do for Canadian citizens include

• contacting, at your request, family and friends for emergency money;
• helping you during an emergency like a natural disaster, for example, a flood, earthquake, or outbreak of fighting;
• helping you if you get very sick;
• notifying your family if you are in an accident;
• giving you information about local laws, regulations, and customs;
• if you are arrested, helping you to get fair treatment under the local law, and notifying your family about your arrest.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

Will my family be notified if anything happens to me while I am traveling?

Your passport has a special section in it that says “In the event of an accident or death notify …”

You should be sure to fill in that section so that if something happens to you while you are traveling, your family or the person you designate can be contacted immediately. In addition, the federal government offers a registration service for Canadians who are abroad. Please see Registration of Canadians Abroad

Last Reviewed: August 2012

If I’m not a citizen of the country I’m visiting, do its laws still apply to me?

It is very important for you to know that the laws of the country you are visiting do apply to you. The fact that you are not a citizen of that country doesn’t matter. You have probably also heard the expression: “ignorance of the law is no excuse.” This is true; you cannot break the law in a foreign country and then say you didn’t know.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

Will the Canadian mission staff get me out of jail?

No, they can’t do that. They cannot post bail for you, pay for a lawyer, or pay a fine for you. You are on your own for these things.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

How will I know how to behave in a foreign country so that I don’t get into trouble?

It is a good idea to learn about the countries you will be visiting. Some knowledge of the history, culture, traditions, language and customs of the places you will visit will give you some familiarity with your destination and help prevent you from making mistakes.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

Can I dress the way I dress at home?

Some countries, particularly in the Middle and Far East, have strict rules about dress. Some countries even have laws about what men and women can wear, and it is important to know these laws and behave accordingly. There can be punishment for breaking the laws about clothes in some places.

In many European countries, people are sensitive about how visitors dress when they visit churches, mosques, temples and other holy places. Shorts and sleeveless tops are inappropriate and females may need to cover their heads in some way. It may not be the law, but you should find out about and respect local expectations.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

What about taking pictures?

You should be careful about photographing people in the countries you visit. Sometimes, local people resent having their picture taken or they may be very superstitious about it. They may expect to be paid after you have taken the picture. You should always ask for permission first.

Also, a Canadian government travel tip sheet warns Canadian travelers to never take pictures of military facilities, harbours with military vessels in them or major industrial installations, like oil refineries. You may have your film or camera taken away or even be suspected of spying.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

Do most countries have laws about drugs?

Trafficking and the use of some drugs is against the law in most countries in the world even though you may observe that drugs are easily available and even visibly used in some places. You must never think that buying, using, selling or transporting drugs is OK or that you will be excused because you are a foreigner. Most countries have very heavy fines and/or jail sentences for possession and trafficking in drugs. Some countries even have the death penalty for some drug offences. It is impossible to stress strongly enough that you must stay away from anything to do with drugs when you travel to foreign countries.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

Would a foreign country really put me in jail?

Yes. You must never assume that local laws will not apply to you because you are a foreigner.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

If I am not a citizen of a country, how can they put me in jail?

It doesn’t matter if you are a citizen of a country or not. Every country has the right to make and enforce its own laws in its own territory. If you come into that country, you are subject to the laws of that country and your Canadian citizenship doesn’t give you any sort of immunity.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

Are laws about the same all over the world?

No, they definitely are not. As we have already discussed, the laws and penalties for drug offences can be much more severe in some countries than they are in Canada and sometimes even the clothing you wear could get you into trouble with the law! Never assume that the legal system in a country you are visiting is the same as it is at home.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

Why can foreign laws be so different from our laws in Canada?

Canada has a common law system inherited from Britain and some of the law in Quebec is based on the civil law inherited from France. However, many countries in the world have developed very different legal systems that may have little in common with our Canadian system. For example, some countries do not agree with our idea that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Some countries do not recognize freedom of the press, freedom of speech and freedom to associate with anyone you choose. Some countries do not guarantee that you can have legal representation to help you or that your trial can be held in your language so that you can understand what is going on. Not only laws, but legal procedures can be different in different countries.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

How are legal procedures different in different countries?

To give you an example, we can look at the investigation into Princess Diana’s death in France. There, magistrates, who are the equivalent of Canadian judges, have the power to make investigations themselves, including summoning and questioning witnesses, visiting the scenes of crimes, and even having re-enactments of the incident done. This is very different from the job of judges in Canada, who listen to witnesses presented to them and weigh the evidence to apply the law but do not get actively involved in the gathering of evidence or investigating circumstances.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

If I am accused of breaking the law in a foreign country, can’t the Canadian government help me get out of trouble?

