Advice for women travelling abroad

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Research your destination

All travellers face risks abroadabroad. butIn insome certain countries or cultures, women travelling alone or in female-only groups can face additionalextra risks and obstacles.

When planning your travel, you should consider finding out about researching:

• the local culture of a country, and country
• whether women travelling there have received unwanted attention or difficulties basedbecause onof gender.their gender

You can do this by:check:

• checking the localsafety laws and customssecurity page on our country country travel advice pages
• using guidebooks and online forums
• talkingour toadvice othersfor whoindependent haveand travelledsolo totravel
• our theadvice placesfor youLGBT plan to visittravellers

Transport

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• arrangehave airportbeen transfersto before you arrive
• use only official, licensed and reputable taxis
• sit in the backseatplaces ofyou aplan taxi,to behindvisit.

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• travel in busy carriages on a train, or carriages for women only if these exist
• avoid hitchhiking

Be secure in your accommodation

YouIf should consider:

• booking accommodation before you travel,have ina particularhealth yourcondition firstor night’s accommodation. You are atpregnant, youryou mostmay vulnerableneed whenspecialist youhealthcare firstabroad. arriveCheck inwhether athe foreigncountry country.can Youprovide arethe likelyhealthcare toyou beneed tired and unsuremake ofsure youryou surroundings
• researchinghave appropriate accommodationtravel optionsinsurance for carefully,unexpected includingmedical checkingevacuation theor locationlocal andtreatment.

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• neveralways leavingbe youravailable. keyIt whereis someoneimportant canfor noteyou yourto roombe number
• closingprepared. yourIn windows,some especiallycountries, if youryou roombecome ispregnant on the ground floor or hasgive abirth balcony
• lockingoutside yourof doormarriage, when you aremay insidenot thebe room
• usingcovered theby spy-holemedical orinsurance. chain, 

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• bringingwomen. aThis doormay wedgehappen toeven placein behindcases yourwhere accommodationit door

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• avoidNaTHNaC.

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• ingirls someis countries, wearing a ringrisk onin yourmany weddingcountries. fingerThis canmay discourage unwantedtake attention
• bedifferent awareforms thatdepending whaton is considered harmless flirting in the UKlocal mightcontext, belaws, interpretedhistory differentlyand inculture some countries
• avoid walking alone in deserted areas, such as the beach,country.

  If at night

• do not tell strangers where you are stayingtravelling orby detailsyourself aboutor yourplan travelto plans
• dospend nottime sharealone detailswhile ofyou yourare tripabroad, onsee socialour media
• beadvice awarefor ofsolo yourtravellers.

  Rape surroundings and researchsexual theassault

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• planare yourrisks dailyto itinerary:people knowof whereall you’regenders goingworldwide, andincluding howwomen. toThe getlocal back
• askservices yourand hotelattitudes ortowards hostelhelping tovictims recommendof arape licensed and reputablesexual taxiassault firmcan andvary makewidely aby notecountry.

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• keepCommonwealth a& writtenDevelopment recordOffice of(FCDO) importanttakes phoneany numbers,allegation includingof arape family member and thesexual Britishassault embassyseriously. orRead consulate,our inadvice caseon somethingwhat happens to yourdo if phone
• do not advertise the fact you arehave travellingbeen alone
• setraped upor yoursexually phoneassaulted withabroad, awhich ‘findincludes myspecific phoneadvice app’

Drug-assisted rape or ‘date rape’

Drugs arehave increasinglybeen being used in rape. OnceIf someone hasadds added drugs to your drink, you will not normally be able to detect them. Rape drugs also work in non-alcoholic drinks, such as coffee and tea. They are normally colourless and tasteless, and can make you unconscious and defenceless.

You should:

• be aware of how much you are drinking:drinking – alcohol is the most frequently used drug in drug-assisted rape
• do not leave drinks unattended, and do not accept drinks from strangers
• seek help if you begin to feel strange, sick or drunk after only drinking a couplesmall ofamount. drinks,You could tell a trusted friend.friend, Theywho should take you to a safe place, suchor asphone yourthe hotellocal room.police Youfor canadvice
• if phoneyou feel in danger contact the localemergency police,services

Female agenital hospitalmutilation or(FGM)

FGM is illegal in the nearestUK Britishand embassymost orother consulatecountries. forIt advice

Readis ouralso adviceillegal onto whattake a girl from the UK to doanother ifcountry youto haveundergo beenFGM. raped,FGM sexuallytakes assaultedplace orworldwide druggedin abroadat least 30 countries in Africa, Asia and forthe whenMiddle youEast. areIt returningalso home.takes place in parts of western Europe and other developed countries, mainly among immigrant and refugee communities. Read our guidance on how to protect, advise and support victims of FGM.

Forced marriage abroad

In a forced marriage a person is coerced into marrying someone against their will. They may be physically threatened or emotionally blackmailedblackmailed. to do so. It is an abuse of human rights and cannot be justified on any religious or cultural basis. basis. For For more information, see:

• advice if you are affected by forced marriage
• guidance on howprotecting, toadvising protect, advise and supportsupporting victims of forced marriage

Other

Job resourcesopportunity forscams and modern slavery

Be careful when considering job opportunities abroad, including:

• in call centres
• as hosts and hostesses
• in childcare
• as domestic help
• other seemingly legitimate jobs

Be aware of job offers that appear too good to be true.

These scams can target anyone. However, criminal gangs have sometimes targeted women travellingand used these job opportunities as a front for human trafficking or modern slavery. Sometimes people have had their passports confiscated, and been held in poor living conditions, forced into illegal activities, or pressured to make large payments.

If you have experienced these crimes and need help, see our victim of crime abroad guidance.

Know the law

TheseDo organisations’your websitesresearch provideto informationunderstand aboutlaws, howand authorities’ attitudes towards gender equality issues, particular around crimes and violence against women.

Divorce and child custody

Laws around divorce and custody of children vary by country. There may be different courts or laws depending on the religion of that country or of the child’s parents. In some countries, a married woman may need her husband’s permission for her or her children to stayleave safethe whilstcountry. travelling,The husband may be able to place a ‘stop order’, which means the authorities will stop you or loneyour working:children if you attempt to leave the country.

International parental child abduction

International parental child abduction is when a child is taken abroad without the consent of everyone with parental responsibility or against a court order. See our guidance on international parental child abduction for more advice on preventing this or what to do if it has happened.

Resources for women travelling abroad

You can get more information from:

• Caroline’s Rainbow Foundation promotes personal safety for travellers
• Suzy Lamplugh Trust campaigns on personal safety and stalking with much of the information also applying to travel abroad

Urgent or emergency assistance from the FCDO

We can help British nationals in emergencies. For example, if you:

• have been injured or assaulted
• are arrested for a crime

We will prioritise helping those who are vulnerable and need our help the most.

If you are:

• abroad, contact the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate
• in the UK, call +44 (0)20 7008 5000

Our phone lines are open 24/7.

Feedback

We welcome your views on the support we provide, to help us to identify what we do well and what we could do better. Contact us using our feedback contact form.

Alternatively write to us:

Consular Feedback Team
Consular Directorate
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AH

Or telephone +44 (0)20 7008 5000

Disclaimer

Read the disclaimer relating to this guidance.