I am a Dutch national and have been arrested abroad. What can I do?
Are you a Dutch national or do you have a valid Dutch alien’s passport or refugee passport? Read what steps you can take if you have been arrested outside the Netherlands
Step 1: Find a local lawyer
Contact a lawyer in the country where you have been arrested right away. You have the right to do so. The local lawyer will defend you in the legal proceedings against you. As a foreign national you are subject to the laws and criminal justice system of the country you are in.
Step 2: Request assistance from the Dutch embassy or consulate-general
If you have been arrested abroad, the local authorities will inform the Dutch embassy or consulate as soon as possible, but only if you want them to.
Request assistance from the Dutch embassy or consulate-general in the country where you have been arrested. Ask the authorities in the country where you are (for example, the authorities in the prison where you are being held) about doing this.
Contact the Dutch embassy or consulate-general
If there is no Dutch embassy or consulate-general in the country you are in, contact the embassy of another EU country.
The staff at the embassy or consulate-general cannot get you released or arrange special treatment for you. They must respect the laws of the country in question. The embassy or consulate-general can, however, help you in the following ways:
After you have been arrested, the Dutch embassy or consulate-general will provide you with an information pack. This contains:
- a form that you can use to give consent for contact with a staff member from the embassy or consulate-general,
- the Arrested abroad brochure (PDF)
- an explanation of the laws and procedures in the country where you have been arrested.
If you are sentenced to prison abroad, staff from the embassy or consulate-general can serve as intermediaries. For example, they can check that you are treated the same as other prisoners.
Step 3: Request additional legal advice
The Dutch government works with two independent legal organisations. These organisations can provide you with general legal assistance to ensure that you are treated fairly and that proper legal procedure is followed. The organisations cannot defend you in the proceedings against you. Your local lawyer does that.
You can consult one of the organisations below. The one you should consult depends on which country you have been arrested in.
- Lawyers Across Borders helps Dutch nationals who have been arrested in Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Singapore.
- Dutch & Detained helps Dutch nationals who have been arrested outside Europe. See the countries where Dutch & Detained can help.