Canada's Annual Consular Data Report – 2024 to 2025

On this page

• Introduction
• Where and why Canadians travelled in 2024 to 2025
  • Purpose of travel to the United States 2024 - 2025
• Consular assistance: Helping Canadians abroad
• Canada’s consular points of service
  • Passports
  • Consular cases
• Top 10 destinations for consular cases
• Top 5 destinations by type of consular case
  • Death abroad
  • Arrest and detention
  • Accident and medical assistance
  • Well-being and whereabouts
  • Victims of violent crime (excluding theft)
  • Child-related assistance
• Consular emergency response
• Communicating safe travel advice to Canadians

Introduction

This report provides an overview of the consular services and emergency assistance provided by the Government of Canada to Canadians who experienced difficulties while travelling or residing abroad during the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year (April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025). While not every incident involving Canadians abroad may be known, this report reflects cases where Global Affairs Canada (GAC) or its offices outside Canada was contacted for assistance regarding a Canadian abroad.

Each year, Canadians travel abroad for a variety of reasons—pleasure, business, visiting family and more. The Government of Canada offers safe travel advice and resources to help Canadians make informed decisions and navigate challenges they may encounter while outside Canada.

On Travel.gc.ca, Canadians can find regularly updated Travel Advice and Advisories tailored to specific destinations, along with essential information on travel health and safety, as well as consular services. This content is actively promoted through social and traditional media, advertising campaigns and events held across Canada.

Another resource available to Canadians on Travel.gc.ca is the Safe Travel Planner, a free online training course that provides the resources and tools needed to plan safe and responsible travel outside Canada.

During the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, Canadian officials provided consular assistance in 7,208 cases and delivered 209,622 new travel documents to Canadian travellers abroad. This represents an increase of nearly 4% in the number of cases and 11% in the number of travel documents issued compared to the previous fiscal year.

Over the 2024 to 2025 period, the 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa, Ontario and the Contact Centre for Canadians in the United States answered a total of 278,133 enquiries from Canadian travellers or their loved ones. Canada also facilitated assisted departures for nearly 1,900 Canadians, permanent residents and their immediate family members, and over 250 foreign nationals during international emergencies in Haiti, New Caledonia and the Middle East.

Text version - Consular services and emergency assistance provided to Canadians in 2024–2025

Consular services and emergency assistance provided to Canadians in 2024–2025

Responses to enquiries: 278,133
New travel documents: 209,622
Consular assistance: 7,208
Assisted departures: 1,900

Where and why Canadians travelled in 2024 to 2025

Canadians have shown continued interest in international travel, with almost 42 million visits outside of Canada by travellers over the age of 18 in the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, up from 36 million a year prior. The 10 most frequently visited international destinations for Canadian travellers were:

Top destinations 2024 to 2025

Source: Statistics Canada, National Travel Survey, April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. Fiscal year totals were derived by summing quarterly country visit estimates. Because Q1 2025 data are preliminary, values may be revised when final NTS results are published. Reproduced and distributed on an “as is” basis with the permission of Statistics Canada.

Purpose of travel to the United States 2024 - 2025

During the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, Canadians travelled most often to the United States for a variety of reasons. Just over half of trips were for holiday, leisure or recreation purposes (approximately 51%). Visiting friends or relatives accounted for about one-fifth of travel (around 20%), while business travel represented less than one-tenth (approximately 9%). The remaining trips (about 20%) were undertaken for other reasons.

Source: Statistics Canada, National Travel Survey April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, Reproduced and distributed on an "as is" basis with the permission of Statistics Canada.

Consular assistance: Helping Canadians abroad

As part of their preparation to travel abroad, Canadians should consult the Canadian Consular Services Charter to understand what the Government of Canada can and can’t do to help citizens outside the country.

The charter outlines the types of assistance consular officials can provide to Canadians abroad, including:

• issuing a replacement passport
• communicating with family members during emergencies
• advocating to ensure basic needs are met

In addition to detailing available services, the charter also sets expectations by clarifying the limitations of consular support. It offers practical guidance on how Canadians can seek help while abroad and emphasizes the importance of being informed and prepared before departure.

Before Canadians travel abroad, we strongly recommend that they:

1. read up: Consult the Government of Canada’s official Travel Advice and Advisories for up-to-date information on 230 destinations worldwide to help make informed decisions regarding travel abroad
2. register: Sign up for the Registration of Canadians Abroad service, which allows us to contact travellers in case of an emergency at their destination or an emergency at home
3. reach us: Save the location and contact information for the Canadian embassy or consulate closest to their destination so that they can reach us if they need emergency assistance

Travel Advice and Advisories

The Government of Canada’s official Travel Advice and Advisories provide destination-specific information and advice on situations that may affect the safety and well-being of Canadians travelling outside of Canada.

