My Role As British Honorary Consul - and some helpful Consular information
Over 5 years ago, I was appointed British Honorary Consul in Baja California Sur. At the time of the appointment, I had just launched Baja Baby Gear and I was Mom to a newborn boy. I saw it as an excellent opportunity to do a bit more community outreach, and I hoped that along the way I could offer help and support to British nationals in times of need.
My role as British Honorary Consul has been one of the most rewarding jobs I have done. The British Embassy is located in Mexico City - quite a bit away from where I live in Cabo so I work from home, and when needed, I can go to wherever I am asked to go. When I am called upon to assist someone, it is a pleasure and quite frankly an honor to be there to offer a little help when someone needs it. There are British Honorary Consul's in Cancun, Acapulco and Tijuana also.
Because there are so many more British tourists in Cancun – our Embassy has a permanent office located in the tourist zone, which is open between 9am - 1pm Monday to Friday. Here’s the address and telephone number of their office: British Consulate in Cancun Torre Europea, Off 202 Blvd. Kulkulcan, Km. 12.5 Hotel Zon Cancun, Quintana Roo Mexico, CP 77500 Tel: (0052) 55 1670 3200 (BTW – You can find the US Consulate in the same building as the British Consulate, and you can find the Canadian Consulate office in the building right before the Brits and US!)
Here’s the lowdown on what the British Embassy can do for you (straight from their website), and also what they can’t do for you:
Urgent assistance
If you’re in Mexico and you urgently need help (eg if you’ve been attacked, arrested or lost your passport), call – (0052) 55 1670 3200. If you’re in the UK and concerned about a British national in Mexico, call 020 7008 1500.
Get or renew a passport
The British embassy can’t help with passport enquiries. Contact Her Majesty’s Passport Office if you need help. If you can’t get a new or replacement passport in time to travel, you may be able to get an emergency travel document.
Get an emergency travel document
You can apply for an emergency travel document if you’re abroad and your passport has been lost or stolen, damaged or expired, and you can’t get a new or replacement passport in time to travel. If you are due to travel in the next 24 hours, contact us as soon as possible. Apply online for an emergency travel document if you:- are over 16 years old and
- are a British citizen and
- have previously owned a British passport
- over 16 years old but have not owned a British passport before or
- not a British citizen or
- applying for a child under 16 years old
Get a visa
The British embassy can’t help with visa enquiries. If you’re not a British national, you may need a visa to travel to the UK. Check if you need a UK visa. If you’re a British national travelling abroad and need to apply for a visa to visit a particular country or check if you need a visa, see the entry requirements on our foreign travel advice for the country you want to visit. For more information on visas, see UK visas and immigration.
Marriage and civil partnerships
We can issue certificates of no impediment, affirmations or affidavits of marital status and, in some circumstances, perform a marriage or civil partnership for British nationals. For information on getting married in Mexico, see getting married abroad. Register a birth or death Find out how to register a birth or register a death in Mexico. You can’t register a birth or death at the embassy or our consulates. Bereavement support If the death occurred in Mexico and you’re still in the country, contact us. If you’re in the UK and hear of the death of a relative from a third party, you should contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 020 7008 1500. Read our guidance on coping with death abroad. Support if you’ve been arrested We’ll do all we can to contact you within 24 hours of being told that you’ve been detained or arrested, and will give you a prisoner pack with information for British prisoners in Mexico. We cannot get you out of prison, prevent the local authorities from deporting you after your prison sentence, or interfere in criminal or civil court proceedings. Notarial and documentary services We may be able to offer notarial services, including administering an oath, affirmation or affidavit or making a certified copy of a document}. See the full list of notarial and documentary services we provide. Legalisation services The British Embassy in Mexico City does not provide legalisation services. Read our notarial and documentary services page for more information on legalisation. Ask the UK government to get a UK document legalised (certified as genuine). List of lawyers and interpreters Use our list of English speaking lawyers and interpreters if you need help with official transactions in Mexico. Please note that inclusion in this list does not constitute official endorsement by the British consulate or the UK government.
Local service provider lists
We provide lists of:Please note that inclusion in these lists does not constitute official endorsement by the British consulate or the UK government.
How else we can help
In addition to the services listed above we can also:- provide information about transferring funds
- provide appropriate help if you have suffered rape or serious assault, are a victim of other crime, or are in hospital
- help people with mental illness
- offer support and help in a range of other cases, such as child abductions, missing peopleand kidnapping
- contact family or friends for you if you want
- make special arrangements in cases of terrorism, civil disturbances or natural disasters or other crises abroad
For more information on the services we can provide, see Support for British nationals abroad: A guide. General information on living in Mexico.
What the embassy cannot do for you
Although we try to help British nationals in a wide range of situations, we cannot:- help you enter a country, for example, if you don’t have a visa or your passport is not valid
- give you legal advice, investigate crimes or carry out searches for missing people, although we can give you details of people who may be able to help you in these cases, such as English-speaking lawyers.
- get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to local people
- pay any bills or give you money (in very exceptional circumstances we may lend you some money from public funds, which you’ll have to pay back)
- make travel arrangements for you, or find you work or accommodation
- make business arrangements on your behalf
It's worth mentioning that 90% of our Baja Baby Gear clients are from the US and Canada. With that being said, I want to confirm that there are US Consulate and Canadian Consulate offices here in Los Cabos: Here is their contact information:
US Consulate - Los Cabos (An extension of the Consulate in Tijuana)
Las Tiendas de Palmilla L-B221,
Km. 27.5 Carretera Transpeninsular
San José del Cabo,
Baja California Sur
C.P. 23406
Phone:(52)(624)143-3566
Fax: (52)(624)143-6750
E-mail:ConAgencyLosCabos@state.gov
Consular Agency of Canada
Plaza San Lucas (Walmart Mall)
Carretera Transpeninsular Km. 0.5,
Local 82 Col.
El Tezal
23454
Cabo San Lucas,
Baja California Sur - Mexico
Telephone: (624) 142-4333
Fax: (624) 142-4262
E-mail: lcabo@international.gc.ca
I’ll follow up this post soon with a few tips that I think are really important to do before you travel.
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