Missing abroad: who to call first from the UK

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced a new partnership with the UK charity Missing People on 19 October 2026. Consular assistance teams will now refer consenting families directly to the charity when a loved one goes missing overseas.

What actually changed on 19 October?

The department's powers have not changed; the route to support has. Until now consular staff could only hand over a list of organisations. Under the agreement families are referred straight to Missing People, where trained family support teams take over. The offer includes a helpline, emotional and practical support, dedicated family support, peer support, family events and referral to specialist organisations.

FCDO Minister for Consular Stephen Doughty described the aim as "a modern consular service that ensures they receive compassionate and professional support at every step". Sophie Lapham, Director of Services at Missing People, pointed to the practical problem: families must navigate unfamiliar systems and language barriers "often from thousands of miles away". The release says the FCDO deals with hundreds of missing-abroad cases a year, while Missing People supports around 10,000 people affected each year and has worked in this field for more than 30 years.

Who should be told first?

Four places at once, and there is no waiting period to observe. The GOV.UK guidance (first published 31 August 2022, last updated 30 September 2026, when the Missing People section was added) lists them:

— the local authorities, usually the police, in the country where the person went missing: they are responsible for the search;
— the UK police, who can ask Interpol to contact the police in that country, and you can do this at any time;
— the FCDO;
— the missing person's insurer: some policies cover search and rescue costs abroad.

Two warnings from the same guidance. Foreign authorities may not accept a missing person report until a certain amount of time has passed, and may not accept one in English — you may have to arrange and pay for a translation. UK police do not usually become involved in an investigation abroad; they can only do so if the authorities in that country ask for help.

What can the FCDO do, and what will it not do?

The list is finite, and knowing it saves hours spent waiting for the impossible. The FCDO can check whether the missing person has been in contact with it (and pass that on only with their consent), arrange for consular staff to meet you in person or remotely, help you contact the local authorities, stay in touch and tell you of developments, help arrange meetings with local authorities if you travel abroad to search, and give you details of organisations specialising in missing people.

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The FCDO cannot carry out physical searches, fund searches or offer rewards for information, control how the media report the case, or share information with you if the person is found but does not give permission. That last point is the one families least expect: an adult is entitled not to tell their relatives where they are.

What information should you have ready?

The fuller the first report, the faster the work starts. The guidance asks for name, date and place of birth, passport details, the last place, date and time anybody had contact with them, the travel itinerary and who they are travelling with, any medical condition, mobile number, email address and social media accounts, and insurance details.

Find the phone's IMEI number too — the device's unique 15-digit serial number, which police may be able to use to locate the handset. The missing person's bank, building society or internet service provider may be able to say when and where the account was last accessed, though the police may need to authorise that.

Which number do you ring now?

From the UK, call the FCDO on +44 (0)20 7008 5000 and select "Consular services for British nationals": the call goes to the Consular Contact Centre, which is staffed 24/7. From another country, call the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate, which uses the same round-the-clock service.

The Missing People helpline is 116 000. The GOV.UK guidance also points to the National Crime Agency's UK Missing Persons Unit and to Safe Harbour, Locate International, CFAB, Reunite, the Salvation Army family tracing service and the British Red Cross international tracing and message service.