Each destination is assigned an overall risk level to indicate the safety and security situation, and some destinations have regional risk levels as well. The four risk levels are as follows:

IMPORTANT: “Avoid non-essential travel” and “Avoid all travel” are official Government of Canada Travel Advisories and are issued when the safety and security of Canadians travelling or living in the country or region may be at risk.

Canada’s consular points of service

There are more than 260 locations across 150 countries around the world where Canadians can get help, including embassies, high commissions, and consulates.

In locations where no Canadian diplomatic mission or consular office exists, an honorary consul may be appointed to provide consular services to Canadians who are travelling or living in the area. In an emergency, honorary consuls help Canadian consular officials to meet the needs of Canadians in distress.

Canada also has a formal consular sharing agreement with Australia. This bilateral arrangement, known as the Canada-Australia Consular Services Sharing Agreement, has been in place since 1986. Canada and Australia provide consular services to each other’s citizens in countries where one is present and the other is not. Currently, there are 21 locations where Canadians can obtain assistance from Australia, such as Bali, Indonesia, and Phuket, Thailand.

Consular services can vary by location and type of office. It is important for Canadians to understand that consular officials may be limited in the services that they can provide. A natural disaster, violent conflict, political unrest and the laws and regulations of the country in question can affect how they can help. In addition, consular services could be extremely limited in areas where official Government of Canada “avoid non-essential travel” and “avoid all travel” travel advisories are in place. The decision to travel is the sole responsibility of the traveller. It is up to each traveller to determine what qualifies as “essential travel” based on personal or professional needs.

Text version - Consular points of service map as of March 31, 2025

• Embassies: 83
• High commissions: 23
• Offices: 5
• Representative offices: 2
• Multilateral missions: 1
• Consulates general: 26
• Consulates: 8
• Consular agencies: 6
• Honorary Consul: 90
• Agreement with Australia: 13
• Agreement with Sweden: 1
• Suspended operations: 4