No, it can’t make the trouble go away. Canadian representatives in foreign countries can help you but they can’t get you out of legal trouble. All they can do is

• help you find a lawyer,
• contact your family or friends back home so that they can try to help you, and
• try to make sure that you receive fair treatment in accordance with the laws of the country you are in.

However, they can’t pull strings to get you out of jail, have the charges dropped, change your sentence, or help you pay, reduce or drop a fine.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

What if I don’t do anything wrong but the people I am with get into trouble?

This is a good example of how foreign laws can be different from what we are familiar with in Canada. In some countries, guilt by association is allowed. This means you could be charged with a criminal offence even if all you have done is be in the company of a person suspected or found guilty of a crime. Even if you are just an innocent bystander at a demonstration or riot, the local police might think you are a participant and charge you with those people who were actively involved. If you meet some local people, be careful about what you do.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

What happens if I lose my passport while I am traveling?

If your passport is lost or stolen while you are on your trip, you should contact the nearest Canadian mission, such as an embassy, High Commission, Consulate or Trade Mission immediately as well as the local police.

Before the document can be replaced the Canadian authorities will investigate the circumstances surrounding the loss. You must

• complete another application form,
• provide a copy of the police report,
• show some proof of Canadian citizenship, such as your birth certificate,
• have another photograph taken, and
• pay another application fee

before another passport can be issued for you.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

How many copies of my passport do I get?

You only get one passport. However, you should make a photocopy of your passport’s identification page and keep it with you in a separate place from your passport. This page includes your picture, your basic personal information and your passport number, which all helps if you need to get a new one. Also, you should leave a photocopy of that page at home with your family.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

What other precautions should I take with my travel papers?

You should keep a separate record of your traveler’s cheques and credit cards if you have any. Never carry your passport, travel tickets, identification like your birth certificate, cash, traveler’s cheques or credit cards in the same place. If you do and they are lost, you will lose everything and have no money or even any identification to prove that you are who you say you are.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

What does the Canadian government do about lost passports?

If a Canadian citizen reports that he or she has lost a passport, the Security Section of the Passport Office is notified. If there are suspicious circumstances or if a person reports the loss or theft of a passport more than once, the Security Section will begin a complete investigation. This could delay the issuing of a new passport to replace the one you lost or had stolen and can even lead to a refusal to give you a new passport, except for an emergency passport valid only for your immediate return to Canada.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

I am taking some prescription medicine and I don’t want to get into trouble about drugs in a foreign country. What should I do?

You should check to make sure that the prescription medicine you are taking is legal in the country you will be visiting. Even some medicines sold in Canada without a prescription might be illegal in another country, like pain relievers that contain codeine. You should call a special travel medical clinic to get information about this. For a list of travel medical clinics in Canada, you can visit the Canadian Society for International Health website or call (613) 241-5785.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

What can I do if the country I am traveling to has a problem with the medicine I need?

You should carry a copy of your prescription for your medicine that lists both the generic and trade names of the drug, as well as a letter from your doctor that states the medical reasons for your prescription and the recommended dosage. Keep all of your medicines in their original, labeled container, don’t mix them up to try and save space. The travel medical clinics we mentioned in the last question can give you additional advice about what to do.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

I need needles for insulin shots for my diabetes. What should I do about this?

You should take along a letter from your doctor that states your medical condition and that you need the needles for a medical purpose. You should also take along enough needles to carry you through to the end of your visit.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

I have a severe allergy problem with peanuts and always carry an epipen with me in case I need to have an injection of medicine to prevent an allergic reaction. What should I do about this?

You should take along a letter from your doctor that states your allergy and the need to have an antidote in needle form in case of an emergency. The travel medical clinics can give you further advice about how to travel with these items.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

What about vaccinations for traveling to foreign countries?

Some countries have legal requirements about what vaccinations you must have and what proof you may have to produce before you will be allowed to enter. You may need to make sure that you received all of your childhood vaccinations or have them brought up to date. Your family doctor, local health clinic, or the travel medical clinics can help you with this.

Last Reviewed: August 2012

Are there any other medical precautions I should take?

You might want to consider wearing a MedicAlert bracelet if you have a serious medical condition that might cause you trouble when you travel. The MedicAlert Foundation will put your important medical information in a database that can be accessed 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world. You can call 1-800-668-1507 for membership information or see the MedicAlert website.

Another good idea is to take an extra pair of prescription glasses or your prescription for glasses or contact lenses in case you lose them when traveling.

Also, visit the Public Health Agency of Canada website as it regularly posts health warnings for travellers.

Last Reviewed: August 2012