What to do if you are arrested abroad
Find out what to do if you are arrested in a foreign country, or if this happens to a family member or friend.
What is your situation?
If you have been arrested in a foreign country, contact the Dutch embassy or consulate in that country. If there is no Dutch embassy or consulate, you can contact the embassy of another EU country.
Contact the Dutch embassy or consulate
You will get an information pack
If you have been arrested the Dutch embassy or consulate will send you an information pack. It contains:
- a form authorizing you to contact a staff member of the embassy or consulate-general
- the brochure Arrested abroad (pdf)
- explanation of the legal rules and procedures that apply in the country where you have been arrested
No special treatment
The embassy or consulate cannot get you released or arrange special treatment. They must respect the laws of the country in question.
If you are given a prison sentence
If you are put in prison abroad, the embassy or consulate can help you by acting as an intermediary. For example, they can help make sure that you are treated the same as other prisoners. But they cannot get you out of prison or arrange special treatment.
Get help from organisations
Depending on the country where you've been detained, you may get help from one of the organisations below:
- Lawyers Across Borders (information in Dutch) helps Dutch detainees in Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan, New-Zealand, and Singapore.
- Dutch & Detained helps Dutch detainees outside of Europe.
If a family member or friend is arrested in a foreign country, contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands. Call the NetherlandsWorldwide contact centre on +31 247 247 247.
When a Dutch national is arrested, the local authorities will contact the Dutch embassy or consulate as soon as possible. But only if the person who has been arrested wants them to do so.
Your family member or friend will receive:
- a form authorizing you to contact a staff member of the embassy or consulate-general
- the brochure Arrested abroad (pdf). Read the brochure to learn more about the help available for detainees.
Getting information about the arrested person
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs can act as an intermediary between you and the arrested person. The ministry cannot share information about an arrested person without their permission. This is due to the General Data Protection Regulation (privacy law; information in Dutch).
Transferring money to someone in a foreign prison
If a family member or friend is in a foreign prison, you can usually deposit money for them in the prison’s account. If this is not possible, you can transfer money to them via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Your family member or friend then receives the money from the Dutch embassy or consulate. We charge a one-off fee of €50 for this service.