Consular points of service map
as of March 31, 2025

City	Country or territory	Designation
Pyongyang	North Korea	Agreement with Sweden
Apia	Samoa	Agreement with Australia
Denpasar	Indonesia	Agreement with Australia
Dili	Timor-Leste	Agreement with Australia
Honiara	Solomon Islands	Agreement with Australia
Honolulu	United States	Agreement with Australia
Nauru	Nauru	Agreement with Australia
Noumea	New Caledonia	Agreement with Australia
Nuku'alofa	Tonga	Agreement with Australia
Papeete	French Polynesia (French Republic)	Agreement with Australia
Pohnpei	Micronesia	Agreement with Australia
Port Moresby	Papua New Guinea	Agreement with Australia
Port Vila	Vanuatu	Agreement with Australia
Tarawa	Kiribati	Agreement with Australia
Acapulco	Mexico	Consular Agency
Cabo San Lucas	Mexico	Consular Agency
Cancun	Mexico	Consular Agency
Mazatlan	Mexico	Consular Agency
Playa del Carmen	Mexico	Consular Agency
Puerto Vallarta	Mexico	Consular Agency
Abidjan	Côte d'Ivoire	Embassy
Abu Dhabi	United Arab Emirates	Embassy
Addis Ababa	Ethiopia	Embassy
Algiers	Algeria	Embassy
Amman	Jordan	Embassy
Ankara	Türkiye	Embassy
Astana	Kazakhstan	Embassy
Athens	Greece	Embassy
Baghdad	Iraq	Embassy
Bamako	Mali	Embassy
Bangkok	Thailand	Embassy
Beijing	China	Embassy
Beirut	Lebanon	Embassy
Belgrade	Serbia	Embassy
Berlin	Germany	Embassy
Bern	Switzerland	Embassy
Bogota	Colombia	Embassy
Brasilia	Brazil	Embassy
Bratislava	Slovakia	Embassy
Brussels	Belgium	Embassy
Bucharest	Romania	Embassy
Budapest	Hungary	Embassy
Buenos Aires	Argentina	Embassy
Cairo	Egypt	Embassy
Caracas	Venezuela	Embassy
Copenhagen	Denmark	Embassy
Dakar	Senegal	Embassy
Doha	Qatar	Embassy
Dublin	Ireland	Embassy
Guatemala City	Guatemala	Embassy
Hague, The	Netherlands	Embassy
Hanoi	Vietnam	Embassy
Harare	Zimbabwe	Embassy
Havana	Cuba	Embassy
Helsinki	Finland	Embassy
Jakarta	Indonesia	Embassy
Juba	South Sudan	Embassy
Kabul	Afghanistan	Embassy
Khartoum	Sudan	Embassy
Kinshasa	Democratic Republic of Congo	Embassy
Kuwait City	Kuwait	Embassy
Kyiv	Ukraine	Embassy
Lima	Peru	Embassy
Lisbon	Portugal	Embassy
Madrid	Spain	Embassy
Manila	Philippines	Embassy
Mexico City	Mexico	Embassy
Montevideo	Uruguay	Embassy
Moscow	Russia	Embassy
Oslo	Norway	Embassy
Ouagadougou	Burkina Faso	Embassy
Panama City	Panama	Embassy
Paris	France	Embassy
Phnom Penh	Cambodia	Embassy
Port-au-Prince	Haiti	Embassy
Prague	Czechia	Embassy
Quito	Ecuador	Embassy
Rabat	Morocco	Embassy
Reykjavik	Iceland	Embassy
Riga	Latvia	Embassy
Riyadh	Saudi Arabia	Embassy
Rome	Italy	Embassy
San José	Costa Rica	Embassy
San Salvador	El Salvador	Embassy
Santiago	Chile	Embassy
Santo Domingo	Dominican Republic	Embassy
Seoul	Republic of Korea	Embassy
Stockholm	Sweden	Embassy
Tallinn	Estonia	Embassy
Tel Aviv	Israel	Embassy
Tokyo	Japan	Embassy
Tripoli	Libya	Embassy
Tunis	Tunisia	Embassy
Ulaanbaatar	Mongolia	Embassy
Vatican	Vatican City State	Embassy
Vienna	Austria	Embassy
Vientiane	Laos	Embassy
Vilnius	Lithuania	Embassy
Warsaw	Poland	Embassy
Washington, DC	United States	Embassy
Yangon	Myanmar	Embassy
Yerevan	Armenia	Embassy
Zagreb	Croatia	Embassy
Damascus	Syria	Embassy
Ramallah	West Bank and Gaza	Representative Office
Taipei	Taiwan	Representative Office
Cotonou	Benin	Program Office of the Embassy
La Paz	Bolivia	Program Office of the Embassy
Managua	Nicaragua	Program Office of the Embassy
Tegucigalpa	Honduras	Program Office of the Embassy
Lusaka	Zambia	Program Office of the High Commission
Antananarivo	Madagascar	Honorary Consul
Saint-Johns	Antigua and Barbuda	Honorary Consul
Antofagasta	Chile	Honorary Consul
Asmara	Eritrea	Honorary Consul
Asunción	Paraguay	Honorary Consul
Bangui	Central African Republic	Honorary Consul
Belfast	United Kingdom	Honorary Consul
Belize City	Belize	Honorary Consul
Bishkek	Kyrgyzstan	Honorary Consul
Bujumbura	Burundi	Honorary Consul
Busan	Republic of Korea	Honorary Consul
Cape Town	South Africa	Honorary Consul
Cardiff	United Kingdom	Honorary Consul
Cartagena	Colombia	Honorary Consul
Castries	Saint Lucia	Honorary Consul
Cebu	Philippines	Honorary Consul
Chiang Mai	Thailand	Honorary Consul
Conakry	Guinea	Honorary Consul
Concepción	Chile	Honorary Consul
Willemstad	Curaçao	Honorary Consul
Djibouti	Djibouti	Honorary Consul
Douala	Cameroon	Honorary Consul
Edinburgh	United Kingdom	Honorary Consul
Faro	Portugal	Honorary Consul
Flanders	Belgium	Honorary Consul
Fukuoka	Japan	Honorary Consul
