Consular Affairs: Special Consular Services

Hours of operation

The Special Consular Services (SCS) unit of the American Citizen Services (ACS) branch of the U.S. Embassy in London provides a variety of emergency and non-emergency services to Americans in England and Wales. We visit Americans in jail, assist families and friends following the death of a U.S. citizen loved one, offer help to U.S. children and families involved in abduction, custody, support, and other cases, check on the welfare of U.S. citizens, provide routine notary services (by appointment only), can help you register to vote in U.S. elections, and can provide you with information on safety and security in the United Kingdom. Detailed information on these and the other services we provide is available via the links below.

We are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., excluding U.S. and UK public holidays.

Christmas & New Year closures

The Embassy will be closed to the public on December 25 and 26 for Christmas Day and Boxing Day, on January 1 for New Year's Day, and on January 19, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday.
In addition, there will be no notarial services during the Christmas Holiday Season on the following days in 2008:
Wednesday, December 24; Monday, December 29, Tuesday, December 30 and Wednesday December 31.
In addition, we will not be scheduling routine notarial services on Friday, January 2, 2009.
We are always available in case of an emergency involving an American in distress in England and Wales via the Embassy telephone number: from the United States, dial 011-44-20-7499-9000; from within England and Wales, dial 020-7499-9000. Our Consulates General in Edinburgh and Belfast assist Americans in Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively.

If you have questions about any of the information on our webpages, or can't find what you are looking for, please send us an email at SCSLondon@state.gov .

Emergencies & Medical

Arrest of an American Citizen Abroad Children's Issues and Family Matters Death of an American Citizen Abroad Dentists Doctors Finding Missing People in the United Kingdom Finding Missing People in the United States Independent Medical Facilities Lost or Stolen Property/Airline Tickets Marriage & Civil Partnerships in England and Wales Medical Evacuation from the United Kingdom Medical Specialists Warden Messages

Legal Matters

American Attorneys in the United Kingdom American Divorce and Matrimonial Attorneys Arrest of an American Citizen Abroad ATM Fraud Children's Issues and Family Matters Child Custody Solicitors and Law Firms Criminal Records Checks in the United States (Fingerprinting Services) Death of an American Citizen Abroad Debit Card Fraud Entry into the United Kingdom Finding Missing People in the United Kingdom Finding Missing People in the United States Internet Scams Marriage & Civil Partnerships in England and Wales Notary services Precautions Against Theft Public Records -- Obtaining Copies in England and Wales Serving Legal Papers and Process Solicitors Taxis and Minicabs Translators in the United Kingdom

Money Matters

ATM Fraud Internal Revenue Service Internet Scams Money Transfers Through Western Union Precautions Against Theft Tax Preparation Services U.S. Savings Bonds

Education

American Schools in the United Kingdom American Organizations in the United Kingdom American Universities/Colleges in the United Kingdom Entry Into The United Kingdom

Guidebook to Living and Traveling in the United Kingdom

The Guidebook to Living and Traveling in the United Kingdom (PDF, 162 pages, 600Kb) is designed to assist Americans with a variety of administrative and personal matters. If you can’t find the information you need, please take a look at the rest of our website (http://london.usembassy.gov); send us an email at SCSLondon@state.gov ; or call the Special Consular Services unit at 011-44-20-7499-9000 from the United States or 020-7499-9000 within the United Kingdom. The Guidebook is a 162-page Adobe PDF document (600Kb) and requires the free Acrobat Reader software. If you do not have the Acrobat Reader software installed, you can download it for free.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

The Consulates General in Edinburgh and Belfast assist American citizens in Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively. The website for the U.S. Consulate General in Edinburgh can be found at: http://london.usembassy.gov/scotland/index.htm . The website for the U.S. Consulate General in Belfast can be found at: http://london.usembassy.gov/nireland/index.html .

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