Remember your travel insurance!

“The most important advice we can give Norwegians who travel abroad is that they must always make sure they have valid travel insurance. If you run into difficulties while travelling abroad, you can’t expect the Norwegian authorities to take care of the situation for you,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

Today the Government presented a white paper on assistance to Norwegians abroad.

“Norwegians travel a lot, we take up residence in far-away places, and we travel further, to new and in some cases dangerous destinations. The Foreign Service gives high priority to providing assistance to Norwegians in difficulty. There is an increasing need for such assistance, and this is something both the Ministry and the Foreign Service missions abroad are taking very seriously. But we encourage all those who travel abroad to think about what they themselves are responsible for,” said Mr Støre.

The white paper gives an account of the historical development of consular services and the basic principles underlying such assistance. It deals with all the practical and formal problems Norwegians can encounter while travelling abroad. It describes the increase in demand for consular assistance and support, and the gap between the services offered and the public’s expectations. The white paper discusses important issues such as who is eligible for consular assistance and where and when such assistance should be offered.

“The most common assistance we provide is helping people to help themselves, i.e. assistance and guidance on how they can cope with the situation on their own,” said Mr Støre.

The main conclusion in the white paper is that consular services are a priority area, and that the assistance provided by the Foreign Service will continue along established lines and will be based on the principles of individual responsibility and helping people to help themselves. At the same time, priority will be given to further developing our consular services so that they are as professional, effective and efficient as possible in future.