Gaborone	Botswana	Honorary Consul
George Town	Cayman Islands	Honorary Consul
Göteborg	Sweden	Honorary Consul
Guardalavaca	Cuba	Honorary Consul
Guayaquil	Ecuador	Honorary Consul
Hamilton	Bermuda	Honorary Consul
Hiroshima	Japan	Honorary Consul
Jeddah	Saudi Arabia	Honorary Consul
Kampala	Uganda	Honorary Consul
Kathmandu	Nepal	Honorary Consul
Lahore	Pakistan	Honorary Consul
Libreville	Gabon	Honorary Consul
Ljubljana	Slovenia	Honorary Consul
Luanda	Angola	Honorary Consul
Luxembourg	Luxembourg	Honorary Consul
Lviv	Ukraine	Honorary Consul
Lyon	France	Honorary Consul
Málaga	Spain	Honorary Consul
Manama	Bahrain	Honorary Consul
Monaco	Monaco	Honorary Consul
Montego Bay	Jamaica	Honorary Consul
Muscat	Oman	Honorary Consul
Nassau	Bahamas (The)	Honorary Consul
N'Djamena	Chad	Honorary Consul
Niamey	Niger	Honorary Consul
Nice	France	Honorary Consul
Nicosia	Cyprus	Honorary Consul
Nouakchott	Mauritania	Honorary Consul
Nuuk	Greenland	Honorary Consul
Osaka	Japan	Honorary Consul
Paramaribo	Suriname	Honorary Consul
Penang	Malaysia	Honorary Consul
Phuket	Thailand	Honorary Consul
Point-a-Pitre	Guadeloupe	Honorary Consul
Ponta Delgada	Portugal	Honorary Consul
Port Harcourt	Nigeria	Honorary Consul
Port Louis	Mauritius	Honorary Consul
Providenciales	Turks and Caicos Islands	Honorary Consul
Puerto Plata	Dominican Republic	Honorary Consul
Saint Pierre	Saint Pierre and Miquelon (French Republic)	Honorary Consul
San Juan	Puerto Rico	Honorary Consul
Sanaa	Yemen	Honorary Consul
Sapporo	Japan	Honorary Consul
Sint Maarten	Saint Martin (French Republic)	Honorary Consul
Skopje	North Macedonia	Honorary Consul
Sofia	Bulgaria	Honorary Consul
Stavanger	Norway	Honorary Consul
Stuttgart	Germany	Honorary Consul
Suva	Fiji	Honorary Consul
Tashkent	Uzbekistan	Honorary Consul
Tbilisi	Georgia	Honorary Consul
Thessaloniki	Greece	Honorary Consul
Tijuana	Mexico	Honorary Consul
Tirana	Albania	Honorary Consul
Toulouse	France	Honorary Consul
Valletta	Malta	Honorary Consul
Varadero	Cuba	Honorary Consul
Vladivostok	Russia	Honorary Consul
Windhoek	Namibia	Honorary Consul
Timphu	Bhutan	Honorary Consul
Freetown	Sierra Leone	Honorary Consul
Siem Reap	Cambodia	Honorary Consul
Sarajevo	Bosnia & Herzegovina	Honorary Consul
Lilongwe	Malawi	Honorary Consul
Auckland	New Zealand	Consulate
Barcelona	Spain	Consulate
Dusseldorf	Germany	Consulate
Guadalajara	Mexico	Consulate
Milan	Italy	Consulate
Munich	Germany	Consulate
Nagoya	Japan	Consulate
Punta Cana	Dominican Republic	Consulate
Atlanta	United States	Consulate General
Bengaluru	India	Consulate General
Boston	United States	Consulate General
Chandigarh	India	Consulate General
Chicago	United States	Consulate General
Chongqing	China	Consulate General
Dallas	United States	Consulate General
Denver	United States	Consulate General
Detroit	United States	Consulate General
Dubai	United Arab Emirates	Consulate General
Guangzhou	China	Consulate General
Ho Chi Minh City	Vietnam	Consulate General
Hong Kong	China	Consulate General
Istanbul	Türkiye	Consulate General
Los Angeles	United States	Consulate General
Miami	United States	Consulate General
Minneapolis	United States	Consulate General
Monterrey	Mexico	Consulate General
Mumbai	India	Consulate General
New York	United States	Consulate General
Rio de Janeiro	Brazil	Consulate General
San Francisco	United States	Consulate General
Sao Paulo	Brazil	Consulate General
Seattle	United States	Consulate General
Shanghai	China	Consulate General
Sydney	Australia	Consulate General
Abuja	Nigeria	High Commission
Accra	Ghana	High Commission
Bandar Seri Begawan	Brunei	High Commission
Bridgetown	Barbados	High Commission
Canberra	Australia	High Commission
Colombo	Sri Lanka	High Commission
Dar es Salaam	Tanzania	High Commission
Dhaka	Bangladesh	High Commission
Georgetown	Guyana	High Commission
Islamabad	Pakistan	High Commission
Kigali	Rwanda	High Commission
Kingston	Jamaica	High Commission
Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	High Commission
London	United Kingdom	High Commission
Maputo	Mozambique	High Commission
Nairobi	Kenya	High Commission
New Delhi	India	High Commission
Port of Spain	Trinidad and Tobago	High Commission
Pretoria	South Africa	High Commission
Singapore	Singapore	High Commission
Wellington	New Zealand	High Commission
Yaoundé	Cameroon	High Commission
Lagos	Nigeria	Deputy High Commission
Geneva PERM	Switzerland	Permanent Mission

Canadians can access consular services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Outside of local business hours, Canadians in need of emergency consular assistance can contact GAC’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre (EWRC):

• by calling +1 613 996 8885
• by text message at +1 613 686 3658
• via WhatsApp at +1 613 909 8881
• via Signal at +1 613 909 8087
• by email at sos@international.gc.ca

During the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, the EWRC responded to:

• 92,518 calls
• 107,053 emails
• 19,668 live chats
• 13,359 SMS, WhatsApp and Signal messages

The average phone response time was around 20 seconds to reach an operations officer. The number of consular enquiries to the EWRC increased nearly 25% compared to the previous four years. The EWRC also supports after-hours operations, assisting with the delivery of consular services when Canadian offices abroad are closed.

Canada’s consular officials can provide a range of services, including passport services, facilitating voting in Canadian federal elections from abroad and providing support in complex consular cases, such as accidents or medical assistance and financial assistance.

In cases of accidents and medical assistance, consular officers can offer support by providing information on medical facilities and contacting relatives. However, they cannot pay hospital or medical bills or for a medical evacuation or air ambulance. It is therefore important to purchase comprehensive travel health insurance before travel.

In cases of arrest or detention abroad, consular officials can explain how the local justice system works, provide lists of local lawyers, and help you understand court procedures, timelines, and what to expect, but they cannot give legal advice, pay for your lawyer, or influence the court or police investigation. Canadian arrested and detained abroad are subject to the criminal justice system of the country where arrested and imprisoned. Consular officials cannot arrange for release from prison or interfere with local law.

For cases where Canadians require financial assistance, Canadian government offices abroad can provide a list of local money transfer services and can help with contacting family, friends, employers, co-workers, credit card companies or banks to ask them to transfer funds. They can also provide information on how to apply for emergency financial assistance through the Department of Justice’s Victims Fund if the Canadian has been the victim of a serious violent crime.

Passports

Passport-related consular services remain the most common type of request received by Canadian officials working in our offices abroad. Officials can help Canadians replace lost, stolen, damaged or expired Canadian passports and take applications for new ones. 

In the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, 215,631 passport applications were received from outside Canada, with 6,989 passports reported lost and another 5,085 reported stolen. The Government of Canada issued 1,663 emergency travel documents, 11,453 temporary passports and 196,506 new passports to support Canadians travelling or living outside Canada.

The top 10 destinations for lost and stolen passports were:

Text version - Top 10 destinations for lost/stolen passports (2024-2025)

Top 10 destinations for lost/stolen passports (2024-2025)

Destination	Number of passports issued
United States	2,268
Italy	1,322
Spain	992
United Kingdom	867
France	765
Mexico	479
Portugal	429
Greece	384
Germany	287
Netherlands	228

Theft prevention tips and what to do if your belongings get stolen:

• Never leave valuables in a vehicle, including in the trunk
• Always keep your passport and valuables secure, especially while travelling
• Learn what to do after you get your passport and how to keep it safe
• Read our advice on what to do if your belongings are lost or stolen while abroad and learn what to do if your passport is lost, stolen or damaged
• Contact the embassy or consulate closest to your destination or the EWRC for 24/7 consular assistance

Consular cases

Canadians travelling or living abroad may sometimes face unexpected challenges and difficult situations. When this happens, we can help them by opening a consular case to provide assistance. This involves working with the individual, their family and friends, as well as local officials and organizations to help resolve or mitigate the situation.

Every case is unique, and the level of support provided depends on various factors, including the country’s laws and regulations and the vulnerability of the Canadian involved.

During the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, GAC opened 7,208 consular cases for Canadians abroad. The top three types of consular cases were arrests and detentions, deaths and cases related to accidents and medical assistance.

Text version - Consular cases by type and number (2024–2025)

Consular cases by type and number (2024–2025)

Rank	Service category	Number of cases
1	Arrest and detention	1,652
2	Death	1,463
3	Accident and medical assistance	1,087
4	Financial assistance	846
5	Children and family	743
6	Well-being and whereabouts	724
7	Victim of crime (excluding thefts)	341

What you should know:

• Before travelling, make sure you identify the nearest Government of Canada office to your destination and understand the services offered; refer to our directory for embassies, consulates and offices by destination
• Consult the “Need Help?” section of your destination’s Travel Advice and Advisories page
• Check out the Canadian Consular Services Charter to learn more about the assistance Canadian officials can provide

Top 10 destinations for consular cases

During the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, Mexico, the second-most popular destination for Canadian travellers, had the most consular cases. It was followed by the United States, Canada’s most popular travel destination.

Text version - Top 10 destinations for consular cases (2024-2025)

Top 10 destinations for consular cases (2024-2025)

Country	Number of new cases opened
Mexico	813
United States	787
Thailand	302
Haiti	280
Dominican Republic	254
United Kingdom	224
Cuba	215
China	205
Italy	169
Philippines	166

Top 5 destinations by type of consular case

GAC provides support to Canadians travelling or living outside Canada who experience a wide range of challenges, including lost or stolen passports, the death of a loved one, injury and arrest and detention. Each case is unique, and the type and extent of consular services we can provide depends on the situation and location.

Death abroad

In the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, 1,463 Canadian deaths abroad were reported to GAC. Most of these deaths (994) were due to natural causes. Other causes of death were accidental, such as drowning or transport accidents.

Top 5 destinations for death abroad cases (2024-2025)

What you should know: When a Canadian dies overseas, regardless of the cause, Canadian officials can provide advice and information to the person’s loved ones on how to contact the appropriate authorities. They can also help find a funeral home familiar with international funeral arrangements and support the repatriation of the body to Canada.

• Buy comprehensive travel health insurance before you travel to ensure you are covered in the event of illness or death abroad
• Consult our information about what to do if you are the next of kin or representative of a Canadian who has died outside Canada

Arrest and detention

Cases involving a detained Canadian occur all over the world. During the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, we managed 1,652 cases involving Canadians arrested or detained outside Canada. This was a 19% increase over the previous fiscal year. Notably, the number of cases in Mexico increased by 63% from 163 to 266.

A growing number of arrest and detention cases related to drug trafficking have been reported at Canadian offices abroad. Some detainees unknowingly transported drugs, often after being recruited, misled or coerced.

Top 5 destinations for arrest and detention cases (2024–2025)

What you should know:

• Do not transport, hold, buy or use cannabis or any illegal drugs under any circumstances when travelling outside Canada
• Never carry a gift, package or luggage for anyone across a border or through customs unless you are sure of its contents; if drugs are found, you will be held responsible
• To reduce the risk of being unknowingly involved in drug trafficking, pack your own luggage and keep it securely locked and in your possession at all times
• Most countries have a zero-tolerance policy with respect to illegal drugs, including possession and use; penalties can be severe—even for small quantities—including spending several years in prison in a foreign country or even the death penalty
• You are responsible for knowing and following the laws of your destination; if you are arrested, you are subject to the criminal justice system of that country
• While consular officials can’t arrange release from prison, they can provide a range of services to detained Canadians; these services vary depending on the country and specific circumstances and could include providing a list of local lawyers or contacting family members on the detainee’s behalf

Consult our guide for Canadians detained abroad for more information.

Accident and medical assistance

Accidents and illness can happen anywhere. In the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, Canadian consular officials managed 1,087 cases related to accidents and medical assistance, representing a 2% increase compared to the previous year. These cases involved support such as providing information on medical facilities and contacting relatives. More than a third of these cases occurred in the top 10 international destinations for Canadians.

Top 5 destinations for accident and medical assistance cases (2024–2025)

What you should know: Consular officials can assist by providing you with a list of hospitals and information related to service providers. It is important to know that they can’t pay hospital or medical bills, a medical evacuation or an air ambulance.

• Buy comprehensive travel health insurance before you travel; carefully read the policy details to understand what your insurance covers
• If you plan to take part in adventure travel activities while abroad, read up on the potential risks and our advice on insurance and how to stay safe
• Check out our information about travel health and safety outside Canada

Tips for medical emergencies and what to do if it happens to you:

• Buy comprehensive travel health insurance before you travel and carefully read the policy details to understand what your insurance covers
• Check out our information about health and safety outside Canada.
• Contact the embassy or consulate closest to your destination or the Emergency Watch and Response Centre for 24/7 consular assistance

Well-being and whereabouts

Enquiries often arise when a family member or friend becomes concerned that a loved one has not been in contact during their travels.

In the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, we opened 724 cases related to persons who were missing or who had had limited contact with family or friends back in Canada, a 3% decrease from the previous year.

Mexico, the second most popular travel destination for Canadians, was the top country for this type of consular case for the fourth year in a row.

Top 5 destinations for wellbeing and whereabouts cases (2024–2025)

What you should know: When a traveller’s whereabouts are unknown, Canadian officials can try to get in touch with the person and pass on the contact details of those looking for them. Officials can also provide advice to families but may be unable to reveal their knowledge about the whereabouts of the traveller due to privacy considerations. It is up to the traveller to contact their family or friends directly.  Canadian officials are unable to launch searches for Canadians abroad, but can advise family members to report to police or other institutions that have jurisdiction.

Tips for well-being and what to do if you need help:

• Travelling or living outside Canada can affect your mental health; before you go, consult our information and resources to help you prepare and protect your well-being while abroad
• Read our advice on what to do if you think a Canadian has gone missing abroad
• Before you travel, sign up for the free Registration of Canadians Abroad service, which allows us to contact you in case of an emergency at your destination and to contact family members on your behalf
• Share a detailed travel itinerary and contact details with family or friends in Canada
• Provide family or friends with the contact information for the 24/7 EWRC
• Carry contact information for the Canadian government offices abroad in the countries you plan to visit

Victims of violent crime (excluding theft)

During the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, a total of 341 Canadians reported being victims of a crime abroad, an increase of 15% compared to the previous year. The types of crime included in these cases were assault (physical or sexual), homicide and kidnapping. Mexico continued to be the country where the highest number of Canadians required consular assistance as victims of a crime.

Top 5 destinations for victims of violent crime cases (2024–2025)

What you should know: 

• Read our Travel Advice and Advisories for your destination to gain the knowledge and awareness you need to protect yourself and travel safe
• Follow the same safety rules while you are travelling that you would at home, only with more caution
• Learn more about the precautions you can take and what to do if you are a victim by reading our advice on physical and sexual assault abroad
• If you’re a victim of violent crime while travelling abroad, Canadian officials can:
  • provide you with contact information for local police and medical services
  • help you find support to manage the emotional, medical and legal consequences of a crime
  • provide information on how to apply for emergency financial assistance through the Department of Justice’s Victims Fund

Child-related assistance

During the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, Canadian officials managed 743 cases involving children abroad, including parental child abduction, child custody, child welfare and child desertion cases. This represents an increase of 16% compared to the previous fiscal year.

The United States continued to be the country where Canadians reported the most child-related cases. India replaced Afghanistan in the top five destinations for these types of cases. In Mexico, cases nearly doubled, rising from 22 to 40.

Top 5 destinations for child-related assistance cases (2024–2025)

What you should know: When a Canadian child is abroad, local law applies, and local child welfare authorities have the responsibility to protect them. Canadian officials are able to guide parents and children through the process, but cannot enforce Canadian orders or standards or give legal advice. Canada is a member of the 1980 Hague Convention, a multilateral treaty that provides a legal framework for parents to seek the prompt return of children in situations of international parental abduction. Through the convention, Canadian provincial and territorial authorities can collaborate with their counterparts in other member states to locate the child, initiate legal proceedings and advocate for their safe return to Canada. In cases of parental abduction in states that are not members of the Hague Convention, seeking competent local legal advice is especially important. If you think your child is in danger of being abducted and taken out of Canada, read our guide for affected parents in international child abduction cases

• If your child was abducted abroad or is being prevented from returning to Canada, contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa for consular assistance
• It is a crime to force anyone to marry, and it is also a crime to take anyone under the age of 16 out of Canada for the purpose of marriage; consult our resources and see how we can help if you or someone you know might be forced into marriage abroad
• It is also illegal to take or send a minor under 18 years of age outside of Canada to undergo conversion therapy; consult our resources if you or someone you know might be subjected to conversion therapy abroad
• It is also illegal to remove a child from Canada to undergo female genital mutilation; consult our resources for additional information if you or someone you know is at risk

Consular emergency response

Crises and emergencies, such as political unrest, conflict and natural disasters, can occur at any time and anywhere, potentially affecting Canadians, permanent residents and their immediate family members abroad. These situations may sometimes require an exceptional response from the Government of Canada.

Consular emergency response during the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year included:

• ensuring that the public was kept informed on what the government was doing to protect the safety and security of affected Canadians
• providing on-the-ground assistance to affected Canadians, such as assisting with travel documentation and emergency financial assistance loans
• increasing surge capacity by mobilizing hundreds of staff across headquarters and missions abroad, including members of the Standing Rapid Deployment Team, to assist with multiple emergencies
• facilitating assisted departures from various affected regions for nearly 1,900 Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada and their immediate family members, and over 250 foreign nationals

GAC assisted thousands of Canadians affected by crises around the world in 2024 to 2025, including:

• the crisis in the Gaza Strip—October 7, 2023—ongoing
  • Using land border crossings via Rafah, we were able to assist the departures of 22 Canadians, permanent residents of Canada and their immediate family members in the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year
• the crisis in Haiti—March 2 to April 30, 2024
  • Between April 3 and 26, 2024, assisted departure operations from Haiti to Canada were escalated, with 38 helicopter movements and six charter flights facilitating the evacuation of:
    • 528 Canadians, permanent residents and their immediate family members, of which 47 were children and youth
    • 16 foreign nationals at the special request of their respective governments
  • In April 2024, GAC’s 24/7 EWRC responded to more than 7,295 enquiries related to the crisis
  • In April 2024, 24 Standing Rapid Deployment Team members were deployed to Haiti to provide additional support to Canadians during the crisis
• the crisis in New Caledonia—May 14 to 26, 2024
  • Through the Canada-Australia Consular Services Sharing Agreement, 37 Canadians, permanent residents and their immediate family members were evacuated from New Caledonia to Brisbane, Australia, on military flights organized by Australia
• the crisis in Lebanon—September 26 to October 22, 2024
  • We facilitated the safe departure from Lebanon via nine charter flights and seven augmented commercial capacity flights to Istanbul, Türkiye; Doha, Qatar; and Larnaca, Cyprus of 1,311 Canadians, permanent residents and their immediate family members
  • GAC supported the evacuation of approximately 240 foreign nationals at the special request of their respective governments
  • We made more than 3,300 seats on assisted departure flights available for Canadians, permanent residents of Canada and their eligible family members wishing to leave Lebanon
  • GAC’s 24/7 EWRC responded to more than 9,955 enquiries related to the crisis
  • In response to the crisis, GAC deployed 80 members of the Standing Rapid Deployment Team to Lebanon, ensuring enhanced on-the-ground support for Canadians

Text version - Consular emergency response during the 2024–2025 fiscal year

Consular emergency response during the 2024–2025 fiscal year

Gaza (Ongoing)

• Assisted departures of 22 Canadians, PRs, and their immediate family members in 2024–2025

Haiti (Mar–Apr 2024)

• 38 helicopter movements
• 6 charter flights
• Responded to over 7,295 enquiries
• Deployed 24 Standing Rapid Deployment Team members
• Evacuation of:
  • 528 Canadians, PRs, and their immediate family members, of which 47 were childrenand youth
  • 16 foreign nationals

New Caledonia (May 2024)

• 37 Canadians, PRs, and their immediate family members evacuated on military flights organized by Australia

Lebanon (Sept–Oct 2024)

• Safe departure of 1,311 Canadians, PRs, and their immediate family members
• 9 charter flights
• 7 augmented commercial capacity flights
• Evacuation of 240 foreign nationals
• More than 3,300 seats available
• Responded to more than 9,955 enquiries
• Deployed 80 Standing Rapid Deployment Team members

Communicating safe travel advice to Canadians

In 2024 to 2025, GAC continued to work with other government departments and agencies to ensure that Canadians found timely, accurate and clear guidance on government travel advice and information on Travel.gc.ca. These departments and agencies included the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the Passport Program and Transport Canada.

Communications included the following:

• Maintenance of nearly 700 webpages on Travel.gc.ca and more than 200 updates to pages, including updates to Large-scale emergencies outside Canada and the addition of the Adventure travel health and safety page
  • Travel.gc.ca received 27,419,334 visits over the fiscal year
• Nearly 5000 updates to the destination-specific Travel Advice and Advisories, of which 359 were updates to the risk levels
  • There were 15.39 million visits to the Travel Advice and Advisories pages, with the top five being those for:
    • United States (1.54 million visits)
    • Mexico (1.33 million visits)
    • Cuba (1.07 million visits)
    • Dominican Republic (760,000 visits)
    • United Kingdom (470,000 visits)
• 296 messages were sent through the free Registration of Canadians Abroad service providing key information regarding emergencies or other events abroad that could impact registrants’ safety.
  • Messages were sent to more than 1 million recipients.
• Social media posts amplifying updates to the destination-specific advice, proactively sharing safe travel advice from Travel.gc.ca and sharing information during a crisis
  • Facebook: 1,726 posts
  • X (formerly Twitter): 1,399 posts
  • Instagram: 102 posts (grid and stories)
  • LinkedIn: 160 posts

Text version - March 25, 2025

Reminder! Passport validity requirements vary from country to country. Verify your passport’s expiry date and check the advice for your destination before booking your trip.

https://ow.ly/7gnI50VonRI

Text version - January 16, 2025

There has been an increase in seismic activity in #Ethiopia and further earthquakes are possible. If you are there, monitor local media for the latest information and follow instructions from local authorities, including evacuation orders. More info: https://ow.ly/1VtY50UI5V0

Text version - April 1, 2024

If you are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible family member, and wish to be considered for assisted departures, contact us now: https://ow.ly/5UCh50R5Zmo

GAC continued to encourage Canadians to follow social media accounts to stay informed about safe travel. There was a net increase of 45,805 new followers across dedicated Travel.gc.ca accounts in 2024 to 2025.

• Facebook: Travel advice from the Government of Canada and Conseils du gouvernement du Canada à l’intention des voyageurs
• X: @TravelGoC and @VoyageGdC
• LinkedIn
• Instagram: @global.affairs.canada and @affaires.mondiales.canada

In addition, the department completed several proactive outreach activities to connect with Canadians and raise awareness of the government’s safe travel advice, including:

• running four advertising campaigns across several platforms, including Snapchat, Spotify, Tinder, Narcity, YouTube and Stingray audio, as well as on busses and in waiting rooms
• engaging with Canadians in person by participating in events across Canada and through Canadian airport outreach, with a total reach of approximately 19,400 visitors to our Safe Travel kiosk
• engaging with 45 post-secondary institutions across Canada to provide information and advice for Canadian students planning to study or work abroad
• connecting with more than 335 representatives of the Canadian travel industry through webinars and industry events
• distributing more than 55,510 safe travel publications and materials to Canadians at events or through online orders